Make your language accessible
Using accessible language isn’t just for people with disabilities, it’s better for everyone.
There are huge benefits to using accessible language for people with learning disabilities, cognitive disabilities, vision impairments and people for whom English isn’t their first language. However, anyone reading your content will benefit if it is easier to understand.
People tend to fill their content with jargon, idioms and complex terms to try and sound like an expert. In education, this way of writing is almost encouraged so it can be hard to get out of the habit. In truth, being able to explain complex subjects in plain English is much more impressive. Don’t try to sound smart.
These best practice tips apply to both written and verbal communication. Here are 8 ways to make your language more accessible:
Keep it simple.
Only tell the reader or listener what they need to know. Don’t use filler or provide additional information unless it’s truly relevant.
Use short sentences.
Keep sentences and paragraphs short. Rather than using multiple commas in a sentence, try to split the sentence in two.
Remove extra words.
Read your text back and see if there are any additional words that you can remove. Words like ‘really’ and ‘very’ are often used but aren’t needed.
Instead of: The very large dog ran really fast across the park.
Say: The large dog ran fast across the park.
Don’t use jargon
Don’t use complex or sector-specific terms. Try to find a simpler way to explain yourself. If jargon words are unavoidable, make sure to explain what they mean.
Avoid or explain acronyms.
If you need to use an acronym, explain the full meaning at least the first time it is used. Acronyms can be especially problematic for screen reader users.
Keep it consistent.
Use the same terms consistently. For example, if you are referring to an optician don’t switch between ‘eye care provider’, ‘optometrist’ ‘eye care professional’ and ‘optician’.
Check for simpler alternatives.
Grammarly and the A-Z of plain English alternatives are great free tools that can offer simpler alternatives to complex words or phrases.
Aim for a reading age of 9
The average reading age of adults in the UK is 9 years old, so this is who your content should be aimed at. Use Microsoft Word’s built-in reading age checker when writing your content.
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