Guides for Inclusive Communication: Making Written Communication Easy to Understand

These guides from PHI’s Center on Disability provide information and tools to help businesses, state and local governments, and nonprofits improve their written communication. Explore the resources:

• Inclusive Communication for Nonprofits
• Inclusive Communication for State and Local Government
• Inclusive Communication for Businesses

PHI’s Center on Disability has also created a social media toolkit for the Plain Language & Easy Read Guides. The toolkit provides ready-to-use messaging you can share on your social media channels. Explore sample images, customizable messages and more.

This work is a part of the Inclusive Communication Project, which educates government agencies, private businesses, and service providers on the importance of plain language and offers practical guidance on putting it into practice. The Project also teaches individuals with disabilities how to translate difficult-to-understand content into usable information so they can more easily navigate day-to-day activities in their communities.

Inclusive Communication for Nonprofits

This document provides information and tools to help nonprofits improve their written communication.

This document will cover:

• The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
• What is plain language?
• How can plain language help your nonprofit?
• Tips to make written communication easier to understand
• Easy Read
• Guidelines for writing for the web
• Creating forms
• Tools to help you write in easy to-understand language
• Examples of how plain language can improve understanding
• Resources for creating plain language and easy read text

Inclusive Communication for State and Local Government

This document provides information and tools to help state and local governments improve their written communication.

This document will cover:

• The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
• What is plain language?
• How can plain language help your government entity?
• Tips to make written communication easier to understand
• Easy Read Guidelines for writing for the web
• Creating forms
• Tools to help you write in easy-to-understand language
• Examples of how plain language can improve understanding
• Resources for creating plain language and easy read text

Inclusive Communication for Businesses

This document provides information and tools to help businesses improve their written communication.

This document will cover:

• The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
• What is plain language?
• How can plain language help your business?
• Tips to make written communication easier to understand
• Easy Read
• Guidelines for writing for the web
• Creating forms
• Tools to help you write in easy-to-understand language
• Examples of how plain language can improve understanding
• Resources for creating plain language and easy read text

This program/project was funded in part through a grant from the California State Council on Developmental Disabilities supported by the Administration for Community Living (ACL), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), with 75% funding by ACL/HHS. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement by, ACL/HHS, or the U.S. Government.

Originally published by Center on Disability