THE LAB library

This Clear Language Lab webinar took place on February 25, 2026, as part of our free quarterly plain language series. Check out the recording, notes, and resources below. Watch on YouTube This webinar covers: How to cultivate a welcoming and safe tone, even when writing about serious topics Alternatives to common features of bureaucratic, legal, and academic writing styles How you can show that you’re a trustworthy source of information Open a PDF of the presentations slides

Introduction Have you ever started reading a document, paused halfway through, and went back to the beginning to start over? It sounded ‘professional’, but you weren’t sure what it actually said or what you were supposed to do next.  This often happens in ‘professional’ writing. Someone uses complex words and long sentences to sound credible and knowledgeable, but it only confuses their readers. Professional writing helps people understand, decide, and act. If what you write

Here at the Clear Language Lab we seize every opportunity to talk about and uplift plain language. We know the importance of making information accessible and understandable for everyone. We’ve shared how plain language can help in healthcare, government and education. To show that plain language works everywhere, we want to highlight some other spaces you may not have thought of that are utilizing plain language. Sports and language access  With athletics moving to a more gl