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

It’s hard to believe that we are already closing out another year! 2025 has come and gone in a whirlwind that brought new projects, partnerships, and ideas into the Clear Language Lab.    As we do every year, we’d like to share some of the highlights with you. Responding to quickly changing times The year began with policy changes in our nation that had us and many organizations looking for ways to adapt to new requirements yet still stay true to our values and mission.  Our

This Clear Language Lab webinar took place on November 19, 2025, as part of our free quarterly plain language series. Check out the recording, notes, and resources below. Watch on YouTube This webinar covers: Frameworks to help us identify when processes are creating challenges Strategies to make processes work better for you and your audience Tips for making plain language the norm across your organization You can access a PDF of the slides from this presentation here. Key i

We have been living in a whirlwind of change. Every day it seems like there is a new headline, a new directive, or new occurrences in our communities to respond to. In response, many of these changes have organizations pivoting to new goals and programs.   Earlier this year, we talked about how to stay true to your values in the face of changing times . Here, we want to look at ways your organization can pivot effectively when there is need for change.   Have a response plan

55% of professionals state that constant notifications make it hard for them to focus on their work. The continual stream of updates and notices lead to communication overload.   Communication overload happens when people get more information than they can understand or keep up with. This can lead to anxiety and an inability to focus - and be a distraction from getting tasks done.   We’ve shared before how important it is for organizations to be communicative and transparent

The idea of seeking out feedback can feel overwhelming for different reasons. Maybe you are busy and feel like you don’t have enough time. Maybe you don’t even know where to start to gather feedback. Maybe you are nervous about what people will say! Let’s talk through some different options depending on time, resources, and capacity. Examples Things to think about... Surveys Online surveys using tools like Google Forms or Microsoft Forms Paper surveys People may not fill out

Use these activities to evaluate your content from a cultural humility lens. You can complete these worksheets on your own or as a group.  Background We all have identities that shape us. We may not always realize that the way we navigate the world is different than someone else.  Cultural humility is a mindset to approaching cultural differences with a positive, reflective lens. It includes reflecting on our own culture and identities, recognizing our biases and privileges,

Sometimes things don’t work the way we planned. Use this activity to figure out where process and systems break down and strategize a new...

Checklist + guiding questions Reviewing materials for plain language is about more than just running it through a readability checker or...

Recent government policies and regulations have forced many organizations to reconsider how they communicate about and do their work....