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Webinar recap: Advancing Equity + Accessibility Through Organizational Literacy
- Melanie Sampson
- May 23
- 3 min read
This Clear Language Lab webinar took place on May 21, 2025, as part of our free quarterly plain language series. Check out the recording and notes below. We also shared additional resources including links, slides, and our Mentimeter results in this document.
This webinar focused on three key areas:
Frameworks that ground our work
Explaining the concept of organizational literacy and reviewing several examples of the principles in action
Ideas for reflection activities to support you in your work
Frameworks that ground our work
In this session, we talked about 3 key philosophies that ground much of the work we do at Literacy Works. Here's a recap:
Trauma-informed practice
What is it?
A way of approaching one's work that recognizes principles of care, connection, choice, safety, and others in creating a safer space, and:
acknowledges trauma’s impacts on how people learn and process information
integrates knowledge about trauma into policies and procedures
revolves around creating a safe and welcoming space for participants
Example:
An adult education program has a clear registration process, adequate staff to greet students, and a welcoming space with seating and snacks.
Universal design
What is it?
An approach to design that works to create experiences that can work for as many people as possible:
no need to adapt for specialized groups –differentiation is built into the experience
multiple options for engagement
user feedback is key
there is always learning and revising to do
create spaces and processes accessible to all
Example:
A clinic has a variety of types of seating in the waiting room to accommodate different needs and ample space for someone to navigate a wheelchair.
Popular education
What is it?
An educational approach popularized by Paolo Freire in Brazil in 1950s & 60s with tenets such as:
teachers and students as co-learners
action and reflection as important parts of learning
an understanding that education is not neutral (we are always making decisions about what to include, what to leave out, etc.)
Example:
A know-your-rights presentation from a legal aid organization is created with input from community members and incorporates real life experiences
Organizational literacy
Lessons from the health literacy field
A few recent highlights:
In 2012, a discussion paper out of the National Academy of Medicine identified 10 attributes of a health literate healthcare system.
In 2020, the Health People campaign through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services launched their Healthy People 2030 campaign with a new definition of health literacy that included organizational health literacy.
In spring 2025, Clear Language Lab worked with Cook County Department of Public Health to create a toolkit, Advancing Organizational Health Literacy
Check out the slides to see examples of these principles in action. We discussed making documents easy to use, including people in processes, and making sure that staff have the tools they need to be successful.
Final Takeaway: Organizations have a responsibility to communicate with integrity using audience-centered strategies that allow people to access information they need with ease so that they can thrive in their everyday lives. |
Interested in learning more about professional development at Clear Language Lab? Check out other past webinars, find upcoming events on our training page, or contact Sarah Glazer, Sr. Program Manager, at sarah@litworks.org to learn more about our offerings.
© 2025 Literacy Works
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