Ryan Bigge Improve the web with plain words a11y camp, Toronto, November 18, 2017 

• Why plain words are good for a11y • How to make your words plain Today I’ll talk about: 

• Semantic HTML or alt-text • Images, icons, and videos • Legibility (font size) and contrast • Link text or forms Today I won’t talk about: 

• Semantic HTML or alt-text • Images, icons, and videos • Legibility (font size) and contrast • Link text or forms Today I won’t talk about: All of the above are important, but my focus is plain words. 

Why plain words are good for a11y 

• An average American reads at an 8th grade level • Simple words make it easier to do things • Simple words mean more people can use your product or service successfully Reading grade level and a11y 

• Short sentences • Simple words • Avoid adverbs • Active voice Readability Stephanie Hobson’s great framework for readability and understandability: www.slideshare.net/stephaniehobson/writing-for-every-reader/ 

• No idioms • No pop culture or slang • No rhetorical questions or sarcasm • No jargon Understandability Your words can be readable but not understandable, due to slang, jargon, or idioms. 

• Using company slang to describe things to people • Error messages are often full of nerdview • Write in the user’s words • Respect how they think Avoid nerdview https://ux.shopify.com/revenge-of-nerdview-baf84a432bae 

Users go to your site to perform a task. Don’t force them do a word puzzle. 

What plain looks like Wow! This doc has changed a lot. To sync to the latest version, reload Taken from a Google Doc banner 

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These are Patreon’s terms of use (stick with us here). We know that most people skim through terms of use statements because they’re boring and go right over our heads, but we have done everything we can to make this easy to get through. 

Plain doesn’t mean dumbed down 

Plain doesn’t mean dumbed down Boat that goes under the sea We’ve always had boats that go under the sea, but in the last few hundred years, we’ve learned to make ones that come back up. Thing Explainer - Randall Munroe 

- Sarah J. Richards “You aren’t ‘dumbing down.’ You’re opening up your information to anyone who wants to read it.” 

- Sarah J. Richards “We’re writing clearly because we respect people’s time, interest and attention.” 

• Never use a metaphor, simile, or other figure of speech which you are used to seeing in print • Never use a long word where a short one will do • If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out • Never use the passive where you can use the active • Never use a foreign phrase, a scientific word, or a jargon word if you can think of an everyday English equivalent • Break any of these rules sooner than say anything outright barbarous Plain isn’t new - George Orwell 

• Never use a metaphor, simile, or other figure of speech which you are used to seeing in print • Never use a long word where a short one will do • If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out • Never use the passive where you can use the active • Never use a foreign phrase, a scientific word, or a jargon word if you can think of an everyday English equivalent • Break any of these rules sooner than say anything outright barbarous Plain isn’t new - George Orwell Politics and the English language 1946 

How to make your words plain 

www.gov.uk/guidance/government-design-principles 

If you can explain a tricky thing in plain words, it proves you understand it. 

• Original • Clear • Clear, Concise • Clear, Concise, Useful How Google transforms their content through UX writing: https://uxplanet.org/ux-writing-how-to-do-it-like-google-with-this-powerful-checklist-e263cc37f5f1 Plain requires a process 

Use tools to make it simple 

• Grade level on my Nerdview article: 11.3 • Grade level on Design words with data: 7.4 Lose your ego ux.shopify.com/revenge-of-nerdview-baf84a432bae medium.com/dropbox-design/design-words-with-data-fe3c525994e7 

Plain words are better for everyone. They’re better for people with cognitive challenges. They’re better for people whose first language isn’t english. They’re better for people using assistive technology. And they’re better for anyone who wants to complete a digital task quickly and confidently. Lose your ego This is the original description for my plain language talk. 

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Plain words are better for everyone. They’re better for people with cognitive challenges. They’re better for people whose first language isn’t english. They’re better for people using assistive technology. And they’re better for anyone who wants to complete a digital task quickly and confidently. Lose your ego Average grade level = 10 Average grade level = 10 The original description for my plain language talk wasn’t very plain. 

Computer says no This is what using a grade level reader can feel like. 

This is what using a grade level reader can feel like. Computer says no 

This is what using a grade level reader can feel like. Computer says no 

Computer says no 

Plain words make the web better for everyone. They’re better for screen readers. They’re easier to understand. Plain words remove doubt and help people complete tasks online. This short talk will show you how to improve a11y by making your words plain. Lose your ego It took a few tries, but I made my words plain. 

Plain words make the web better for everyone. They’re better for screen readers. They’re easier to understand. Plain words remove doubt and help people complete tasks online. This short talk will show you how to improve a11y by making your words plain. Lose your ego **Average grade level = 6.4** 

Nerdview: an organizational tendency to use insider language when describing products and services to outsiders. Nerdview: Using insider language to describe something to an outsider. Nerdview: Using company slang to describe things to people. Lose your ego every day It took a few tries, but I made my nerdview definition plain. 

• Write for your audience • Use short sentences and simple words • Get to the point • Test your content • Lose your ego Summary 

And yes, every sentence in this talk is plain. 

Computer says yes YES 

Thanks! 

• 7 guidelines for writing accessible microcopy: invisionapp.com/blog/writing-accessible-microcopy/ • Writing for every reader: slideshare.net/stephaniehobson/writing-for-every-reader • Center for plain language: centerforplainlanguage.org/ • Readable.io: readable.io • Hemingway editor: hemingwayapp.com • a11y according to people with disabilities: axesslab.com/accessibility-according-to-pwd/ • Thing explainer: xkcd.com/thing-explainer/ • Design words with data: medium.com/dropbox-design/design-words-with-data-fe3c525994e7 • Government design principles: gov.uk/guidance/government-design-principles Resources 

• Dumbing down: contentdesign.london/reading/dumbing-down/ • Writing content for everyone: gds.blog.gov.uk/2016/02/23/writing-content-for-everyone/ • Five steps to plain language: centerforplainlanguage.org/learning-training/five-steps-plain-language/ • Writing for a human-centered website: boston.gov/news/writing-human-centered-website • Manifesto on government acronyms: medium.com/@lflockwood/a-manifesto-on-government-acronyms-59f58dbd2774#.r13mf7k66 • UX writing at Google: uxplanet.org/ux-writing-how-to-do-it-like-google-with-this-powerful-checklist-e263cc37f5f1 • Revenge of nerdview: ux.shopify.com/revenge-of-nerdview-baf84a432bae • Plainlanguage.gov: plainlanguage.gov/ • Tips on semantic HTML: internetingishard.com/html-and-css/semantic-html/ More resources