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Introduction
Many American Adults Lack Literacy Skills
According to the 1992 National Adult Literacy Survey, some 90 million American
adults-- about 47 percent of the U.S. population-- demonstrate low levels
of literacy. These individuals lack the literacy skills to function adequately
in our increasingly complex society. Individuals with low or limited literacy
may experience difficulty applying reading, writing, computational, and
information processing skills to everyday life situations. While people
with literacy problems may be found among all ethnicities, races, and classes,
a significant correlation does exist between literacy, and both education
and income levels.
Federal agencies often rely on print materials to tell people about health
information and social services. Many of these materials are written at
the 10th grade reading level and above. These materials are not useful to
people with limited-literacy skills.
A workgroup composed of Government communicators from diverse Department
of Health and Human Services' agencies met to address the disparity between
the reading level of available print materials and the reading ability of
many Americans. This set of guidelines, which was developed to assist writers
in communicating effectively to low-literate audiences, is the result of
their efforts.
About Clear and Simple
This guide outlines a process for developing publications for people with
limited-literacy skills. The process was derived from communications, health
education, and literacy research and practice. In addition, writers who
have produced low-literacy materials contributed their expertise. Thus,
the guide features both proven principles and a discussion of the real life
issues that individuals developing low-literacy materials face, such as
the constraints of time, budget, organizational pressures, and the Government
publications process.
A review of existing examples and discussions with experienced writers makes
it clear that the low-literacy field is an evolving discipline. Many definitions
of "low-literacy" exist, and some products receive this designation
incorrectly, simply because they test at a lower reading level. Even when
the communicator pays careful attention to appropriate educational principles,
the product may not exemplify perfectly these principles to all readers
and reviewers. Deciding whether a passage or an illustration follows low-literacy
guidelines and communicates effectively is a subjective judgment. This fact
underscores the importance of testing all materials with the intended audience,
whose understanding and acceptance is critical.
One writer summed up the challenge this way: "Everyone recognizes that
we need to make print products more accessible to low-literate audiences.
But developing low-literacy products is a major change from 'business as
usual.' In some respects, it's like learning how to write, design, and test
materials all over again."
Guidelines
The five standard steps in developing print materials are:
1. Define the target audience.
2. Conduct target audience research.
3. Develop a concept for the product.
4. Develop content and visuals.
5. Pretest and revise draft materials.
The following sections outline specific considerations for each
step in developing materials for readers with limited-literacy skills.
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