Return-Path: <nifl-health@literacy.nifl.gov> Received: from literacy (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by literacy.nifl.gov (8.10.2/8.10.2) with SMTP id j18Fm6C16611; Tue, 8 Feb 2005 10:48:06 -0500 (EST) Date: Tue, 8 Feb 2005 10:48:06 -0500 (EST) Message-Id: <20050208154638.20167.qmail@web30201.mail.mud.yahoo.com> Errors-To: listowner@literacy.nifl.gov Reply-To: nifl-health@literacy.nifl.gov Originator: nifl-health@literacy.nifl.gov Sender: nifl-health@literacy.nifl.gov Precedence: bulk From: Bruce Carmel <bcarmel@rocketmail.com> To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-health@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-HEALTH:4645] Re: Firstfind.info resources on the web? X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Status: O Content-Length: 6043 Lines: 220 Dear Eugenio and others, Have you shown firstfind.info to people with limited literacy? It is not for non-readers. In my experience, people with limited literacy like it a lot. --- Eugenio Longoria <ezl109@psu.edu> wrote: > Although this seems to be a good website, it is > still not very good for > people with low levels of literacy. It is not as > plain and simple as they > advertise it is. > > Eu- > > -----Original Message----- > From: nifl-health@nifl.gov > [mailto:nifl-health@nifl.gov] On Behalf Of Audrey > Riffenburgh > Sent: Tuesday, February 08, 2005 9:10 AM > To: Multiple recipients of list > Subject: [NIFL-HEALTH:4642] Re: Firstfind.info > resources on the web? > > Hello, > > I've heard from three people now who have had no > problem with firstfind.info > > so it must be on my end. Thank you for letting me > know. I do hope to see the > > site. It sounds like it would be very useful. > > Audrey Riffenburgh, M.A. > President, Riffenburgh & Associates > P.O. Box 6670, Albuquerque, NM 87197 > Phone: (505) 345-1107 Fax: (505) 345-1104 > E-mail: ar@plainlanguageworks.com > Specialists in Plain Language and Health Literacy > since 1994 > and > Principal & Founding Member, The Clear Language > Group > www.clearlanguagegroup.com > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "David Rosen" <DJRosen@TheWorld.com> > To: "Multiple recipients of list" > <nifl-health@literacy.nifl.gov> > Sent: Monday, February 07, 2005 7:59 PM > Subject: [NIFL-HEALTH:4641] Re: Firstfind.info > resources on the web? > > > > Hello Audrey, Andrew and others, > > > > I have just tried accessing firstfind.info using a > PC and Mac and several > > different browsers. It works on all -- except for > some reason Internet > > explorer 5.2 for a Mac running OS X. I'll bring > this to the attention of > > Robin Osborne at the Westchester Library System to > see if there is > > something which can be done. > > > > It might be helpful to Robin, Audrey, to know what > system (PC or MAC, what > > > operating system) and browser (type and version) > you are using. > > > > firstfind.info is a great resource, which I > certainly hope you will be > > able to see. > > > > All the best, > > > > David > > > > David J. Rosen > > djrosen@comcast.net > > On Feb 7, 2005, at 8:52 PM, Andrew Pleasant wrote: > > > >> Seems to be working well on my system. > >> > >> Andrew Pleasant > >> Assistant Professor > >> Rutgers University > >> > >> > >>> Greetings, again, > >>> > >>> Bruce Carmel told us about a resource called > firstfind.info which I am > >>> eager > >>> to see but we can't get the site to work. Has > anyone else tried? The > >>> only > >>> item in the menu that worked today or on > Saturday is the Local > >>> Resources. > >>> Can anyone fill us in on what's up? > >>> > >>> Audrey Riffenburgh, M.A. > >>> President, Riffenburgh & Associates > >>> P.O. Box 6670, Albuquerque, NM 87197 > >>> Phone: (505) 345-1107 Fax: (505) 345-1104 > >>> E-mail: ar@plainlanguageworks.com > >>> Specialists in Plain Language and Health > Literacy since 1994 > >>> and > >>> Principal & Founding Member, The Clear Language > Group > >>> www.clearlanguagegroup.com > >>> > >>> ----- Original Message ----- > >>> From: "Bruce Carmel" <bcarmel@rocketmail.com> > >>> To: "Multiple recipients of list" > <nifl-health@literacy.nifl.gov> > >>> Sent: Saturday, February 05, 2005 7:18 PM > >>> Subject: [NIFL-HEALTH:4633] Re: "Easy-to-read" > resources on the web > >>> > >>> > >>>> firstfind.info is probably worth a look for > anyone > >>>> looking for > >>>> "easy-to-read" web info. It's a library of > >>>> non-commercial web sites selected by > librarians. David > >>>> Rosen, Susan Cowles, Maura Donnelly, Robin > Osborne, > >>>> and I helped train them to use more than grade > level > >>>> as a selection criterion. In fact we did not > use grade > >>>> level, but were more holistic. > >>>> Bruce Carmel > >>>> http://firstfind.info > >>>> > >>>> > >>>> --- Audrey Riffenburgh > <ar@plainlanguageworks.com> > >>>> wrote: > >>>> > >>>>> Greetings, all, > >>>>> > >>>>> > >>>>> > >>>>> In my ten years working in health literacy, I > have > >>>>> seen a huge increase in > >>>>> materials on the web which are labeled as > easy. > >>>>> There are SOME easy-to-read > >>>>> health resources on the web but many of the > >>>>> materials labeled as > >>>>> easy-to-read are still far too difficult for > most of > >>>>> the general public. As > >>>>> you probably know, the average U.S. adult > reads at > >>>>> about 8th "grade" level. > >>>>> Much of the material on the web that is > labeled > >>>>> "easy" or "plain language" > >>>>> is written at much higher levels. (There are > >>>>> inherent problems in using > >>>>> grade levels to label adult readers but this > gives > >>>>> you a general idea of the > >>>>> level of functioning vs. the literacy demands > of > >>>>> printed materials.) > >>>>> > >>>>> > >>>>> > >>>>> I recently analyzed the reading level of > seven > >>>>> materials on, or linked to, > >>>>> MedlinePlus' "Easy-to-Read" area. The average > >>>>> reading level was 11 and the > >>>>> range was from 8 to 16. The results were > similar for > >>>>> the FDA's website where > >>>>> they offer "easy" resources. > >>>>> > >>>>> > >>>>> > >>>>> The problem is in defining "easy." What is > easy to > >>>>> an average or lower > >>>>> skilled reader is entirely different from > what is > >>>>> easy for those doing the > >>>>> labeling. So I suggest great caution in using > >>>>> materials labeled this way. > >>>>> They may not achieve what you are hoping for > or > >>>>> assuming they will achieve. > >>>>> > >>>>> > >>>>> > >>>>> Plus, keep in mind that there are dozens of > factors > >>>>> beyond reading level > >>>>> that affect a document's appropriateness. > These > === message truncated === __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Take Yahoo! Mail with you! Get it on your mobile phone. http://mobile.yahoo.com/maildemo
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b30 : Mon Oct 31 2005 - 09:49:37 EST