Original Co-Founders to Host the PLAIN 2013 Conference After 20 Years

Plain language advocates Cheryl Stephens (plainlanguagewizardry.com) and Kate Harrison Whiteside (keyadvice.net) are joining forces again, almost 20 years since the first one, to organize the PLAIN 2013 Conference October 10–13 at the Coast Plaza Hotel & Suites in Vancouver, BC.

The duo are helping Community Plain Language Services host the Plain Language Association International 2013 Conference, 20th Anniversary, and the third International Plain Language Day celebrations.

When Cheryl Stephens and Kate Harrison Whiteside both attended a Canadian government event on plain language in 1992, they had no idea how their future actions would affect the global plain language movement.

Though they came from different backgrounds (Cheryl legal, Kate journalism), they realized that plain language was an important issue with limited resources. At that time, plain language was not commonly understood, embraced or backed by research.

When Cheryl suggested at that conference that attendees form an association, there was only silence. A year later, Kate and Cheryl met for the first time and agreed to just do it. They co-founded the precursor to the Plain Language Association International. Then they hosted the first plain language conference in Winnipeg in 1995, and the rest is just plain history.



What's in store at the PLAIN 2013 conference?

Cheryl and Kate agree that one of the greatest benefits is being able to network. The conference includes plenaries, round tables and poster sessions, which means there are many ways to personalize your experience and interact with other people.

"People in plain language tend to feel isolated from other advocates," Cheryl says. "At a conference like this, you will meet people who share your passion for language. Lasting relationships can start here."

Another benefit is the broad spectrum of topics and levels included in the conference. "There will be experts from around the world from a wide variety of professions," Kate says. "Where else can you get this kind of knowledge at one time?"

Cheryl adds, "When professions converge like this, the learning experience will be phenomenal." The full program for the conference is available at plain2013.org.

Perhaps most importantly, people will develop skills on how to implement plain language in their organizations. Both Kate and Cheryl promote the holistic process of plain language as a cycle: it goes from the user, to the developer, to the creator, and back to the user.

"The whole spectrum of the process is represented at the conference," Kate explains. "We definitely have the big picture."

What is plain language?

The philosophy behind plain language is simple. Do the readers understand the message? Is the writing clear and effective? Plain language can, and should, be implemented in everything from emails to memos; from forms to marketing messages; and from documents to websites.

"Clear communication is critical if you want people to understand complex issues," Kate says. Luckily, plain language is becoming mainstream in a variety of sectors, such as government, health, education, media and law. Cheryl adds, "The key to democracy is an informed public, and plain language makes this possible."

Plain language goes far beyond strategies such as using the pronoun "you" and avoiding the passive voice. It's also much more than just avoiding wordy prose. "It's about attitude and empathy. You have to think of the reader," says Cheryl. Kate agrees. "Plain language editing is only a small part of the process. You must involve the users," she states.

Both women agree that it's a holistic approach and that there's more than one way to accomplish clear communication. "It depends on your audience," Kate explains. "If the users say they understand your document, and they actually do understand, then you've done it right."

Plain language is becoming more recognized internationally. The International Consortium for Clear Communication (icclear.net) program, which will provide an international postgraduate course in clear communication, is launching soon in various countries. This will give plain language even more global recognition. Also, there are representatives from more than 15 countries attending and presenting at the PLAIN 2013 conference.

On October 13, 2013, many countries will be celebrating International Plain Language Day (IPLDay), which was also co-founded by Cheryl and Kate in 2011. This year, Plain Language Day falls on the third day of the PLAIN 2013 conference. A variety of activities celebrating the third IPLDay are open to the public on Sunday afternoon. The City of Vancouver has also proclaimed the week of the conference to be the first Plain Language Week.

While print used to be the primary place for plain language, online has taken over, to great effect. "Now more than ever, it's important to involve the readers. Feedback is more readily available online, so companies can find out right away if users understand what's been written. And people are more aware of the link between plain language and usability," Kate explains.

Social media also plays a role in helping plain language enthusiasts stay connected. "It's a new way to talk about language, about communication," Kate enthuses. "It's not often that this kind of excitement comes along in the world of communication."

How can people learn more about plain language?

Twitter –Follow @plain2013, #plainlanguage and #plain2013

Website – plain2013.org

LinkedIn group – Join Cheryl's Plain Language Advocates with over 4,500 members.

"The use of social media is making this year's conference far more people-oriented. There's so much going on before it even happens, and so much that will continue after," Kate says.

Cheryl, Kate, Katherine McManus from SFU and a dedicated team of volunteers have been working for a year to make this conference a pivotal point in plain language history. Although Kate and Cheryl have collaborated on several projects in the past 21 years, when asked how it feels to be working on a PLAIN conference with Kate once again, Cheryl aptly sums it up: "It feels significant."

-The End-