Videos
4 Plain Language
Speaker: Ruth Wilson, West Coast Editorial Associates
Video Player
Video Transcript
Jennifer Jordan: So I’d like to introduce Ruth Wilson from West coast Editorial Associates to present on plain language and SVM policies and processes.
Ruth Wilson: Thank you. So I drew the short straw. I know the blood sugars at your lowest now. So if you need coffee or you don’t want to just stand up and dance in front of me, that’s okay. I’m going to be moving a bit myself because I’m starting to feel that bit myself. So thank you. Thank you for having me today. I’m really pleased to be here. I’m going to focus on just one small piece of the puzzle of best practices and that’s plain language in your procedures and process. So I’m going to cover why plain language is important and what plain language is. And I know most of you probably think you do know what it is and I’m sure you do know some aspect of it, but for those of you who may not have worked or written or developed procedures within a plain language framework, I think that will be a useful quick definition for you.
Ruth Wilson: And for those of you who have worked within the plain language framework, it will confirm that it’s more than just short words and simple phrases. It’s a broader and deeper concept than that. And the third is just quickly how you can apply plain language to your procedures documents. Well that’s a two day workshop so we don’t have that. I’m going to give you three principles to walk away with and if you can think of those and apply those in your work, you’ll have taken a great leap forward. So that’s a lot to cover in 30 minutes. I’ll do my best to get you on time for the next break.
Ruth Wilson: So let’s start with why plain language is important. And I want to start that by telling you why it’s important to me because I believe that most of you, if not all of you, will relate to at least some of my own experiences because they’re human experiences. Plain language is something I’m passionate about and I have been my entire career. My passion was born, both from my choice of career as an editor and an instructor of editorial skills, and also by my personal life experiences as a homeowner, as a consumer of goods and services, as a parent, as a voter, as an engaged citizen. So you may not all be parents, but besides that you are all those things. First, you should know that I am in no way an expert on sexual violence policy and procedures, but I am a seasoned veteran in reading, deciphering, translating policies and procedures for others written by subject matter experts, or industry experts from all walks of life in all subject matters. So that’s my expertise, to take something that needs to be translated for somebody else. So I’m kind of the guinea pig. You got to get it by my eyes and my brain first. And that can some days be a real challenge.
Ruth Wilson: So an alarming number of documents that have landed on my desk over the years have been almost inde