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Reader Friendly Communication

6
  • How do I use this guide?
  • Part 1: Introduction
  • Part 2: Understanding – Knowing your readers
  • Part 3: Designing – Using simple strategies to make your information quicker and easier to read
  • Part 4: Reimagining – Presenting your information in different ways
  • Part 5: Where to now?
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Part 5: Where to now?

5 min read

Ready to write effectively? #

  1. Think about your readers
    Is the reading and writing you are expecting reasonable?
    If you can’t find out about the literacy levels of your readers, you can assume that 43% of them will find everyday reading and writing challenging, and 53% will find numeracy difficult.
  2. Review your communications
    Do you need to do an audit of what you expect people to read and write
  3. Redesign your communications
    For written texts, use plain language and reader-friendly layout. Check that the location is easy to find.
    Can you reimagine your messaging style to give your information in a different way?
    Use the case studies in this guide for inspiration.
    Check the links we’ve provided for more details.
  4. Have a go
    Get feedback from your readers, your staff, or your customers to check what works.
  5. Contact us at the Reading Writing Hotline
    We’d love to hear about your progress and include your example in our next case studies!

Thank you #

Thank you to the following organisations for generously sharing their time and expertise:

  • 26TEN Tasmania Strategy
  • AI Group Centre for Education and Training
  • Australian Council for Adult Literacy (ACAL)
  • Australian Public Service Commission (APSC)
  • Australian Taxation Office (ATO)
  • Behavioural Insights Unit – NSW Government
  • Central Coast Community Legal Centre
  • Centre for Culture, Ethnicity & Health
  • Coast Community News
  • Council for Intellectual Disability
  • Fair Work Commission
  • Foundation and Transition Programs Branch, Australian Government Department of Employment and Workplace Relations
  • NPS MedicineWise
  • Reading Writing Hotline participants Maree, Tom and Mike.
  • SBS TV
  • South Eastern Sydney Local Health District, Deakin University and University of Melbourne
  • State Library NSW
  • Sydney Health Literacy Lab
  • Tasmanian Council of Social Service Inc
  • The Western Australian Training Accreditation Council (TAC)

And thank you to NPS MedicineWise consumer story participants, Makere, Nev and Shelle, and to Mike, Maree and Tom for sharing their learner stories.

References #

  1. NSW Government Behavioural Insights Unit (2022), Behavioural Insights Unit, Behavioural Insights Unit | NSW Government, accessed 22 August, 2022.
  2. Australian Bureau of Statistics (2013), Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies, Australia, Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies, Australia, 2011 – 2012 | Australian Bureau of Statistics (abs.gov.au), accessed 22 August, 2022.
  3. Department of Employment and Workplace Relations (2021), Discussion Paper – Delivery of the SEE Program 2023, Resources | Department of Education, Skills and Employment (dese.gov.au), accessed 22 August, 2022.
  4. NPS Medicinewise (2022), National Medicines Symposium Toolkit, National Medicines Symposium Toolkit (msecnd.net), accessed 22 August, 2022.
  5. Australian Council for Adult Literacy (ACAL) (2022), Who wants to know about adult literacy?: report into the findings of the ACAL survey 2021 2022, Who wants to know about adult literacy?: report into the findings of the ACAL survey 2021-2022 | VOCEDplus, the international tertiary education and research database, accessed 22 August, 2022.
  6. The Australian Industry Group (2018), Survey report Workforce Development Needs, Skilling: A national imperative, 6 Survey_Report_WFDNeeds_Skilling_Sept2018.pdf (aigroup.com.au), accessed 22 August, 2022.
  7. Australian Council for Adult Literacy (ACAL) (2022), President report July 2022 newsletter, ACAL July eNews – Reviews, research & resources (mailchi.mp), accessed 22 August, 2022. 8
  8. 26TEN Tasmania: Tasmania’s strategy for adult literacy and numeracy 2016-2025 Home (26ten.tas.gov.au), accessed 22 August, 2022.
  9. Ayre, J., Muscat, D., Bonner, C., Mouwad, D., Dalmazzo, J., Harrison., E., Aslani, P., Dunn, A., & McCaffery K. (2021), Sydney Health Literacy Lab (SHLL) Health Literacy Editor, SHeLL editor technical notes — Sydney Health Literacy Lab, accessed 22 August, 2022.
  10. Reading Writing Hotline & NSW Council of Social Service (NCOSS) (2020), 2020 Helping Clients Fill in Forms Report. Social Equity Works, https://readingwritinghotline.edu.au/ wp content/uploads/2020/11/Helping-Clients-Fill-inForms- Research-2020.pdf, accessed 22 August, 2022.
  11. Office of the E-Safety Commissioner (2018), Understanding the digital behaviour of older Australians. Summary of national survey and quantitative research, Understanding-digital-behaviours-older-Australians-summary-report-2018.pdf (esafety.gov.au), accessed 22 August, 2022.
  12. APSC (Australian Public Service Commission) (n.d.) Australian Government Style Manual, stylemanual.gov.au, accessed 22 August, 2022.
  13. South Eastern Sydney Local Health District, Deakin University and University of Melbourne (2018), Teach-back.org., Teach-back – The Online Learning Module (teachback.org), accessed 22 August, 2022.

Index of case studies and research #

Case studies

NSW Government Behavioural Insights Unit: Making forms easier to find, understand, fill in and return saves time and money

26TEN: Meet some real people who share their stories

The Reading Writing Hotline: What are the challenges adults can face?

26TEN: Workplace literacy

Ideas that work: Unitywater

NPS Medicinewise: Listening to consumers

The Western Australian Training Accreditation Council (TAC): Talking to stakeholders

The HelloTAS Toolkit

The Sydney Health Literacy lab: SHeLL Editor

NPS Medicinewise: Asking customers and staff for feedback and using tools to audit messaging

NSW Behavioural Insights Unit: The Sludge Guides

NSW Behavioural Insights Unit: The Sludge-a-thon

NPS Medicinewise: Listening to consumers

Council for Intellectual Disability: NSW Health explains technical terms

Centre for Culture, Ethnicity & Health: Drop the Jargon Day

The Fair Work Commission: Re-drafting awards in plain language

The Law and Justice Foundation: presenting legal information in a reader-friendly way

The Reading Writing Hotline: Using images

The Department of Health and Aged Care: COVID-19 vaccination – easy read resources

The ATO: Landing page

State Library NSW: Find legal answers

The ATO: Using videos to give information

The ATO: Using podcasts to give information

Central Coast Community news: Presenting a summary of the local newspaper

The Central Coast Community Legal Centre: Bring your fines day

NPS Medicinewise: Listen to consumers

The Reading Writing Hotline: Phone line

An adult learner asks for technology

Research #

Filling in forms: The Reading Writing Hotline and the NSW Council of Social \ Service (NCOSS).

Australian adult literacy and numeracy statistics

Want to know more? #

The Australian Industry Group: Building Employer Commitment to Workplace Language, Literacy and Numeracy (LLN) Programs project

Presentation by the Australian Council for Adult Literacy (ACAL) for NPS Medicinewise

SBS Television: Lost for Words on SBS on Demand

26TEN: 26TEN Chat

The Reading Writing Hotline: Adult literacy student Mike talks to adult literacy teacher Adam about taking the first step and calling The Reading Writing Hotline

The Australian Council for Adult Literacy (ACAL)

The Reading Writing Hotline: Workplace literacy

The Ai Group Centre for Education and Training: webinar Literacy, Numeracy and Digital Literacy 101: What employers need to know

Ideas That Work – literacy and numeracy in workplaces

The Reading Writing Hotline: Successful workplace literacy programs

26TEN: Plain English information, examples and checklists

The Australian Government Style Manual: Numbers and measurements

The Australian Government Style Manual: Structuring content

The HeLLO Tas! Toolkit

Teach-back – The Online Learning Module (teachback.org)

The Australian Government Style Manual: Accessible and inclusive content

Part 4: Reimagining – Presenting your information in different ways
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