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Office of the Federal Register
Directions:The Federal Register Office is located three blocks north of the Union Station Metro at: 800 North Capitol Street, NW Suite 700, Washington DC 20001. Go through security in the lobby, you must have a government issued photo id. The Federal Register is located on the 7th floor. Follow the sign saying public inspection to enter the lobby..
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| Fifth International PLAIN Conference - 2005 | |||||||||||
January 2007
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Enjoy plain English translations of some seasonal favorites! -From our friends down under at the Plain English Foundation.
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On Thursday, February 2nd at 2:00 p.m., Annetta Cheek, Susan Kleimann, Joe Kimble, Ginny Redish, and Melodee Mercer were interviewed on a radio show about plain language. If you'd like to hear what they had to say, go to www.mytechnologylawyer.com (use "more information" link below). Even though the program was broadcast on the 2nd, the link to the media file is located under 1/29/06.
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More information
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Coaching Experts to Transform their Knowledge
Our February meeting featured Karen Schriver, a leader in information design and author of Dynamics in Document Design: Creating Texts for Readers. Karen described her experience in redesigning lengthy technical reports written for subject-matter experts into short newsletters aimed at a general audience. Get ideas for working with people who may believe that plain visual and verbal language waters down their thinking.
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STORY TELLING: A POWERFUL PLAIN LANGUAGE TOOL
Political consultants James Carville and Paul Begala say:
"Facts tell, but stories sell...If you're not communicating in stories, you're not communicating. You may be presenting a series of facts, many of them perhaps important, but the chances of your audience remembering or being moved by your facts enough to do what you want are nil."
In this session, you will:
* Learn why storytelling is such a powerful communication tool.
* Review the ingredients of compelling stories.
* Review examples of stories that swayed public opinion, and government documents that tell stories.
* Learn about new storytelling techniques currently being used by federal professionals to impress bosses and hiring managers.
Lily Whiteman is a career coach, writer and trainer at the US Mint, where she has taught story-telling techniques to hundreds of professionals. She is also the author of Get Hired! How to Land the Ideal Federal Job and Negotiate a Top Salary, and the careers columnist of Federal Times. Lily's website is (http://www.Get-Hired.biz
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No meeting for April - it's the annual NIH Plain Language awards!
NOTE ROOM CHANGE: Ignore the usual directions above. For the May meeting only, we will be in Conference Room 2, Level A (1 level down from the ground floor) in FAA's other building, 700 Independence Ave, SW. It's just across the street from the usual building. Enter from the Metro side of the building, there's no door on the Independence Ave. side.
Dr. Deborah Bosley
The Center for Writing, Language, and Literacy,
UNC Charlotte.
Dr. Bosley will focus on the language research of the faculty at the Center for Writing, Language, and Literacy at UNC Charlotte. The Center has expertise in applied linguistics, technical/professional communication, and second-language acquisition. The Center identifies and supports research in writing, language, and literacy. Current projects include 1) language protocols for Certified Nurses Assistants who care for Alzheimer's patients; 2) cross-cultural training modules developed healthcare workers at The Family Planning Clinic; 3) politeness theory and its impact on written and spoken communication; and 4) redesigning a state form for North Carolina's HealthCheck/Health Choice program, which provides health insurance for children.
We heard from from M. Douglass Bellis. He has served as an Assistant Counsel in the United States House of Representatives, Office of Legislative Counsel for over 25 years. His responsibilities have included redrafting the federal rules of evidence for the House Judiciary Committee and drafting the articles of impeachment against President Richard Nixon. Mr. Bellis has worked with nearly every standing committee of the House, but he has worked most closely with the Judiciary Committee. He is particularly interested in developing independent, professional drafting capabilities for parliamentary bodies. Mr. Bellis received his Juris Doctor Degree from Duke Law School. He will talk to us about drafting legislation in the House.
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There is no presentation at the July meeting. We are having a special meeting to plan for next year. Please come if you are willing to play a role in ensuring that the group continues and that it provides the help you need in your agencies.
We are also having the meeting in a special place. Remember we don't have a meeting in August. The September meeting will be in the "usual " place at FAA.
In July, Avi is hosting us at Voice of America. It's just a couple blocks from FAA, but the Federal Center SW metro is a bit closer, and is also less complex that the station you use for FAA (L'Enfant Plaza). From the metro, go up the escalator, turn left and walk one block along 3rd Street. When you cross at the light at C Street you are in the parking lot of the Cohen Building, 330 Independence Avenue SW. Enter the Cohen building at the doors at the middle of the C Street side, not the 3rd Street side.
The room is called the VNC conference room. Avi will have to escort people as they go through security, unlike at FAA, where anyone with a Federal ID can wander around without an escort. Please be a bit early to accommodate this. Just in case you have a problem, Avi's cell is 703-300-2650.
Remember — we don't have a meeting in August. The September meeting will be in the "usual" place at FAA.
Dr. Diana Zuckerman, President, National Research Center for Women & Families
Health and Safety Information for Families:
Informing and Educating the Public
Dr. Zuckerman will discuss the kinds of health and safety information that families would benefit from, coming from a range of agencies, and the extent to which they are aware of how to find it, or can understand it when they do. Examples will be from various HHS agencies, including CMS, FDA, NIH, IOSH, CDC, etc, as well as EPA, DHS, and other agencies.
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Our speaker will be Robert Agnello, who works for the Military Health System at the Department of Defense. He will share his experience in starting a Plain Language program - its successes and challenges.
Annetta Cheek and Joanne Locke spoke to Rob's organization, TRICARE, last summer about plain language and health literacy. The TRICARE communicators and customer service reps were very enthused about be able to use plain language and eager to learn how.
Join us to find out how it's going, to get ideas from Rob, and to offer him some ideas that have worked for us.
Our speaker will be Thom Haller, Executive Director, Center for Plain Language. We expect this will be the first annual update on the status and activities of the Center. Since the Center is our private sector sister group, I hope you will all come to support this non-profit effort.
Special Time: 3:30-4:45
Join us to celebrate Annetta's 12 years of service as chair of PLAIN and welcome Joanne Locke as our new chair.
John Strylowski will also give a brief presentation on new plain language training procedures.
On March 21, we will hear from the Department of Homeland Security's PLAIN representative, Jan Burmeister. When the Department of Homeland Security was created in 2003, one challenge was to consolidiate more than 30 glossaries (which explain acronyms, among other things) from the many components that formed the new Department. DHS also had to deal with the constant proliferation of new acronyms for the enoumous amount of emerging programs.
Jan, DHS Lexicon Project Officer, will discuss how DHS is meeting that challenge. She will give a brief history of acronomics, an overview of the DHS gleaning and dissemination process, and samples of rules and enforcement issues. This will be followed by a roundtable critique and interagency suggestions.
Save the date - Next month, instead of our regular PLAIN meeting, we are invited to the 7th Annual NIH Plain Language Award ceremony on Tuesday, April 17, 2 pm. Details to follow.
SPECIAL MEETING IN APRIL
We will not have our usual 3rd Wednesday of the month PLAIN meeting at FAA in April. Instead, Ann Brewer is inviting us to attend the National Institutes of Health plain language award ceremony. Please see the attached invitation.
Special guest speaker is Rita Rubin, award-winning health journalist and USA Today columnist. If you are interested in attending, please let Ann know so that sh can reserve some "special guest" seats. You can reach her at brewera@od.nih.gov or 301-496-3976. As always she recommends traveling by Metro to the NIH. Her e-mail Directions and map are on the NIH Web site and I have included the link below.
www.nih.gov/about/visitor/index.htm
We hope to see you at 2pm on April 17 at NIH
Invitation(pdf)
PLAIN member Avi Arditti has a great speaker for us this month -- Nima Salehi of the Minnesota Literacy Council, who will discuss the challenges of communicating with newcomers to the United States who have low-level literacy even in their native language. Minnesota provides a lot of support services to its large numbers of refugees, including Somalis and Hmong.
If you are not a Federal employee, please let me know that you plan to attend, so someone can escort you to the room.
Joanne Locke, 240-453-6113, joanne.locke@hhs.gov
We hope to see you at 1:30 p.m. on May 16 at FAA.
In June we'll welcome Dr. Kath Straub, Chief Scientist and resident expert on health and government literacy at Human Factors International. She's up-to-date on all the research in the world of user-centered design and an expert on the user experience in government.
If you are not a Federal employee, please let me know that you plan to attend, so someone can escort you to the room.
Joanne Locke, 240-453-6113, joanne.locke@hhs.gov
We hope to see you at 1:30 p.m. on June 20 at FAA.
In July, PLAIN representatives Sandy Jablonski and Stan Cohen will lead a discussion of e-Rulemaking, the Federal docket management system (FDMS). This new single access point for the public to search, view, download, and submit comments on proposed Federal regulations received a 42% customer satisfaction rating on the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI). Let's discuss whether we'd be interested in suggesting any plain language fixes to the site.
We hope to see you at 1:30 p.m. on July 18 at FAA.
In September, we will discuss the idea of plain language standards. This is a topic that will get a lot of attention at the 2007 International Plain Language meeting in Amsterdam in October. Annetta Cheek and Joe Kimble will be drafting a paper for one of our members to present. We would value your ideas on this topic to share with plain language colleagues from around the world. Think about these questions and come ready to discuss on Sept. 19:
- What would plain language standards look like?
- What steps do we need to take on the road to creating standards?
- Should plain language be a profession?
NOTE: We are in the usual building but a new room this month - Conference room 9A/B (on the 9th floor). If you are not a Federal employee, please let me or Annetta Cheek know that you plan to attend, so someone can escort you to the room. You can reach me at joanne.locke@hhs.gov and Annetta at ACheek@patriot.net.
We hope to see you at 1:30 p.m. on September 19 at FAA.
In October, PLAIN member John Strylowski will show how to greatly improve readability in a document by reducing subdivisions. This may sound dull, but when you see the dramatic results, you'll be impressed. You're sure to leave with lessons that you can apply to all kinds of documents in your own workplace.
NOTE: We will be in a different building this month. Avi Arditti, Voice of America, has reserved space for us in the Cohen Building, 330 Independence Avenue, SW, Room 4319. The closest Metro stop is Federal Center SW. If you are not a Federal employee, please let me or Annetta Cheek know that you plan to attend, so someone can escort you to the room. You can reach me at joanne.locke@hhs.gov and Annetta at ACheek@patriot.net. We hope to see you at 1:30 p.m. on October 17.
LOOKING AHEAD: The November and December PLAIN meetings will be held on the 2nd Wenesday of the month, so we aren't too close to the holidays. So save the dates -- Nov. 14 and Dec. 12.
In November, PLAIN member Allen Rotz will tell us about the 2007 Plain International Conference which was held Oct. 11-14 in Amsterdam. Allen represented PLAIN and presented Annetta's paper on plain language standards. We will learn the outcome of that discussion and what other interesting things are going in the world of plain language - literally.
We will also continue planning for a plain language workshop in the spring. Bring your suggestions for workshop sessions and speaker recommendations.
NOTE: The meetings in November and December are on the 2nd Wednesdays (instead of our usual 3rd Wednesday) so we aren't too close to the holidays
If you are not a Federal employee, please let me or Annetta Cheek know that you plan to attend, so someone can escort you to the room. You can reach me at joanne.locke@hhs.gov and Annetta at ACheek@patriot.net. We hope to see you at 1:30 p.m. on November 14.
UPDATE (as of Dec. 6)- We are changing rooms again. In December, we will meet on the 2nd Wednesday, December 12, in a new room - Conference room #929C, a conference room in the Office of Aviation Research, near the 9th floor East bank of evelators. We will celebrate the holidays with old colleagues and new, so feel free to bring a snack to share.
We will also continue planning for a plain language workshop in the spring. Bring your suggestions for workshop sessions and speaker recommendations.
If you are not a Federal employee, please let me know that you plan to attend, so someone can escort you to the room. You can reach me at joanne.locke@hhs.gov. We hope to see you at 1:30 p.m. on December 12.
How to steer clear of the "data dump" with a question-driven document that reads the way readers think.
Join us on Wednesday, February 27, from 1:30 - 3:00 when our speaker, Solveig Brownfeld, will discuss her "how-to" guide on how structured thinking can produce writing that readers comprehend on first reading.
NOTE: It's the 4th Wednesday this month.
If you are not a Federal employee, please let Bruce Corsino or me know that you plan to attend, so someone can escort you to the room. You can reach Bruce at bruce.corsino@faa.gov and me at joanne.locke@hhs.gov. We hope to see you at 1:30 p.m. on February 27.
Joanne Locke, Co-Chair
Join us for the monthly PLAIN meeting on Wednesday, March 19 from 1:30-3:00. One of the largest Components of the Department of Homeland Security is U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). The USCIS Office of the Executive Secretariat will discuss the efforts it has made to promote plain language and problems it has encountered. They will share regulatory action and training examples.
Joanne Locke, Co-Chair
NEWS: Instead of our monthly PLAIN meeting, we are invited to the NIH Plain Language Award Ceremony on Tuesday, April 15, 2008 at 2:00 pm. The event takes place in the Lipsett Auditorium, Warren Grant Magnuson Clinical Center on the NIH Bethesda Campus. Jon Spelman, internationally-renowned storyteller, is the featured speaker. He will discuss how writers can tell good stories.
We are also invited to join the NIH award recipients for light refreshments following the event. Please respond to Ann Brewer at 301-496-3976 or e-mail brewera@od.nih.gov
April 1, 2008
GSA Auditorium, Washington, DC
Congressman Braley
On April 1, 2008, the Plain Language Action and Information Network (PLAIN) and the Council of Federal Executive Secretariats co-sponsored a Workshop on Clear Communication. The opening plenary session featured Congressman Braley (D-IA) who gave us an update on H.R. 3548, the Plain Language in Government Communication Act of 2007, which he introduced last fall.
Speakers at the breakout sessions covered writing clear correspondence, writing for the Web and legal writing. The closing plenary featured the Plain Talk coordinator from Washington State.
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What is wrong with legal language? And how can we prove it? Join us on May 14, from 2:00 to 3:30, when Veda Charrow will tell us about a ground-breaking study she conducted in 1978, to find out whether real jurors could understand standardized jury instructions. Using an innovative method of "getting inside" jurors' heads, Veda was able to isolate the grammatical features of legal language that were causing jurors to misunderstand--or not understand--the instructions. The findings from this study were used by a number of states to improve their jury instructions.
NEWS: We have moved the regular meeting date to the second Wednesday of the month and changed the time to 2:00 – 3:30 pm. Hope to see you on May 14 at 2 pm.
Joanne Locke and Amy Bunk, Co-Chairs
Please join us June 11th from 2-3:30 pm for the monthly PLAIN meeting. This month's topic is: Using Plain Language to Teach Plain Language. Our presenter is Bruce V. Corsino, Plain Language Program Manager, Federal Aviation Administration.
We'll look at samples and discuss the effect of non-plain language usage in plain language courses. Plain Language instructors must model how to "challenge every word." We can't inspire vigilance if we aren't vigilant about that. Plain language students must see and hear plain language to learn what it is. That doesn't happen when we use non-plain language solutions as plain language teaching examples.
Bruce will offer an FAA Plain Language toolkit as part of a solution, and he’ll ask attendees to do a brief usability review of that draft during the meeting.
NEW BUILDING! Same Metro stop and location: FAA at L’Enfant Plaza. Wilbur Wright Bldg. (FOB10B), FAA National Headquarters 600 Independence Ave., SW, Washington, DC Conference Room 1A, Take the elevator to Level A, then look for a door with a plaque on the wall that says: AE1050, Suite A231, Conf. Room 1A.
NOTE: This is the SMALLER of the two FAA headquarters buildings.
The next PLAIN meeting is July 9th from 2:00 to
3:30 in a new location. This month we are meeting at the Department of
Commerce, Office of the Inspector General.
Our program is a panel discussion
of Plain Language Programs at USCIS, NARA,
FDA/HHS, and ED. Our special guest
panelist is Annetta Cheek former FAA Plain language program coordinator. They
will discuss how their programs began, current projects and congressional
legislation and much, much more. Bring your questions!
Please note: The Commerce Office of
Security requires all visitors, federal or not, to enter the
building through the main entrance on 14th
Street. Please bring your federal ID badge and/or
other picture ID and be prepared to have your bags X-rayed.
The meeting will be held in the OIG
Conference Room on the 7th Floor. PLAIN member Wendy Wagner will be in the main
lobby to escort folks to the correct elevator.
Hope to see everyone next
Wednesday!
Amy Bunk and Joanne Locke
Co-Chairs
PLAIN
Directions:
To get to the Department of Commerce, take the Red Line to Metro Center and walk down 13th Street to Pennsylvania Avenue, then turn right and go one block to 14th street. Cross 14th Street and turn left. Walk to the main entrance of the Herbert C. Hoover/ U.S. Department Commerce Building. You will see a sign for the National Aquarium. Go in the doors to the left of that entrance and go through security.The next PLAIN meeting is September 10 from 2:00 to 3:30 at the Department of Commerce, Office of the Inspector General. Please arrive promptly!
Curious about what happens behind the scenes of the Electoral College?
The Office of the Federal Register's Legal staff will discuss their role in this year's presidential election. They'll talk about how they updated their Electoral College informational material and Presidential Elections pamphlet. Expect before and after examples of the material with no mud racking.
It promises to be a lively discussion even without negative campaign ads!
Amy Bunk and Joanne Locke
Co-Chairs PLAIN
Directions:
Please note: The Commerce Office of Security requires all visitors, federal or not, to enter the building through the main entrance on 14th Street. Please bring your federal ID badge and/or other picture ID and be prepared to have your bags X-rayed.
The meeting will be held in the OIG Conference Room on the 7th Floor. PLAIN member Wendy Wagner will be in the main lobby to escort folks to the correct elevator. Please arrive promptly escorts will only be in the lobby until 2:10 p.m.
To get to the Department of Commerce, take the Red Line to Metro Center and walk down 13th Street to Pennsylvania Avenue, then turn right and go one block to 14th street. Cross 14th Street and turn left. Walk to the main entrance of the Herbert C. Hoover/ U.S. Department Commerce Building. You will see a sign for the National Aquarium. Go in the doors to the left of that entrance and go through security.
Plain language and negotiated rulemaking often don't go
well together. The negotiating process can sometimes result in rules that
are anything but plain and that can't be revised. John Strylowski will
talk about his experience in working with negotiated rules at the Department of
the Interior and will invite you to share stories of your successes and
failures. You should take away at least a few ideas to use when working
on rules that your agency negotiates with different groups.
Directions:
This month's meeting is at the Office of the Federal Register, 800 North Capitol Street NW, Suite 700, Washington DC. The Office of the Federal Register is 3 blocks north of Union Station on Metro's Red Line. Street parking is limited, there is a parking garage at Union Station. Please enter in the main entrance of the buliding go through security and sign in with the guard. Once you sign in you'll be given a vistor pass to the 7th Floor. Take the elevators to the 7th floor and follow the signs to the Federal Register's lobby.October 30, 2009
National Press Club, 529 14th Street NW, Washington, DC 20045
To be transparent, you must speak and write clearly. That's plain language.
Come hear how plain language promotes transparency, saves time and money for everyone, and supports agency and business goals.
This year, our speakers will share results from plain language projects in finance, health, tax notices, voting, and more.
If you are not yet writing in plain language, learn how.
- principles of plain language
- 2-hour workshop, 9 – 11 on Symposium day (Friday, October 30)
- FREE to Symposium attendees
- separate registration required; limited space; register early
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This month, we will hear from the Department of Homeland Security's PLAIN representative, Jan Burmeister. When the Department of Homeland Security was created in 2003, one challenge was to consolidiate more than 30 glossaries (which explain acronyms, among other things) from the many components that formed the new Department. DHS also had to deal with the constant proliferation of new acronyms for the enoumous amount of emerging programs.
Jan, DHS Lexicon Project Officer, will discuss how DHS is meeting that challenge. She will give a brief history of acronomics, an overview of the DHS gleaning and dissemination process, and samples of rules and enforcement issues. This will be followed by a roundtable critique and interagency suggestions.
The meeting is from 2:00-3:30 pm. We hope to see you there.
Amy Bunk & Joanne Locke
Directions:
This month's meeting is at the Office of the Federal Register, 800 North Capitol Street NW, Suite 700, Washington DC. The Office of the Federal Register is 3 blocks north of Union Station on Metro's Red Line. Street parking is limited, there is a parking garage at Union Station. Please enter in the main entrance of the building go through security and sign in with the guard. Once you sign in you'll be given a visitor pass to the 7th Floor. Take the elevators to the 7th floor and follow the signs to the Federal Register's main entrance (signs say "public inspection").
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December is here! It's time for the PLAIN holiday party. Please join us at Voice of America, remember to bring a snack to share.
The meeting is from
Directions: Room 4058 in the Cohen Building, 330 Independence Avenue SW, 20237, across from the American Indian and Air & Space museums. Enter on the parking lot side (
Amy Bunk & Joanne Locke
Directions:
In November 2008, several of our members went to the Clarity Conference in Mexico City, Mexico. This month, they will discuss their experiences at the conference. Clarity is an international association promoting plain legal language.
The meeting is from 2:00-3:30 pm. I hope to see you there.
Directions:
Room 4058 in the Cohen Building, 330 Independence Avenue SW, 20237,
across from the American Indian and Air & Space museums. Enter on
the parking lot side (C Street) and go through security to be escorted up. One block from Federal Center SW Metro, two blocks or so from L'Enfant Plaza.
Amy Bunk
Directions:
In November 2008, several of our members went to the Clarity Conference in Mexico City, Mexico. This month, they will discuss their experiences at the conference. Clarity is an international association promoting plain legal language.
The meeting is from 2:00-3:30 pm. I hope to see you there.
Amy Bunk
Directions:
Room 4058 in the Cohen Building, 330 Independence Avenue SW, 20237, across from the American Indian and Air & Space museums. Enter on the parking lot side (C Street) and go through security to be escorted up. One block from Federal Center SW Metro, two blocks or so from L'Enfant Plaza.
February PLAIN meeting: Working with the new Administration.
During the meeting we'll compare what we did in the past two administrations and discuss what we want to do again and what we want to do differently.
Before our February meeting, please look at administration policies in your area and see how plain Language can help.
The meeting is from 2:00-3:30 pm. I hope to see you there.
Amy Bunk
Directions:
The Federal Register Office is located three blocks north of the Union Station Metro, at: 800 North Capitol Street, NW Suite 700, Washington DC 20001. Go through security in the lobby, you must have a government issued photo id. The Federal Register is located on the 7th floor. Follow the sign saying public inspection to enter the lobby.
Krista Holloway and Michael Schwartz will talk about how they are working to make plain language converts out of traditionalists at the Fish and Wildlife Service. Using before and after examples, they will show some of their successes They will also talk about being practical, which is code for approving less than "perfect" documents. Join us for a discussion about how to pick your battles.
The meeting is from 2:00-3:30 pm. I hope to see you there.
Amy Bunk
Directions:
The Federal Register Office is located three blocks north of the Union Station Metro, at: 800 North Capitol Street, NW Suite 700, Washington DC 20001. Go through security in the lobby, you must have a government issued photo id. The Federal Register is located on the 7th floor. Follow the sign saying public inspection to enter the lobby.
Krista Holloway and Michael Schwartz will talk about how they are working to make plain language converts out of traditionalists at the Fish and Wildlife Service. Using before and after examples, they will show some of their successes. They will also talk about being practical, which is code for approving less than "perfect" documents. Join us for a discussion about how to pick your battles.
The meeting is from 2:00-3:30 pm. I hope to see you there.
Amy Bunk
Directions:
The Federal Register Office is located three blocks north of the Union Station Metro, at: 800 North Capitol Street, NW Suite 700, Washington DC 20001. Go through security in the lobby, you must have a government issued photo id. The Federal Register is located on the 7th floor. Follow the sign saying public inspection to enter the lobby.
Putting the Power Back Into PowerPoint Is there anything more boring than PowerPoint? It’s a repository for bullet points and figures, but it doesn’t have to be. Susan Kleimann and Jason Mogavero of Kleimann Communication Group will introduce you to a creative and unique approach to PowerPoint, transforming it into a powerful medium for delivering your message and reinforcing your brand.
The meeting is from 2:00-3:30 pm. I hope to see you there.
Amy Bunk
Directions:
The Federal Register Office is located three blocks north of the Union Station Metro, at: 800 North Capitol Street, NW Suite 700, Washington DC 20001. Go through security in the lobby, you must have a government issued photo id. The Federal Register is located on the 7th floor. Follow the sign saying public inspection to enter the lobby.
Celebrating Plain Language at the National Institutes of Health At this year's, National Institutes of Health's (NIH) Award Ceremony, hosted by Acting Director Raynard Kington, NIH will again honor a group of its employees who have developed communication products that are exceptional for their clarity and reader focus. NIH is very pleased to announce that Pulitzer Prize winner Jonathan Capehart, editorial writer for The Washington Post, is this year's keynote speaker. For more information, email PLAIN using our on-line form.
The Ceremony begins at 1 pm.
Amy Bunk
Directions:
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Lipsett Auditorium, Warren Grant Magnuson Clinical Center, NIH's Bethesda campus.
The meeting is from 2:00-3:30 pm. I hope to see you there.
Amy Bunk
Directions:
The Federal Register Office is located three blocks north of the Union Station Metro, at: 800 North Capitol Street, NW Suite 700, Washington DC 20001. Go through security in the lobby, you must have a government issued photo id. The Federal Register is located on the 7th floor. Follow the sign saying public inspection to enter the lobby.
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The October meeting will focus on USCIS' Plain Language Program. Representatives from the USCIS Plain Language Committee will brief the group on best practices and their first plain language awards ceremony.
Directions:
111 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington DC 20259.
From Union Station walk down Massachusetts past the Postal Museum until you cross New Jersey Ave (about 3 blocks). It will be the large, black glass building at the corner of New Jersey and Massachusetts. Please bring you government ID or other photo identification such as a driver's license.
TIME 9:30 am to 11:00 am
We are pleased to announce that Dr. Marcia Riley will be presenting at our November meeting.
Directions:
The Federal Register Office is located three blocks north of the Union Station Metro at: 800 North Capitol Street, NW Suite 700, Washington DC 20001. Go through security in the lobby, you must have a government issued photo id. The Federal Register is located on the 7th floor. Follow the sign saying public inspection to enter the lobby.
Directions:
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), 20 Massachusetts Ave, NW., White Oak Conference Room, 2nd Floor.
USCIS is two blocks down from Union Station next to the Suntrust Bank. You will need government ID or your drivers license to enter the building. Please RSVP in advance so that we can give the guard desk a list of attendees. While clearing security, let the guards know you are there for the PLAIN meeting. A USCIS employee will be there to greet and escort you to the 2nd floor meeting room.
Directions:
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), 111 Massachusetts Ave, NW., Room 3004, 3rd Floor.
USCIS is three blocks down from Union Station. Walk down Massachusetts Ave until you come to the instersection with New Jersey Ave. 111 Massachusetts in the large black glass building on the corner. You will need government ID or your drivers license to enter the building. Please RSVP in advance so that we can give the guard desk a list of attendees. While clearing security, let the guards know you are there for the PLAIN meeting. A USCIS employee will be there to greet and escort you to the 3rd floor meeting room.
Our February meeting is canceled because of the weather. Please check back for information on our March meeting.
Directions:
Join us in March for a workshop on training best practices. Bring your favorite training tips to share with the group. We'll be able to show your Word documents, PowerPoint presentations, and video (as time permits). The March meeting will also feature a special screening of Invasion of the Space Lobsters! Make sure you don't miss it.
Directions:
Directions:
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), 111 Massachusetts Ave, NW., Room 3004, 3rd Floor.
USCIS is three blocks down from Union Station. Walk down Massachusetts Ave until you come to the intersection with New Jersey Ave. 111 Massachusetts in the large black glass building on the corner. You will need government ID or your drivers license to enter the building. Please RSVP in advance so that we can give the guard desk a list of attendees. While clearing security, let the guards know you are there for the PLAIN meeting. A USCIS employee will be there to greet and escort you to the 3rd floor meeting room.
Please join us, from 2 to 3:30 on April 7, in welcoming Anne-Marie Hasselrot, Deputy Director, Ministry of Justice, the Kingdom of Sweden. Ms. Hasselrot will be discussing the Swedish approach to clear legislation lawyers and plain language experts work as a team. She'll also talk about some of the most common plain language problems. In addition, she'll discuss problems with legal writing in the European Union. Here is a link to Sweden's plain language page. http://www.sweden.gov.se/sb/d/4409
Directions:
The Federal Register Office is located three blocks north of the Union Station Metro at: 800 North Capitol Street, NW Suite 700, Washington DC 20001. Go through security in the lobby, you must have a government issued photo id. The Federal Register is located on the 7th floor. Follow the sign saying public inspection to enter the lobby.
Please join us, from 2 to 3:30 on May 12, in welcoming our presenter Evelyn Fella as she joins us via the telephone from California. Ms. Fella is an independent contractor for English as a Second Language materials and has worked for major educational publishers. She was the lead content writer for USALearns.org. In 2008 the U.S. Education Department funded the development of this popular site to teach English to immigrants. She will discuss that project as well as her current work on preparing students for the citizenship test, and will offer insights into the special needs of non-native English speakers.
Directions:
U.S. Citzenship and Immigration Services is located three blocks west of the Union Station Metro at: 111 Massachusetts Ave, NW, Washington DC 20001. Attendees will need to check in with security in the lobby and must have a government issued photo id or state driver's license. A PLAIN member will meet attendees in the hall and escort them to the conference room.
"The anatomy of a plain language battle: A tactical review" On June 9th from 2 to 3:30, Bruce Corsino will talk about his attempt to get a government office to correctly use words of obligation. He'll discuss his short list of successes and long list of failures. He'll talk about the lingering challenges that exist as the plain language community tries to institutionalize a proper use of the words "must" and "shall."
Directions:
The Federal Register Office is located three blocks north of the Union Station Metro at: 800 North Capitol Street, NW Suite 700, Washington DC 20001. Go through security in the lobby, you must have a government issued photo id. The Federal Register is located on the 7th floor. Follow the sign saying public inspection to enter the lobby..
Join us from 2 pm to 3:30 pm to hear about healthfinder.gov. healthfinder.gov's Quick Guide to Healthy Living recently won the Clear Mark award for best plain language on a public Web site. Sandy Hilfiker from the HHS Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion will discuss the style guide for the Quick Guide and how it is maintained as a living document through a wiki.
Directions:
The Federal Register Office is located three blocks north of the Union Station Metro at: 800 North Capitol Street, NW Suite 700, Washington DC 20001. Go through security in the lobby, you must have a government issued photo id. The Federal Register is located on the 7th floor. Follow the sign saying public inspection to enter the lobby..
