Plain language writing focuses on the needs of the reader. Instead of cramming in every bit of information the writer wants to share, the plain writer considers:
To find this out, you can ask yourself a series of questions which will help you focus your writing and get your message across most effectively. Getting the answers to these questions may take a little bit of research, but the time you spend planning what you write will save you time and trouble later.
Are you writing only for professionals? Is your document intended for young people, seniors, working people, public servants or members of specific ethnocultural groups? What do you know about the reading skills and backgrounds of the people who will use your document? Is English or French their second language? Are their reading skills likely to be uniformly high or low, or to vary? If even a few of your readers are likely to have low reading skills, you should write in a way that makes most of what you are saying understandable to them.
Consider the particular needs of readers with disabilities. Print is not appropriate for all audiences. Think about using alternate media for your message, such as audio tapes, braille, or large print. You may want to use radio or TV to advertise an event rather than only the newspaper or a brochure.