Any intelligent fool
can make things bigger, more complex, more violent.
It takes a touch of genius—and a lot of courage—
to move in the opposite direction.
—ALBERT EINSTEIN
WHEN WE WRITE FOR PEOPLE WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES, all the plain language tips apply, plus more. This type of writing takes even longer and needs even more care. Of course, we will never manage to write for everyone in this population—there is a huge range in reading and comprehension abilities. Some people in this population can read with great fluency, while others will find any print materials too hard. (See also chapter 8 on testing, in particular at p. 55.)
Remember, people may have good comprehension and poor literacy, or they may have good literacy and poor comprehension. One attribute does not necessarily equate with the other.
Avoid abstract terms
People with developmental disabilities tend to think in concrete terms. So,
it is important to avoid abstract words wherever possible. This is what
makes it really hard for them to understand “mission and values” statements.
A mission is a trip in a helicopter to rescue some soldiers, isn’t it?
And I have had values explained to me as jewellery. “Guiding principles,”
“objectives” and many of those other words we love to use in rehabilitation
organizations are all pretty airy-fairy for most service recipients. When
rewriting such a document, you may sometimes find yourself really stuck
trying to explain something simply. In that case, ask the original writer for
clarification. If they cannot explain it themselves, it will help them understand
your problems and what needs to be altered in the document.
Thinking in concrete terms, we would say Take the bus rather than Use public transportation. We would say You will get very sick if you swallow this and not Poisonous if taken internally. If you write If you are sick, phone your boss at once, the boss may be phoned at two in the morning. Say instead Phone your boss an hour before your work start time.
Keep text short and simple
Aim in your writing for as simple a text as possible. There is no use producing
a 20-page document with tons of detail when you know your readers
won’t get past page 3. Leave out all but the most essential information, or break the information into several smaller booklets, so that the reader is not
overwhelmed. You can also put an address or phone number at the end of
the document, so that readers can ask for more information or an explanation
if they want. Most people understand what they hear better than what
they read.