Plain Language Service

Plain language is a way of organizing and presenting information so that it’s easy for people to read and understand. CPHA is committed to promoting plain language and clear verbal communication in Canada. As part of its commitment, it established the Plain Language Service (PLS) in October 1997.

The PLS provides plain language and clear design revisions for the public, private and voluntary sectors.  According to the 2005 International Adult Literacy and Skills Survey^[1], 48% age 16 and over – about 12 million Canadians – have low literacy. To ensure that your document has a better chance of being understood by all readers, it is important that the language be as clear and simple as possible.

For more information or for a free cost estimate, contact the Plain Language Service:

Phone: 613.725.3769
E-mail: pls@cpha.ca

The PLS offers the following services:

Assessment

A plain language assessment will identify the current literacy level and suggest basic changes needed to improve the readability, organization and design of your document. There is no cost for this service and includes an estimate to undertake a plain language revision.

Plain language revision

A plain language revision will revise your document to a literacy level that is appropriate for your target audience. The process focuses on revising the vocabulary to make it simpler, reducing sentence and list lengths, changing the tone to ensure the text speaks directly to your readers, and explaining concepts as needed.

Copy-edit

A copy-edit strives to improve the overall readability of your document by focusing on the mechanics of the document including grammar, punctuation and sentence length.

Clear design

Clear design is the design or redesign of your document including any graphics so that your reader can read and understand the message more clearly.

Translation

Following a plain language revision, we offer specialized translation service that adapts the English text into French plain language.

Costs

Costs for services are calculated on a per-project basis. For more information or for a free estimate, contact the Plain Language Service at pls@cpha.ca or by phone at 613-725-3769.

• Frequently Asked Questions