Here are the highlights from an Editors BC presentation and discussion on March 19, 2025, with guests Lana Okerlund and Rowena Rae, partners of West Coast Editorial Associates (WCEA). Lana and Rowena are active members of Plain Language Association International (PLAIN), Plain Canada, the Center for Plain Language, Clarity, and Editors Canada.
Learn more below about adding plain language services to your editing business. You’ll also find some helpful resources.
Lana opened the talk by explaining that plain language (PL) tries to rectify the difficulties of navigating processes in law, medicine, etc. A document is “plain language” when the wording, structure, and design are so clear that intended readers can easily GET what they need, FIND what they need, UNDERSTAND what they find, and USE what they find (adapted from the ISO Plain Language standard, June 2023).
Lana also stressed that PL enables access and equity because it “puts readers at the centre and recognizes diversity.” For editors wondering about AI-generated writing, she added that applying PL skills helps “to ensure appropriateness, accuracy, ethical standards, and effectiveness.”
What about training and professional development for PL? Rowena described numerous resources for writers and editors who want to work with PL. Associations such as Plain Canada Clair, PLAIN, Clarity International (which has a legal focus), the Center for Plain Language, and the International Plain Language Federation provide support and materials. Some of these associations hold annual or biennial conferences.
Many online resources are available, Rowena added. Search the Government of BC and Government of Canada webpages, the US Government plain language portal, and LinkedIn Learning. For more formal learning, courses and programs are offered by the SFU Plain Language Certificate program and UBC’s Micro Certificate in Writing and Communication Skills for the Workplace.
How can editors find clients in the PL area? For Lana and Rowena, the usual processes of finding work apply here too: looking for niches, targeting clients and getting referrals. Some sectors benefit more from PL than others, particularly law, finance, health, and technology, so clients in those areas are worth exploring.
Still, as Lana suggested, even clients who aren’t in those areas or don’t think they’re seeking PL editing might benefit from editing that applies PL practices. As she put it, “Listen for synonyms: concise, reader-friendly, accessible, and professional.” But if someone asks for a “plain language review,” Lana added, ask what they really mean. The priority is—“Who is the reader, and what do they need?”
Rowena and Lana recommended that to be a “PL champion,” follow evidence-based PL standards, adopt and demonstrate PL yourself in your communications, gently educate others about PL, and keep learning. Lana reiterated the importance and value of volunteering for PL communities.
Lana next invited Iva Cheung to comment. After mentioning how the social justice aspect of PL motivates her, Iva said she found work through word of mouth, referrals, and a collegial community. She also pointed out the difference between a regular edit and a PL edit: for the latter, you need to be “more fastidious” when editing for PL to identify and eliminate ambiguity, such as words that could have more than one meaning.
Lana then called on Lesley Cameron to describe her involvement in PL. Lesley described how her first project generated many others and how she took advantage of opportunities to learn through associations and conferences. Since her background is in translation, she is very aware of ambiguity and has been integrating this principle into her editing. As Lesley noted, “one size doesn’t fit all” when it comes to approaching PL with clients.
After further discussion and questions, Lana and Rowena were warmly thanked. They also left us with some resources to follow up on:
- Editors Canada’s past webinar on Plain Language: https://youtu.be/JT0U94349Hc?si=1xOt2smJU65Ykm3o
- Positioning Yourself as a Plain Language Editor: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUeXL1Twbzg
- PLAIN webinar: “Ask the experts on user testing,” Feb 26, 2025: https://plainlanguagenetwork.org/events/webinars/
- Easy Read (particularly in the UK and Australia): https://www.stylemanual.gov.au/content-types/easy-read
- UK Easy Read: https://www.learningdisabilities.org.uk/learning-disabilities/a-to-z/e/easy-read
- Health Literacy Conference: https://hlc.iha4health.org
- Health Information for All: https://www.hifa.org/
Also see—
“The ISO plain language standard: For most languages and cultures, and for all sectors” by Gael Spivak, Editors Canada (2023).
“Plain Language and Editors“—a webinar presented by Gael Spivak and Greg Ioannou (March 2024).
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These highlights are based on notes taken during the meeting, compiled by West Coast Editor and copyedited by Dana Sorensen.
