plain-language-design

Name: plain-language-design
Author: Owl-Listener

82stars25forks

How to install plain-language-design?

owl-listener/inclusive-design-skills/plain-language-design

$npx -y skills add Owl-Listener/inclusive-design-skills --skill plain-language-design

Installs into the current project.

Summary

Write and review content for plain language accessibility. Use when writing interface copy, error messages, instructions, onboarding text, help content, legal or medical information, forms, or any user-facing text. Triggers on: plain language, reading level, simplify text, jargon

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SKILL.md

1	# Plain Language Design
2
3	Write and evaluate content so that people with cognitive disabilities,
4	low literacy, non-native language skills, or high stress can understand it
5	on the first read.
6
7	Plain language is not dumbed-down language. It is clear language. It
8	respects the reader's time and cognitive resources.
9
10	## The Tests
11
12	### 5-Second Test
13	Can someone read this sentence and understand it in 5 seconds?
14	If not, rewrite.
15
16	### Jargon Test
17	Would someone outside your industry understand every word?
18	If not, replace the word or define it inline.
19
20	### Action Test
21	For any instruction or button: is the next step completely unambiguous?
22	"Save and continue" beats "Next". "Delete this item" beats "Remove".
23
24	### Passive Voice Test
25	Passive voice hides who does what.
26	"Your application has been rejected" → "We could not approve your
27	application. Here's what to do next."
28
29	### Sentence Length Test
30	- Aim for 15–20 words per sentence maximum
31	- One idea per sentence
32	- One instruction per paragraph
33
34	## Common Replacements
35
36	\| Instead of \| Use \|
37	\|-----------\|-----\|
38	\| utilise \| use \|
39	\| facilitate \| help \|
40	\| implement \| set up / start \|
41	\| terminate \| end / stop \|
42	\| prior to \| before \|
43	\| in order to \| to \|
44	\| at this point in time \| now \|
45	\| in the event that \| if \|
46	\| with regard to \| about \|
47	\| commence \| start \|
48	\| sufficient \| enough \|
49	\| subsequent \| next \|
50	\| indicate \| show / tell \|
51	\| modify \| change \|
52
53	## Readability Benchmarks
54
55	- General public: grade 6–8 reading level
56	- Specialist audience: define terms, short sentences
57	- Critical content (medical, legal, financial): plain language summary
58	alongside the full text
59	- Buttons, labels, error messages: grade 4–6 always
60
61	## How to Review
62
63	1. Read every piece of text aloud — stumbles reveal complexity
64	2. Check sentence length (count words — flag any over 25)
65	3. Identify jargon, acronyms, and idioms
66	4. Verify every instruction has a clear, single action
67	5. Check that error messages say: what happened + why + what to do
68
69	## Output Format
70
71	When reviewing: present a table of flagged text with the original,
72	the issue, and a rewritten version. When writing: produce plain language
73	content with a note on the target reading level achieved.

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plain-language-design

82stars25forks

View on GitHub

How to install plain-language-design?

owl-listener/inclusive-design-skills/plain-language-design

$npx -y skills add Owl-Listener/inclusive-design-skills --skill plain-language-design

Installs into the current project.

Summary

Files · 1

View on GitHub

SKILL.md

1	# Plain Language Design
2
3	Write and evaluate content so that people with cognitive disabilities,
4	low literacy, non-native language skills, or high stress can understand it
5	on the first read.
6
7	Plain language is not dumbed-down language. It is clear language. It
8	respects the reader's time and cognitive resources.
9
10	## The Tests
11
12	### 5-Second Test
13	Can someone read this sentence and understand it in 5 seconds?
14	If not, rewrite.
15
16	### Jargon Test
17	Would someone outside your industry understand every word?
18	If not, replace the word or define it inline.
19
20	### Action Test
21	For any instruction or button: is the next step completely unambiguous?
22	"Save and continue" beats "Next". "Delete this item" beats "Remove".
23
24	### Passive Voice Test
25	Passive voice hides who does what.
26	"Your application has been rejected" → "We could not approve your
27	application. Here's what to do next."
28
29	### Sentence Length Test
30	- Aim for 15–20 words per sentence maximum
31	- One idea per sentence
32	- One instruction per paragraph
33
34	## Common Replacements
35
36	\| Instead of \| Use \|
37	\|-----------\|-----\|
38	\| utilise \| use \|
39	\| facilitate \| help \|
40	\| implement \| set up / start \|
41	\| terminate \| end / stop \|
42	\| prior to \| before \|
43	\| in order to \| to \|
44	\| at this point in time \| now \|
45	\| in the event that \| if \|
46	\| with regard to \| about \|
47	\| commence \| start \|
48	\| sufficient \| enough \|
49	\| subsequent \| next \|
50	\| indicate \| show / tell \|
51	\| modify \| change \|
52
53	## Readability Benchmarks
54
55	- General public: grade 6–8 reading level
56	- Specialist audience: define terms, short sentences
57	- Critical content (medical, legal, financial): plain language summary
58	alongside the full text
59	- Buttons, labels, error messages: grade 4–6 always
60
61	## How to Review
62
63	1. Read every piece of text aloud — stumbles reveal complexity
64	2. Check sentence length (count words — flag any over 25)
65	3. Identify jargon, acronyms, and idioms
66	4. Verify every instruction has a clear, single action
67	5. Check that error messages say: what happened + why + what to do
68
69	## Output Format
70
71	When reviewing: present a table of flagged text with the original,
72	the issue, and a rewritten version. When writing: produce plain language
73	content with a note on the target reading level achieved.

People who liked this also viewed

6 picks

Type