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placeholder="Search..." type="search" name="q"> <button type="submit"> <span class="usa-sr-only">Search</span> </button> </div> </form> </div> </div> </nav> </header> <div class="usa-overlay"></div> <div class="flex-auto"> <div class="usa-grid usa-alert usa-alert-info"> <div class="usa-alert-body"><h3 class="usa-alert-heading">Information Status</h3><p class="usa-alert-text">We are currently revising content on plainlanguage.gov, including the federal guidelines, training materials, and other online resources. We鈥檝e temporarily paused accepting training requests until after this update is complete. We hope to resume training later in the fall 2023.</p> </div> </div> <main id="main-content" class="usa-grid usa-content usa-layout-docs"> <aside class="usa-width-one-third usa-layout-docs-sidenav py3 sticky pr5 lg-show clearfix"> <h4 class="caps">In this section</h4> <ul class="usa-sidenav-list"> <li> <a href="/web/20230922122343/https://www.plainlanguage.gov/about/definitions/" class=" "> What is plain language? </a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20230922122343/https://www.plainlanguage.gov/about/benefits/" class=" "> Why use plain language? </a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20230922122343/https://www.plainlanguage.gov/about/history/" class=" "> History and timeline </a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20230922122343/https://www.plainlanguage.gov/about/get-involved/" class=" "> Get involved </a> </li> </ul> </aside> <div class="usa-width-two-thirds usa-layout__docs-main-content clearfix"> <h1>About</h1> <p>The Plain Language Action and Information Network (PLAIN) is an unfunded working group of federal employees from different agencies and specialties who support the use of clear communication in government writing. Originally called the Plain English Network, PLAIN has been meeting informally since the mid 1990s.</p> <p>Our goal is to promote the use of plain language for all government communications. We believe that using plain language will save federal agencies time and money and provide better service to the American public.</p> <p>To promote plain language, we:</p> <ul> <li>develop and maintain the content of this site</li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230922122343/https://www.digitalgov.gov/communities/plain-language/">manage the plain language community of practice</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20230922122343/https://www.plainlanguage.gov/training/introductory-classes/">offer free half-day training sessions to federal agencies</a></li> <li>sponsor occasional seminars about plain language</li> </ul> <p>We meet monthly to discuss plain language issues. Our meetings are open to all federal employees. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230922122343/https://www.digitalgov.gov/communities/plain-language/">Subscribe to our mailing list</a> to learn about upcoming events.</p> <p>Please <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230922122343/mailto:info@plainlanguage.gov">contact us</a> if you have questions about how to promote plain language within your agency.</p> <p>We can only accept <strong>volunteer</strong> help from federal government employees. We are unable to approve membership requests from or accept assistance from international governments.</p> <h2 id="our-officers">Our officers</h2> <div class="about-grid"> <div class="usa-grid-full"> <div class="usa-width-one-half"> <h4 id="katina-rae-stapleton">Katina Rae Stapleton</h4> <h5 id="co-chair">Co-chair</h5> <p>Education Research Analyst, Institute of Education Sciences<br/> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230922122343/https://www.ed.gov/">U.S. Department of Education</a></p> </div> <div class="usa-width-one-half"> <h4 id="katherine-spivey">Katherine Spivey</h4> <h5 id="co-chair-1">Co-chair</h5> <p>Web Content/Social Media Manager, Plain Language Launcher<br/> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230922122343/https://www.gsa.gov/">General Services Administration</a></p> </div> </div> <div class="usa-grid-full"> <div class="usa-width-one-half"> <h4 id="miriam-vincent">Miriam Vincent</h4> <h5 id="web-manager">Web manager</h5> <p>Staff Attorney, Office of the Federal Register<br/> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230922122343/https://www.archives.gov/">National Archives and Records Administration</a></p> </div> <div class="usa-width-one-half"> <h4 id="jamie-stark">Jamie Stark</h4> <h5 id="training-coordinator">Training coordinator</h5> <p>Chief, Engagements Branch <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230922122343/https://www.uscis.gov/">U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services</a></p> </div> </div> </div> <h2 id="about-the-site">About the site</h2> <p>This site launched in 1994, and was redesigned in 2004 with volunteers from PLAIN and student work facilitated by <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230922122343/http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/bult.2006.1720320411/epdf">Thom Haller</a>.</p> <p>In 2017, we partnered with <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230922122343/https://18f.gsa.gov/">18F</a> to redesign the site and make it more accessible in modern browsers. plainlanguage.gov is built with the <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230922122343/https://standards.usa.gov/">U.S. Web Design Standards</a> and is hosted on <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230922122343/https://federalist.18f.gov/">Federalist</a> by the <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230922122343/https://www.gsa.gov/portal/category/25729">General Services Administration</a>.</p> <p>We are continuing to improve the site and <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230922122343/mailto:info@plainlanguage.gov">welcome your feedback</a>.</p> </div> </main> </div> <footer class="usa-footer" role="contentinfo"> <div class="usa-footer-primary-section usa-section bg-tan"> <div class="usa-grid"> <h2>Subscribe to our mailing list</h2> <div class="usa-width-one-whole lg-flex items-center"> <p class="mb2 lg-mb0 lg-mr2">Learn about upcoming events and get the latest news from the federal plain language community.</p> <a class="usa-button usa-button-primary m0 nowrap" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230922122343/https://www.digitalgov.gov/communities/plain-language/">Subscribe</a> </div> </div> </div> <div class="usa-footer__secondary-section usa-section bg-tan-dark"> <div class="usa-grid"> <div class="usa-width-one-half h4"> <p> The <a href="/web/20230922122343/https://www.plainlanguage.gov/about/">Plain Language Action and Information Network</a> develops and maintains the content of this site with support from the <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230922122343/https://www.gsa.gov/node/87579">General Services Administration</a>. </p> <p> You may use any of the content on this site without explicit permission. As a federal website, the content is in the public domain. We ask only that you credit our work by citing back to PLAIN and www.plainlanguage.gov. </p> <p> Help us improve this site on <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230922122343/https://github.com/GSA/plainlanguage.gov"><i class="icon icon-github mr1" aria-hidden="true"></i>GitHub</a> </p> </div> <div class="usa-width-one-fourth md-mb3"> </div> <div class="usa-width-one-fourth"> <h4>Contact us</h4> <ul class="usa-unstyled-list h5"> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230922122343/mailto:info@plainlanguage.gov"><i class="icon icon-envelope mr1" aria-hidden="true"></i>Email us</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230922122343/https://www.facebook.com/plainlanguagegov-174397429237337/"><i class="icon icon-facebook mr1" aria-hidden="true"></i>Facebook</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230922122343/https://twitter.com/govplainlang/"><i class="icon icon-twitter mr1" aria-hidden="true"></i>Twitter</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230922122343/https://www.instagram.com/govplainlang/"><i class="icon icon-instagram mr1" aria-hidden="true"></i>Instagram</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230922122343/https://pinterest.com/plact2010/"><i class="icon icon-pinterest mr1" aria-hidden="true"></i>Pinterest</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230922122343/https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/plain-language-action-and-information-network-plain-/"><i class="icon icon-linkedin mr1" aria-hidden="true"></i>LinkedIn</a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> <div class="usa-identifier"> <div class="usa-grid"> <div class="usa-width-one-whole lg-flex items-center"> <div class="usa-identifier__container"> <div class="usa-identifier__logos"> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230922122343/https://www.gsa.gov/" class="usa-identifier__logo"> <img class="usa-identifier__logo-img" src="/web/20230922122343im_/https://www.plainlanguage.gov/assets/img/icons/gsa-logo.png" alt="GSA"> </a> </div> <div class="usa-identifier__identity" aria-label="Agency description"> <p class="usa-identifier__identity-domain">plainlanguage.gov</p> <p class="usa-identifier__identity-disclaimer"> An official website of the <a class="usa-identifier__identity-disclaimer-link" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230922122343/https://www.gsa.gov/">U.S. General Services Administration</a> </p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="usa-width-one-whole lg-flex items-center identifier-links"> <div class="usa-width-one-fourth"> <ul class="usa-identifier__required-links-list"> <li class="usa-identifier__required-links-item"> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230922122343/https://www.gsa.gov/about-us" class="usa-identifier__required-link usa-link"> About GSA </a> </li> <li class="usa-identifier__required-links-item"> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230922122343/https://www.gsa.gov/website-information/accessibility-statement" class="usa-identifier__required-link usa-link"> Accessibility statement </a> </li> </ul> </div> <div class="usa-width-one-fourth"> <ul class="usa-identifier__required-links-list"> <li class="usa-identifier__required-links-item"> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230922122343/https://www.gsa.gov/reference/freedom-of-information-act-foia" class="usa-identifier__required-link usa-link"> FOIA requests </a> </li> <li class="usa-identifier__required-links-item"> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230922122343/https://www.gsa.gov/about-us/organization/office-of-civil-rights/notification-and-federal-employee-antidiscrimination-and-retaliation-act-of-2002" class="usa-identifier__required-link usa-link"> No FEAR Act data </a> </li> </ul> </div> <div class="usa-width-one-fourth"> <ul class="usa-identifier__required-links-list"> <li class="usa-identifier__required-links-item"> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230922122343/https://www.gsaig.gov/" class="usa-identifier__required-link usa-link"> Office of the Inspector General </a> </li> <li class="usa-identifier__required-links-item"> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230922122343/https://www.gsa.gov/reference/reports/budget-performance" class="usa-identifier__required-link usa-link"> Performance reports </a> </li> </ul> </div> <div class="usa-width-one-fourth"> <ul class="usa-identifier__required-links-list usa-unstyled-list"> <li class="usa-identifier__required-links-item"> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230922122343/https://www.plainlanguage.gov/privacy/" class="usa-identifier__required-link usa-link"> Privacy policy </a> </li> </ul> </div> </div> <div class="usa-width-one-whole"> <section class="usa-identifier__section usa-identifier__section--usagov" aria-label="U.S. government information and services"> <div class="usa-identifier__container"> <div class="usa-identifier__usagov-description"> Looking for U.S. government information and services? 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