Adjusting the text for better clarity
The comprehensibility of content is one of the key principles of accessibility. Clear and easy-to-understand language is the single most important element of comprehensibility*. In higher education, it is sufficient to use clear standard language. Standard language refers to the language that is used in newspapers and textbooks, for example. Plain language refers to simplified standard language that is even easier to understand. You can make standard language more understandable by borrowing some features from plain language.
Use clear language
The following includes some useful points picked up from an article (in Finnish) about principles of plain language in the Finnish Kielikello journal. The list also includes understandability criteria mentioned in the accessibility standard.
- Set the correct language for the document. Remember to also mark any foreign language sections to ensure that proofreading and screen reader applications can (hopefully) process them correctly.
- Pay attention to a smooth, logical narrative.
- Be sure to use descriptive headings: The heading must describe the content. Use also subheadings.
- Write descriptive link texts: the link text alone should tell where the link will take you.
- Discuss one thing in one paragraph: short paragraphs are easier to comprehend than long ones. A paragraph should only include one key content with any clarifications and explanations if needed.
- Prefer simple sentence structures: avoid non-finite clauses and multiple subordinate clauses in one sentence. Write to the point.
- Use uniform terminology.
- Explain difficult words as you use them.
- Provide concrete examples.
- Provide alternative texts to images: use the alternative text to tell the essential message of the image to those who cannot see the image. (Explain what the image is supposed to convey.) If the content of the image is not relevant, i.e. the image is purely decorative, or if you have already explained the essential content of the image in the body text, add an empty description (= empty alt attribute) to the image. The method to do that varies tool-specifically.
- Pay attention to correct spelling, including punctuation rules and compound words.
- Use proofreading features to check the spelling.
Example 1: Editing text into standard or plain language
The original Finnish version was retrieved from https://tulli.fi/henkiloasiakkaat/netista-tilaajalle/tupakkatuotteiden-nettitilaaminen.
“Tobacco products, electronic cigarettes or nicotine liquids obtained by means of distance communication from a trader may not be brought in. There are also restrictions on traveller imports.”
Standard language version:
Ordering tobacco products, electronic cigarettes or nicotine liquids from abroad is prohibited. Travellers are allowed to bring with them the amount determined by customs restrictions.
Plain language version:
You may not order tobacco products,
electronic cigarettes or nicotine liquids from abroad.
When you travel yourself,
you can bring the amount customs allows
with you in Finland.
The amount depends on
where you travelled.
Example 2: Adjusting the text for better clarity
The following example was retrieved in Finnish from the Kielikello journal. It describes how to edit a gobbledegook (language that is meaningless or is made unintelligible by excessive use of technical terms) text into simpler language. After editing, the comprehensibility of the content is on par with plain language. (Except for the line length, that should, in the case of plain language, in particular, be limited to 55–60 characters.)
Gobbledegook version (translated as such from the Finnish original):
Kela will pay directly to the education provider the part of the school transport subsidy that has been granted on the basis of school transport. The education provider will be reimbursed for the costs incurred by the school transport, less your monthly travel fee amounting to EUR 43. The portion paid directly to the education provider constitutes your school transport subsidy.
Clearer standard language version:
When you use school transport, Kela pays the school transport subsidy directly to the education provider. The school transport will cost you a maximum of EUR 43 per month.
(Source: Laaksonen, K: Ymmärrettävämpiä tekstejä Kelasta (Easier to understand Kela texts). (Kielikello 4/2011))
Example 3: Adjusting the text for better clarity
The following example was retrieved from the Police of Finland’s blog, where a blogger edited a gobbledegook text into simpler language.
Gobbledegook version (translated as such from the Finnish original):
One area in which complaints were submitted was decisions taken by the investigators in charge pertaining to matters related to the termination of an investigation.
Standard language version:
Complaints were filed, for example, about decisions taken by the investigators in charge to close an investigation.
(Source: Nykänen, J: Munkkilatinaa vai ymmärrettävää tekstiä?! (Police of Finland’s blog, 16 August 2018.))
Example 4: Clear heading sentences help the reader to understand the content
The following example is an extract from a typical instruction bulletin by a property manager to the shareholders of a housing company. The original text is quite clear to start with, but the heading does not describe the content very well. I, for one, would think that under a heading like “The housing company’s tools”, there would follow a list of the housing company’s tools. A good heading describes the main idea of the text.
Also, you should use active voice instead of passive voice in instruction texts. It helps the reader to better understand what is expected of them.
Here, the edited example has been corrected so much that it can be considered to be plain language. It uses shorter paragraphs and lines than standard language and does not use abbreviations. Without these differences, the text could be considered to be clear standard language.
The heading of the original instruction text is not descriptive, and the instruction text fails to specify who should do what.
The housing company’s tools
The shared tools must be used carefully. For example, the lawnmower should be cleaned after use with a brush rather than by shaking and banging. If any equipment is defective or breaks down in use, please inform the property manager or a board member for maintenance. If the lawnmower fuel runs out, the canister must be filled. A receipt for the purchased petrol must be delivered to the property manager, for example, by email, including the appropriate account information, and the cost will be refunded to the petrol buyer. Tools borrowed from the warehouses must be returned cleaned back to the storage areas immediately after use.
(Source: An instructional letter sent by a property manager, the text was originally in Finnish and has been translated as such.)
Plain language version: The heading is descriptive, and the text specifies who should do what
Take good care of the housing company’s tools
Use the shared tools with care.
For example, clean the lawnmower after use with a brush
rather than by shaking and banging it.
Clean and return the tools you borrow from
a warehouse back in their place immediately after use.
If you notice that a tool is broken
or if a tool breaks down when you are using it,
report it to the property manager or a member of the board.
This way, they will know to have it serviced.
If the lawnmower fuel runs out,
you can fill the canister yourself.
Submit the receipt for the petrol you purchased for the lawnmower
to the property manager by email, for example.
Be sure to include your account number
for the refund.
Example 5: A good link text tells where the link will take you
Screen reader users can browse the content of a page to listen to the links available on it. In this case, it is not very useful if they encounter vague link texts. Think, for example, of a situation where the screen reader would only repeat “Link Read more”, “Link Read more”, “Link Read more”.
It would be more useful for the screen reader to say, for example, “Link Read more about continuing education”, “Link Read more about specialised training”, “Link Read more about open UAS”.
Suggestions for better link texts
1. Replace single link words with the full name of the target page.
Original link text
After completing the form, you will be sent an email with the professional teacher education’s alumni intranet ID and password.
Source: https://www.oamk.fi/fi/oamk/alumnisuhteet
Improved link text
After completing the form to join as Amok alumni, you will be sent an email with the professional teacher education’s alumni intranet ID and password.
2. Feel free to create a link of a whole sentence to clearly indicate where the link will take you.
Original link text
[A notice that reads: “Notice board. Forgot your password? You can retrieve a new password from the Oamk username and password service.” Below the text, there is a link that reads: “More information”. In this case, a user browsing the links would hear the screen reader say, “More information”.]
Source: https://www.oamk.fi/opinto-opas/
Improved link text
[A notice that reads: “Notice board.”. Then comes a link that includes the entire text below. In this case, the screen reader would read to the user browsing the links as follows: “Forgot your password? You can retrieve a new password from the Oamk username and password service.”]
3. The name of the linked document is usually a good option for a link text to the document
Original text
Starting places in education leading to a degree in 2017, Rector, 22 September 2016, Section 73, Appendix
Source: Oamk staff intranet
Improved text
Rector’s decision: Starting places in education leading to a degree in 2017 (22 September 2016, Section 73), Appendix: Number of starting places by field of study
(Note: the links in the example go to the intranet, so they have been deleted, and their locations are indicated with an underline. The original text, “22 September 2016, Section 73”, took you to the Rector’s decision in PDF format and “Attachment” to an appendix to the decision, indicating the number of starting places by field of study. In the corrected text, “Rector’s decision: Starting places in education leading to a degree in 2017” is a link text to the decision and “Appendix: Number of starting places by field of study” is a link to the appendix. What should also be noted here is that Oamk Rector’s decisions are scanned PDF documents with the text as an image, meaning that the target files are not accessible. Therefore, you cannot select and copy text from a decision to paste it elsewhere. Search engines cannot read the document, so it is not easy to find it using the search function. Actually, the link text should also contain the information that the link will open a PDF file, e.g. “Appendix (PDF): Number of starting places by field of study”)
4. Check that the link texts can also be understood out of context
Original link text
The purpose of safety activities is to direct, instruct and assist in preventing accidents and dangerous situations. More information in student intranet Oiva
Source: https://www.oamk.fi/opinto-opas/ohjausta-ja-neuvontaa
Improved link text
The purpose of safety activities is to direct, instruct and assist in preventing accidents and dangerous situations. More information on safety is available on the student intranet Oiva.
(Note: the links in the example took you to the intranet, so they have been removed, and their places are indicated with an underline. In the original text, the link text read, “More information in student intranet Oiva”. The corrected link text reads, “More information on safety is available in student intranet Oiva”.
5. The link should indicate if it goes outside the organisation’s site
Original link text
Source: Laaksonen, K: Ymmärrettävämpiä tekstejä Kelasta (Easier to understand Kela texts). (Kielikello 4/2011)
Improved link text
Source: Laaksonen, K: Ymmärrettävämpiä tekstejä Kelasta (Easier to understand Kela texts). (Kielikello 4/2011)
6. Replace all link texts of the “click here”, “here”, and “read more” types with descriptive texts
Original link text
Check out the Innovation Alliance presentation here.
Source: https://www.oamk.fi/fi/tutkimus-ja-kehitys/tki-ja-hanketoiminta
Improved link text
7. If the link is an image, also apply the previous examples to an alternative text that serves as a link
Original link text (alternative text of an image)
Image: [info icon]
– If the alternative text of this image is “info icon”, it does not reveal the essential meaning of the image. The image’s alternative text should correspond to the purpose of the image. In this case, the image could be located, for example, on an Accessibility Online Course site, with the aim of pointing to another page offering additional information about the course.
Improved link text (alternative text of an image)
Image: [Information about the Accessibility Online Course]
– A good alternative text could be, for example, “More information” or “More information about the Accessibility Online Course”. This way, the alternative text would better indicate where the link points.
*) In fact, the Act on the Provision of Digital Services does not include a requirement for understandable language, as such a requirement is not included in WCAG 2.1 level AA. However, the Administrative Procedure Act requires authorities to use language that is clear, easy to understand and to the point. It is good that the Acts complement one another because clear language is very important for accessibility.