Banks, insurance companies first in line to apply for plain language stamps

New plain language requirements outlined in laws such as the Consumer Protection Act demand that almost every document companies provide to consumers must written be in plain language. According to South Africa's only dedicated plain language company, Simplified, South African banks and insurance companies are among the first to express interest in plain language certification for their documents.

The Simplified plain language stamp is the first plain language certification system in South Africa to:

• be aligned with definitions of plain language in the Consumer Protection Act, National Credit Act and Companies Act
• pay careful attention to current efforts around the world to standardise plain language practice
• include assessment criteria as well as processes for user testing
• be awarded for free - Simplified does not charge for promoting plain language in South Africa

For consumers, the certification indicates that the organisation has complied with the spirit of the new laws. A plain language document has:

• benefited from real feedback from users of the document (through a user-testing programme)
• passed various assessments that include all aspects of plain language set out in the definition, from content, to relevance, from design issues to style

According to Simplified, the assessments are far more sophisticated than old-fashioned readability tests, which the courts are unlikely to rely on as many plain language professionals are sceptical of their effectiveness.

The founders of Simplified are the most experienced plain language practitioners in South Africa, with more than 12 years of international and local experience each in plain language. Gordon serves on the board of Plain Language Association International (PLAIN), the world's largest plain language advocacy group and Burt acts as South Africa's representative of plain language legal group, Clarity.

Concludes Gordon: “The Simplified certification is given to companies that are maximising the benefits of plain language to themselves and their customers rather than treating it as yet another compliance burden.”