One award went to two U.S. Housing and Urban Development employees who rewrote a regulation that explains how to file a housing discrimination complaint. Essentially, it is the presentation of information in a way that makes it easy for people to understand. Organize material to serve the needs of the reader. Use common, everyday words, except for necessary technical terms. Use short sentences and sections, with adequate white space.
Plain language improves comprehension, and readers prefer it.
Studies over the past 20 years have shown conclusively that people learn more easily and more quickly when they read documents that follow the principles of plain English. On a practical level, readers who become frustrated by unclear writing may not read it at all. The effort to improve the language of regulations can help solve many other problems. The INS had notified them of their right to request a hearing and informed them that, if they waived that right, they most likely would be deported. The forms the INS used for notification were so unclear that the aliens didn't understand their rights or the possible legal consequences.