OLYMPIA — Gov. Jay Inslee signed an executive order Wednesday that requires state agencies to create and adopt a plain language policy, according to a Wednesday announcement from Inslee’s office.
According to the announcement, plain language writing and design ensures information is concise, inclusive and easy to understand.
“Any complexity adds to inequity,” Inslee said at a July 2021 meeting about digital equity, according to the statement. “The more complex [something is], the more challenging because of language or disability to navigate [a system], you’re just putting up more U-turns and dead ends.”
The order, Executive Order 23-02, directs agencies to prioritize their most-viewed, public-facing materials, said the announcement. Then, agencies will simplify and review the content regularly to ensure those documents follow plain language writing and design principles. The statement said agencies will also assign certain employees to take plain language training, and the Department of Enterprise Services will update its plain language curriculum.
