Making Information Accessible: The Interplay Between Easy and Plain Language

Abstract

This study compares the basic principles of the five most widely used and cited Easy Language (EL) and Plain Language (PL) guidelines in international practice. These guidelines, IFLA, Inclusion Europe, IPLF, German EL Guidelines, and Turkish PL Recommendations, are compared under six main headings: definition, target audience, secondary target audience, areas of use, intended use, and general rules. The aim of the study is to analyze the commonalities and differences between these two language variants in writing accessible texts and to examine the concepts and possible approaches to this field in the Turkish context. Both EL and PL serve as tools that enhance social inclusion by improving access to information. While EL is designed for individuals with cognitive disabilities or other special needs and follows stricter linguistic rules, PL appeals to a broader audience and offers a more flexible structure in terms of language and narrative approach. However, in terms of intended use and general conventions, all the guidelines encourage the use of plain, clear, direct, and jargon-free language. The study proposes a modular framework focusing on the commonalities between EL and PL and suggests that a policy and approach can be developed through a needs analysis, particularly in the Turkish context, where the use of EL and PL practices is not yet widespread. In this regard, it highlights the need to identify and prioritize target groups, areas of use, and intended purposes in line with the specific needs in Turkey. Additionally, it advocates for a systematic approach to accessible communication by presenting a checklist based on the ISO 24495-1 standard, along with the shared principles of the guidelines.

Keywords

• Easy Language
• Plain Language
• accessibility
• intralingual translation
• accessible communication

Bilgiyi Erişilebilir Kılmak: Kolay Dil ve Sade Dil Arasındaki Etkileşim

Abstract

Bu çalışma, uluslararası uygulamalarda en çok kullanılan ve atıfta bulunulan beş adet Kolay Dil (KD) ve Sade Dil (SD) kılavuzlarının temel ilkelerini karşılaştırmaktadır. Bu kılavuzlar, IFLA, Inclusion Europe, IPLF, Alman KD Kılavuzu ve Türkiye SD Tavsiyeleri olup, bunlar, tanım, hedef kitle, ikincil hedef kitle, kullanım alanları, istenilen kullanım amacı ve genel kurallar olmak üzere altı temel başlık altında karşılaştırılmıştır. Çalışmanın amacı, erişilebilir metin yazımında iki dil değişkesinin ortak ve farklı yönlerini analiz ederek, Türkiye bağlamında bu alana ait kavramları ve olası yaklaşımları irdelemektir. Hem KD hem SD, bilgiye erişilebilirliği sağlayarak, toplumsal içermeyi güçlendiren araçlar olarak kullanılmaktadır. KD, bilişsel engele veya daha farklı özel ihtiyaçlara sahip bireyler için tasarlanmış olup, daha katı yazım kurallarına sahipken; SD, daha geniş bir okuyucu kitlesine hitap ederek kullanılan dil ve anlatı yaklaşımı açısından daha esnek bir yapı sunmaktadır. Bununla birlikte, istenilen kullanım amacı ve genel kurallar açısından bakıldığında, tüm kılavuzların sade, açık ve doğrudan, jargondan uzak bir dil kullanımını teşvik ettiği tespit edilmiştir. Çalışma, KD ve SD’nin ortak özelliklerine odaklanan modüler bir çerçeve önermekte, özellikle KD ve SD uygulamalarının kullanımının henüz yaygın olmadığı Türkiye bağlamında ihtiyaç analizi yaparak bir politika ve yaklaşım benimsenebileceğini öne sürmektedir. Bu bağlamda, hedef grupların, kullanım alanlarının ve amaçlarının Türkiye’deki ihtiyaçlar doğrultusunda belirlenmesi ve önceliklendirilmesi gereğinden bahsetmektedir. Ayrıca, kılavuzların ortak özellikleriyle birlikte ISO 24495-1 standardına dayalı bir kontrol listesi sunarak erişilebilir iletişime yönelik sistematik bir yaklaşım öne sürmektedir.

Keywords

• Kolay Dil
• Sade Dil
• erişilebilirlik
• dil içi çeviri
• erişilebilir iletişim

References

1. Adler, M. (2012). The Plain Language Movement (pp. 67–83). Oxford University. https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199572120.013.0006
2. Arias-Badia, B., & Matamala, A. (2020). Audio description meets Easy-to-Read and Plain Language: Results from a questionnaire and a focus group in Catalonia. Zeitschrift Für Katalanistik, 33, 251–270. https://doi.org/10.46586/zfk.2020.251-270
3. Avrupa Parlamentosu ve AB Konseyi. (2019). Avrupa Erişilebilirlik Yasası: Avrupa Parlamentosu ve Konseyinin (AB) 2019/882 sayılı direktifi [European Accessibility Act: Directive (EU) 2019/882 of the European Parliament and of the Council], Retrieved January 24, 2025, from https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32019L0882
4. Bernabé, R., & Cavallo, P. (2021). Easy-to-understand access services: Easy subtitles (ss. 241–254). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-78095-1_18
5. Birleşmiş Milletler. (2006). Engellilerin Haklarına İlişkin Sözleşme [Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities]. https://www.resmigazete.gov.tr/eskiler/2009/07/20090714-1.htm
6. Birleşmiş Milletler. (2013). Erişilebilirlik ve kalkınma [Accessibility and development]. [United Nations]. Accessibility and development: Mainstreaming disability in the post-2015 development agenda. https://digitallibrary.un.org/record/3868798?v=pdf
7. Bredel, U.& Maaß, C. (2016a): Leichte Sprache. Theoretische Grund-lagen, Orientierung für die Praxis. Duden.
8. Bredel, U.& Maaß, C. (2016b): Ratgeber Leichte Sprache. Duden.

9. Bredel, U.& Maaß, C. (2016c): Arbeitsbuch Leichte Sprache. Duden.
10. Coleman, C. (2020). Health literacy and clear communication best practices for telemedicine. HLRP: Health Literacy Research and Practice, 4(4), e224-e229.
11. Deleanu, M. A., Orasan, C., & Braun, S. (2024). Accessible communication: A systematic review and comparative analysis of official English Easy-to-Understand (E2U) language guidelines. In Proceedings of the 3rd Workshop on Tools and Resources for People with REAding DIfficulties (READI) (ss. 70–92). ELRA and ICCL.
12. Demirkıvıran, S. (2024). Kavramsal yaklaşımlar ve terimleştirme süreci: Kolay Dil/Basit Dil ve Kolay Türkçe/Basit Türkçe, Edebiyat Bilimleri 7, 27-44 https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14578475.
13. Elmalı, M. (2024). Kolay dile dilbilimsel yaklaşım. Türk Kültürü İncelemeleri Dergisi, 52(Güz), 333–360. https://doi.org/10.24058/tki.2024.519
14. Freyer, N., Kempt, H., & Klöser, L. (2024). Easy-read and large language models: On the ethical dimensions of LLM-based text simplification. Ethics and Information Technology, 26(3). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10676-024-09792-4
15. Göktepe, F. & Demirkıvıran, S. “Türkçe Kolay Dil’e İlk Yaklaşımlar”, Türk Kültürü İncelemeleri Dergisi, 51 (Bahar 2024), 297-332. https://doi.org/10.24058/tki.2024.509
16. Greco, G. M. (2016). On accessibility as a human right, with an application to media accessibility. Matamala, A., Orero, P. (Ed). Researching Audio Description. Palgrave Studies in Translating and Interpreting içinde. Palgrave Macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-56917-2_2
17. Grene, M., Cleary, Y., & Marcus-Quinn, A. (2017). Use of plain-language guidelines to promote health literacy. IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication, 60(4), 384-400.
18. Hansen-Schirra, S., & Maaß, C. (2020). Easy language, plain language, easy language plus: Perspectives on comprehensibility and stigmatisation. Easy Language Research: Text and User Perspectives, 2, s. 17.
19. IFLA. (2010). IFLA guidelines for easy-to-read materials. International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions.https://www.ifla.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/assets/hq/publications/professional-report/120.pdf
20. Inclusion Europe. (b.t.). Information for all: European guidelines for making information easy to read and understand. https://www.inclusion-europe.eu/easy-to-read/
21. International Organization for Standardization. (2018). Information technology — User interface component accessibility — Part 23: Visual presentation of audio information (including captions and subtitles) (ISO/IEC 20071-23:2018). Retrieved January 24, 2025, from https://www.iso.org/obp/ui/#iso:std:iso-iec:20071:-23:ed-1:v1:en
22. International Organization for Standardization. (2023). ISO 24495-1:2023 Plain language—Part 1: Governing principles and guidelines. Geneva, Switzerland: ISO. Retrieved from https://www.iso.org/obp/ui/#iso:std:iso:24495:-1:dis:ed-1:v1:en International Plain Language Federation (IPLF). (b.t). https://plainlanguagenetwork.org/plain-language/what-is- plain-language/
23. Karabulut, Ş., & Okyayuz, Ş. (2024, January). Creating accessible interactive training materials in manufacturing engineering. In Notes for Manufacturing Instructors: From Class to Workshop (ss. 289–317). Springer Nature Switzerland.
24. Kerwer, M., Chasiotis, A., Stricker, J., Gunther, A., & Rosman, T. (2021). Straight from the scientist's mouth—Plain language summaries promote laypeople's comprehension and knowledge acquisition when reading about individual research findings in psychology. Collabra: Psychology, 7(1), 18898.
25. Maaß, C. (2020). Easy language–plain language–easy language plus: Balancing comprehensibility and acceptability. Frank & Timme.
26. Martínez, P., Ramos, A., & Moreno, L. (2024). Exploring large language models to generate easy-to-read content. Frontiers in Computer Science, 6. https://doi.org/10.3389/fcomp.2024.1394705
27. Masson, M. E. J., & Waldron, M. A. (1994). Comprehension of legal contracts by non‐experts: Effectiveness of plain language redrafting. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 8(1), 67–85.
28. Matamala, A. (2022). Easy-to-understand language in audiovisual translation and accessibility: state of the art and future challenges. X Linguae, 130-144.
29. Matamala, A., Orero, P. (2019). Training experts in inclusive practices for an equity on access to culture in Europe.
30. Halder, S., Argyropoulos, V. (Ed.). Inclusion, Equity and Access for Individuals with Disabilities içinde. Palgrave Macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-5962-0_13
31. Moreno, L., Segura-Bedmar, I., Alarcon, R., & Martínez, P. (2019, Haziran 25). Lexical simplification approach to support the accessibility guidelines. https://doi.org/10.1145/3335595.3335651
32. Netzwerk Leichte Sprache. (2009). [Rules for Easy Language]. https://www.gemeinsam-einfach-machen.de/GEM/DE/AS/Leuchttuerme/Ratgeber/Ratgeber_LS/LS/ls_node.html
33. Okyayuz, A. Ş., & Kaya, M. (2020). Disability and the implication of coaccessibility: A case study on accessibility to the media in Turkey. Media, Culture & Society, 42(6), 987–1002. https://doi.org/10.1177/0163443720908133
34. Orero, P., Delgado, C., & Matamala, A. (2020, Aralık). Easy-to-read standardisation: Some steps towards an international standard. In Proceedings of the 9th International Conference on Software Development and Technologies for Enhancing Accessibility and Fighting Info-Exclusion (ss. 44–46).
35. Perego, E. (2020). Accessible communication: A cross-country journey. Frank & Timme.
36. Petelin, R. (2010). Considering plain language: Issues and initiatives. Corporate Communications: An International Journal, 15(2), 205–216.
37. Rosenberg, A., Baróniková, S., Feighery, L., Gattrell, W., Olsen, R. E., Watson, A., Koder, T., & Winchester, C. (2021). Open Pharma recommendations for plain language summaries of peer-reviewed medical journal publications. Current Medical Research and Opinion, 37(11), 2015–2016.
38. Säuberli, A., Hansen-Schirra, S., Holzknecht, F., Gutermuth, S., Deilen, S., Schiffl, L., & Ebling, S. (2023). Enabling text comprehensibility assessment for people with intellectual disabilities using a mobile application. Frontiers in Communication, 8, 1175625.
39. Sciumbata, F. (2021). Dal plain language all’easy-to-read per lettori con disabilità intellettive: Oltre la semplificazione. Lingue e Linguaggi, 41, 199–213. https://doi.org/10.1285/i22390359v41p199
40. Sproģe, I., & Tūbele, S. (2021). Challenges of easy and plain language in Latvia. HTQE 2021 (pp. 486–500). https://doi.org/10.22364/htqe.2021.37
41. T.C. Aile ve Sosyal Hizmetler Bakanlığı Engelli ve Yaşlı Hizmetleri Genel Müdürlüğü. (2023, Nisan). Engelli ve yaşlı istatistik bülteni – Nisan 2023. T.C. Aile ve Sosyal Hizmetler Bakanlığı. https://aile.gov.tr/media/135432/eyhgm_istatistik_bulteni_nisan_23.pdf
42. T.C. İletişim Başkanlığı. (2023). Türkiye’de bulunan yabancıların sayısı ve vatandaşlık durumları ile ilgili iddialara dair açıklama. T.C. Cumhurbaşkanlığı İletişim Başkanlığı. https://www.iletisim.gov.tr/turkce/haberler/detay/turkiyede-bulunan-yabancilarin-sayisi-ve-vatandaslik-durumlari-ile-ilgili-iddialara-dair-aciklama
43. Tseng, W., Pleasants, E., Ivey, S. L., Sokal-Gutierrez, K., Kumar, J., Hoeft, K. S., & Neuhauser, L. (2021). Barriers and facilitators to promoting oral health literacy and patient communication among dental providers in California. International journal of environmental research and public health, 18(1), 216.
44. Vollenwyder, B., Schneider, A., Brühlmann, F., Krueger, E., Mekler, E. D., & Opwis, K. (2018). How to use plain and easy-to-read language for a positive user experience on websites (ss. 514–522). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-94277-3_80