By: Gordon Williams, American Red Cross Volunteer

In explaining the point of this story, I could say it elucidates how the managerial hierarchy of the American Red Cross adjures us to avoid enigmatic circumlocution and obfuscating formulations in our episodic chronicling.

Or I could just say, when writing for the Red Cross, keep it simple.

In fact, the organization has launched a plain language initiative aimed at making all web applications and documents used in fulfilling its humanitarian mission easier for both volunteers and people affected by disasters to read, understand, and manage.

Doug Anderson, Vice President of Humanitarian Business Systems, explains that “Plain language is a way to use clear and broadly understood language in all the Red Cross does.” That includes such diverse activities as disaster relief, blood collection, first aid training, and Service to the Armed Forces (SAF).

The aim is to make it easier for both Red Cross responders and people affected by disasters to handle situations that can prove difficult for both. “We want to make our services as accessible and stress-free as possible,” Anderson says. He speaks of “trauma-informed design,” which avoids anything that might deliver additional stress to Red Cross responders and disaster victims alike.

The specific process for introducing plain language comes from Jamie Umak, Principal Service Designer for the American Red Cross. Umak is something of a pioneer—the first time the Red Cross has brought such a designer in-house. Assisting her, she says, is a recently assembled team of professional user experience (UX) writing volunteers. Their job is to review all Red Cross web applications, forms, and content, culling out complexities, making everything simple and plain.

Her immediate focus is language within a web application called RC Care. Responders use it to register people affected by disaster and provide them with the support they need to recover. To ensure all writing meets standards and consistency, the team’s first project is to create a writing guide to turn out language that is clear, concise, and easy to apply. One important aspect of this work, Umak says, is making sure our plain language translates well into Spanish for shared meaning and understanding.

Anderson points out one obstacle—the use of acronyms. “Every organization has a propensity toward jargon and acronyms,” he says. The Red Cross certainly does. There’s DCS (disaster cycle services), DAT (disaster action team), ERV (emergency response vehicle) and lots more. “We don't want people who have been impacted by disaster to be impacted by Red Cross jargon,” he says. "Plain language helps people escape jargon where it matters most.”

Organizations design web applications—forms and email / text messages—to satisfy perceived needs. Current forms request information the Red Cross needs to know when registering new clients—name, address, nature of the disaster, and whether their home is still habitable. But the form might also ask for much, much more—number of broken windows, if utilities are working, and whether adjacent buildings were damaged. Pressing someone in an already distressed state to answer complicated questions or provide non-essential details can be painful.

Forms that are difficult to fill out or information that is hard to understand can lead to serious problems for the person affected by disaster. The Red Cross provides emergency funds to tide over those affected by disaster, but they must be able to decide how they will receive those funds. “Selecting the preferred way of being reimbursed for disaster losses can be a high stakes thing,” Anderson says. “If they select the wrong choice, it can delay their recovery.”

As it stands, disaster forms were created to make sure the Red Cross documents all that took place at a disaster scene. Little thought was given to how well those affected could handle them. Under plain language, web applications will be written in a way to reduce stress—for the benefit of responders and people impacted.

One discovery she made while reviewing existing content, Umak says, is that current Red Cross material is written for users with at least a 12th grade education. But not all responders and people affected by disasters can readily digest material written at that level. Umak says the goal of the plain language initiative is to bring the level of comprehension required down to the fourth to sixth grade reading level, reducing cognitive overload during extreme circumstances.

Removing jargon and acronyms will go a long way toward making language easier. So will redesigning pages to make them less dense and, less intimidating. “Using headings, sub-headings, bullet/numbered lists, and excellent typography with larger text sizes will give the pages a much better structure,” Umak says. “Page structure is also important for accessibility, helping those who use assistive technologies such as screen readers to interact with content.”

In the end, Umak says, everyone will benefit from the plain language initiative. Responders will find it easier and less stressful to operate at disaster scenes. A bit of pressure will be lifted from the shoulders of people impacted by disasters. The Red Cross, in turn, will benefit from having more disaster-related documents filled out correctly. That will benefit responders—improving responder morale and reducing volunteer turnover.

“When language is clear and concise, it reduces time, effort, and costs,” Umak says. “There are fewer mistakes that need to be corrected, fewer revisions that need to be made. Communication is greatly improved. It reduces stress for everyone."