Professional development
Professional development events let you learn about the work of other plain language professionals and advocates.
In addition to these events hosted in English or in both English and French, we also host events in French only. You can find information about the French events here. You can find information about the events in French here.
Next event:
Implementing the ISO Plain Language Standard in Forensic Psychiatry
September 21, 2026
12:00–1:00 pm (Pacific) / 3:00–4:00 p.m. (Eastern)
This webinar will present a case study that shows what plain language can look like in real life. Participants will learn how the Forensic Psychiatry Institute translated its successful International Forensic Psychiatry Lecture Series into plain language summaries.
Called From Academia to Practice: Why It Matters, the weekly blog series makes the underlying research discussed in the lectures easier to find, understand, and use. As the name of the series suggests, we wanted to move research evidence into practice faster by focusing on why it matters. We do that by focusing on the practical applications and policy implications of the lecture.
Using lecture content, we write plain language summaries to save time and reduce the cognitive load for people working at or interested in the intersection of mental health and the law. We started the project using the ISO 24495-1:2023 Plain language — Part 1: Governing principles and guidelines as guidance, adding Part 2: Legal communication and then Part 3: Science writing when they were released.
About our speaker
Virginia St-Denis is a publishing professional with more than 30 years of experience in writing, editing, desktop publishing, and managing online and print publications. She helps organizations gather and package information into useful and engaging content, which keeps their target audiences coming back for more. Virginia is a member of Plain Canada Clair, the Plain Language Association International, and Editors Canada as well as a non-Indigenous member of the Indigenous Editors Association.
This webinar will be in English.
Cost
- All our events are free for Plain Canada Clair members
- Non-members: $10
Networking
Networking events let you connect with other professionals and advocates, and discuss topics related to plain language.
Next discussion:
To be determined.