On October 13, 2021, during International Plain Language Week, we held an online celebration of the many successes of our plain language community! Two of the award winners who were recognized during the PLAIN (International) conference spoke about their projects and awards:
Kate Harrison Whiteside of Plain Language Academies received the Cheryl Stephens Innovation Award, an award that recognizes innovation in plain language. The award was given to Kate for her contribution to the plain language community; she has worked in the field of plain language for many years and is recognised internationally.
Kate is the director of Plain Language Academy and recently co-founded Plain Language Academies. Plain Language Academies offers a range of online plain language courses in English, French, and Spanish.
Chantale Audet and Amélie Bourret of Autrement dit received their second ClearMark Award in a North American competition for plain language content. The award was given in the “French language” category for a large financial literacy project for people living with autism. In all, the project consists of 18 documents, each covering topics in personal finance management. The project was carried out using the plain language process. The documents are available free of charge here.
In addition, other Canadian success stories were mentioned:
The Canadian Digital Service and Health Canada also received a ClearMark Award in the “Apps” category. The award was given for the COVID Alert app that allows Canadians to be notified of their potential exposure to COVID-19.
Finally, several participants at the October 13 event highlighted the efforts and achievements of various provincial governments in plain language, including Nova Scotia, Québec, and Alberta.