Diia.Education — Plain Language for Complex Topics

Plain Language for Complex Topics

How to write and speak simply, clearly, and accessibly — so that people read, understand, and trust you

Experts: Tetiana Lomakina, Lesia Khemraieva, Olena Ivanova, +2

Official texts shouldn’t be a maze of complicated phrases. Their mission is to help people understand, act, and trust.
The Plain Language educational series will teach you how to turn documents, announcements, and instructions into clear, accessible messages.

You will learn how to:

- Speak and write so that you are understood the first time
- Structure information for easy reading
- Avoid complicated wording without losing meaning
- Format texts so they are easy to read — regardless of a person’s education or background
- Build communication that really works

The educational series was developed by UNDP within the framework of the project “Mine Action in Ukraine”, with the support of the Government of the Republic of Korea, at the initiative of the Ministry of Culture and Strategic Communications of Ukraine, in cooperation with the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine, for the Diia.Education platform.

Format:

Education series

EKTS:

0.1

Languages:

Ukrainian, English

Topic:

Barrier-Free

For:

for civil servants, for public servants, for adults, for active citizens

Skills:

HARD

Adapt official texts

Adhere to a single visual style

Convey the content simply and concretely

Determine the purpose of the message

Evaluate the comprehensibility of texts

Explain new terms in an accessible way

Formulate an accurate headline

Highlight the important in visual design

Make the text readable

Replace complex words with simple ones

Structure the text logically and conveniently

Use active verbs

Program

Get started

In this introductory episode, we introduce you to plain language — how to speak and write in a way that is understandable to everyone. We'll look at why plain language is a manifestation of respect for people and how it helps make work in the public sphere more effective. We will explain its connection with barrier-free access and trust. After the course, you will be able to write clear texts and explain complex processes in simple words.

In this episode, we’ll explore what plain language is, why it matters, and how it’s used around the world. You’ll see examples of complex and plain texts, real statistics, and learn how plain language saves resources and builds trust.

We’ll explain the principle of relevance and how to make communication short, clear, and useful. You’ll learn how to define the purpose of a message, write accurate headlines, avoid «information noise», and follow five simple steps to focus only on what matters.

Invited experts

Tetiana Lomakina

Advisor and Commissioner of the President of Ukraine for a Barrier-Free Environment

Lesia Khemraieva

Head of the Department for Barrier-Free Policy at the Ministry of Culture and Strategic Communications of Ukraine

Olena Ivanova

Inclusion and Accessibility Projects Coordinator at UNDP in Ukraine

Tetiana Palamar

Communications Analyst at UNDP in Ukraine