"Badly worded instructions on an emergency box designed to cut power to a subway train’s third rail may have contributed to the death of a Toronto man in 1995. Coroner Martin Taylor said changes are needed in the instructions that tell bystanders how to use the switch. ‘The boxes could be more clearly worded for people in a panic state,’ Taylor said."

"Train kills man amid confusion over vital switch," Toronto Star, 1995

A study done by the Pittsburgh Poison Centre concluded that "a large percentage of the adult population are potential poisoning victims due to their inability to read and comprehend label instructions."

"Illiteracy: a contributing factor to poisoning," Veterinary & Human Toxicology, Mrvos R., Dean B.S., Krenzelok E.P., 35 (5): 466-8

"Since 1974, the number of product liability actions in federal courts has increased eight-fold. In many of these actions, plaintiffs claimed that inadequate directions or warnings caused their personal injury or loss."

"Products liability: Meeting the standards for adequate instructions," P.S. Helyar, Journal of Technical Writing and Communication, 1992

Research on the reading level of patient education materials found that these were, on average, 6 levels higher than the literacy level of the average patient.

Nursing Research, 1994

"Information should be widely available in a format that educates and informs the public and provides an incentive to be more active in the administration of care."

National Forum on Health, 1997

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