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International Plain Language Day is October 13
Proceedings of the Stockholm PLAIN conference now online
Journal focuses on collaboration between lawyers and plain language experts
Financial Literacy Month
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International Plain Language Day is October 13
 A year ago, U.S. President Barack Obama signed the Plain Writing Act into law. In celebration of that, tireless Canadian plain language champions Cheryl Stephens and Kate Harrison Whiteside have been building online momentum for October 13 as International Plain Language Day.
Events are popping up all over the world as the idea catches on. Sally McBeth, Manager of Clear Language and Design, will facilitate an informal chat at the ING Direct Cafe, 221 Yonge Street at Shuter, from 2 – 4 p.m. Drop in to learn, share, and strategize.
To find out what’s happening near you and online, go to:
http://www.facebook.com/internationalplainlanguageday
Proceedings of the Stockholm PLAIN conference now online
 It was an information-packed three days at the Plain Language Association International’s 8th conference. Set in the burnished glow of Stockholm in June, the conference brought news of plain language activities in a host of languages. At each conference, we meet plain language advocates from more and more countries.
Sally McBeth gave a presentation titled “The Tools of Our Trade: A wholistic approach to readability assessment.” The presentation is based on her experiences with assessing, redesigning, and testing student loan applications in four Canadian provinces. To view it along with much more of the conference proceedings, visit www.plain2011.com.
Statue of St. George and the Dragon
from the high middle ages,
in Stockholm’s beautifully preserved Gamla Stan (Old Town)
Journal focuses on collaboration between lawyers and plain language experts
 Legal language touches every corner of our lives – the consumer contracts we sign, our mortgages, our marriages – you name it. We are all intimidated by the fine print -- those long, convoluted clauses and archaic formulations, all those “heretofores” and “wherebys”.
Many lawyers, jurists and legal drafters are quietly working to modernize legal language through Clarity, an international association promoting plain legal language. Sally recently had the honour of guest-editing Issue 66 of their excellent journal. Members of Clarity receive the journal free, and anyone can join, for only $35 US. Find out more at:
www.clarity-international.net.
Financial Literacy Month
CLAD recently had the pleasure of editing an excellent series of workshop modules for the Canadian Centre for Financial Literacy. The curriculum is designed to be delivered by community groups and covers nine essential topics, including: banking, saving, budgeting, using credit wisely, and managing debt. The centre is a division of SEDI (Social & Enterprise Development Innovations), which will offer this training to community groups in conjunction with their capacity building training.
November is Financial Literacy Month. Find out more at http://financialliteracymonth.ca.
You can learn more about SEDI’s work at www.sedi.org
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Clear Language and Design
Suite 201, 110 Eglinton Ave. W.
Toronto, Ontario M4R 1A3
(416) 968 - 2236
clad@idirect.ca
www.EastEndLiteracy.on.ca/ClearLanguageAndDesign
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