Plain 2009 powerpoint c stephens

A conversation

Information is a right

Cheryl StephensPlain Language Wizardry

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Needs of readers

• cannot read with the necessary skill

• suffer emotional or psychological problems that interfere with comprehension

• experience disabilities that interfere with reading or comprehension (physical or mental)

Or "situational limited literacy"

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pivotal role

Since access to information is needed

to exercise all other human rights,

the right to information

is a right

placing on governments

a duty to provide people

with usable information

Information is a right | Cheryl Stephens

a right to access quality information

Quality of information:

• accuracy

• completeness

• currency

• comprehensibility

• format comprehensible

to the people who need it


United Nations human rights instruments:


1. Universal Declaration of Human Rights

2. International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights

Right “to seek, receive and impart information”

implies a right of access to information

Inter-American Court of Human Rights:Claude Reyes et al vs. Chile

Art 13 –

right to seek and receive information

American Convention on Human Rights:

the state must follow the principles of

public nature of information,

transparency, and

maximum disclosure


Article 19 of the UDHR

Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes the freedom to hold opinions without

interference and to seek, receive, and impart information

and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers



US Disability or Discrimination Laws

Access to information

Conditions of effective communication are

1.timeliness of delivery

2.accuracy of the translation

3.manner and medium appropriate to the

• significance of the message and

• abilities of the individual

with the disability

Canada FCAC s. 6(4)

Any disclosure

that is required to be made

by a bank …

must be made in language, and

presented in a manner,

that is clear, simple

and not misleading.


Canadian anti-discrimination laws

Failing to accommodate people with low literacy skills may be a form of systemic discrimination.

Failing to take reasonable steps to end systemic discrimination exposes organizations to human rights claims.

To meet its duty to accommodate, an organization must adjust a policy or practice to meet the special needs of a person.


Supreme Court of Canada

• now recognizes differences that are disabling given external barriers posed by a society and its norms, procedures, and institutions

• discrimination is socially constructed


Supreme Court of Canada

aspects to disability:

physical or mental impairments or illness,

functional limitations, real or perceived,

society’s problematic response to the person’s condition: prejudice and stereotypes


Ontario legislation defines disability

a condition of mental impairment or a developmental disability

a learning disability, or a dysfunction in one or more of the processes involved in understanding or using symbols or spoken language



A Theory of Everything

Entities Laws Motivators Resource

government treaties duties IN

industry constitutions ethics FOR

finance rights docs interests MA

health info access obligations TION

insurance anti-discrim profit

academia disability marketing

justice system int’l norms



Intermediaries Skill Delivery Resource

gov’t services access IN

marketeers formats FOR

health/social serv quality MA

NGOs transmission belt TION

communicators marketing DE

enforcers LI

VERY



People Needs Rights Results

citizens low literacy civil

consumers warnings moral

investors risk quality

civilians protection human

learners disabilities liberties

immigrants ESL ethical treatment

disenfranchised

Plain 2009 powerpoint c stephens

News & Politics

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