By Dana P Skopal, PhD
Procedures are required documents in the workplace and in communities, and these documents should be accessible to all users. However, is there a standard to ensure that all procedures can be understood by an end user, whether it be staff or a member of the public?
Procedures are detailed step-by-step instructions that we need to follow so that business or community operations can function. Procedures are a part of life, and these can range from understanding how to order stationery for the office or how to get a smartcard ticket used for travel on public transport. These procedures should be accessible and be able to be used by all people requiring the information, which means a person writing the procedures needs to be aware of any end-user factors such as language skills or disabilities (eg visual, auditory). Accessibility of information is linked to writing in plain English and inclusive design of the print or web page. The accessibility of information is also relevant if you are writing content that needs to be understood by the broader community.
Accessibility of information is now linked to technology and society’s use of websites (and use of intranets to set out procedures for staff). The overarching concept is to ensure the information is accessible and inclusive of all users, regardless of their ability and situation, so that a user can understand and follow the necessary steps. The Australian Government has adopted the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), which provide an internationally recognised standard for making web content more accessible.
Writing involves numerous steps, and the first key rule is ‘write for your reader’. When writing information that is to be read as an electronic document (PDF file, web page etc), that rule becomes ‘write for the user and check that the format is accessible’. The format should include alternative text for any images, providing a text equivalent or description of that image. The content needs to be clear and concise, with the most important information up front; this aligns with the principles of plain English.
When planning any text, think about the end-user. When writing for a broad audience, it is important to test the text and format with those end-users. The aim of the testing is to identify any ‘usability’ problems and see if the user can find and follow the information, and so properly use the text or platform. Usability testing can investigate if a reader can find all the information they need to act on and whether document/platform design, including the order of information, assists or hinders them. A writer may make assumptions about how a reader should locate and follow the information. These assumptions may make sense to the writer, but they can make a text difficult for a reader to access and follow. Any problems can surface during usability testing, and such testing is a step to ensuring the information is accessible to the end-user.
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