About This Condition

Reading financial content at a high literacy level is not universally possible. People managing low literacy, due to education, disability, or language background, need plain language, visual support, and clear step-by-step guidance to complete tasks with confidence.

Digital Challenges

Long paragraphs, multi-clause instructions, and forms with unexplained fields create barriers that plain language would remove. When error messages do not explain what went wrong in simple terms, recovering from a mistake becomes as difficult as the original task. Visual support and short sentences make a measurable difference.

Assistive Technologies

• Text-to-speech
• symbol-based AAC tools
• screen readers

Design Considerations

Use plain language at Grade 8 level or below throughout. Pair all labels with icons to reinforce meaning. Break instructions into one-idea-per-sentence format and avoid jargon in error messages, field labels, and confirmations.

Clinical Examples

Situational and educational. Associated with limited formal education, dyslexia, and language barriers.