WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--For changing long, complicated forms that help people when they are shopping for home loans into shorter, more easily understood forms, the Consumer Protection Financial Bureau's (CPFB) Loan Estimate Form was honored with the Center for Plain Language's Grand ClearMark Award as the best example of clear, concise communication. In contrast, a Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) consent decree aimed at providing information to the owners of trucking and bus companies to improve safety captured the Grand WonderMark Award as the most confusing, complex document. The awards were presented at the Center for Plain Language's fifth annual national ClearMark Awards, April 22, 2014, at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.
"When a government agency such as CPFB, turns two long, head-scratching forms into one that's shorter, clearer and easier to use, the Center for Plain Language rejoices," said Annetta L. Cheek, PhD, Chair, Board of Directors, Center for Plain Language. "The testing that went into this redesign - both before and after - is impressive, and shows in the results."
The Center's Grand WonderMark Award was captured by FMCSA, part of the Department of Transportation that was created to reduce crashes, injuries and fatalities involving large trucks and buses. The Grand WonderMark Award was a consent decree for owners of trucking and bus companies to help them comply with safety regulations.
As one judge pointed out, "One hundred percent of the owners complained about the document, but FMCSA has not improved it." Another judge added that there was simply no thought given to the audience receiving the document. And another summed it up by saying the document was created, "Of the lawyers, by the lawyers, for the lawyers."
In addition to these top award recipients, the Center for Plain Language named a top honoree in each award category as well as ClearMarks of Distinction (a plain language role model). Here are the category honorees:
Original--Private
WINNER: UnitedHealthcare
Medicare & Retirement, Happiness Counts Kit. ClearMark of
Distinction Awards: CommunicateHealth (Rockville) and Unum.
Original--Public Sector
WINNER: University
of Rhode Island, Kingston, Are You A Smart Well Owner? ClearMark
of Distinction Awards: National
Climatic Data Center (NOAA) and CFPB.
Original--Nonprofit
WINNER: AARP,
AARP Smart Driver Participant Guidebook. ClearMark of
Distinction Awards: AARP (2 ClearMarks of Distinction), March
of Dimes, and The Nemours Foundation/KidsHealth.
Original--Legal
WINNER: American
Bankruptcy Institute, Law Review, Clarifying The Authority
Of Bankruptcy Litigation Trusts. ClearMark of Distinction
Awards: Aetna and United
States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit (Cincinnati).
Original--Multimedia
WINNER: Blue
Cross/Blue Shield of Massachusetts, Boston, Consumer
Directed Health Care Plans with Health Savings Plans. ClearMark
of Distinction Awards: Health
Care Service Corporation (Chicago) and CFPB.
Before and After--Private Sector
WINNER: Aetna,
Redesign of Aetna Medicare Advantage Enrollment Packet 2014. ClearMark
of Distinction Awards: Aetna and Wellpoint.
Before and After--Public Sector
WINNER: CFPB, Loan
Estimate Form (Grand ClearMark Award). ClearMark of Distinction
Awards: University of Rhode Island, U.S.
Department of Veterans' Affairs, and National
Diabetes Education Program (NIH).
Before and After--Nonprofit
WINNER: Health Care
Service Corporation, Claims Letters. ClearMark of Distinction
Award: Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts.
Website--Private
WINNER: Unum,
Unum.com. ClearMark of Distinction Award: Sun
Life Financial (Toronto).
Website--Public
WINNER: Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Don't Mess
With Mercury. ClearMark of Distinction Awards: Department
of Information Resources (Texas) and the Social
Security Administration.
Website--Nonprofit
WINNER: AARP, Washington, D.C., AARP
Health Law Answers. ClearMark of Distinction Awards: Highmark
Blue Cross Blue Shield of West Virginia and Health Care Service
Corporation.
While the ClearMark Awards honored the best examples of plain language communications, the WonderMark Awards (as in "I wonder what they were thinking when they wrote this document?") were presented to the submissions that reflect the most confusing language. In addition to FMCSA, the WonderMark Award recipients included hospital discharge papers full of jargon, a 47-word road sign and a confusing letter from Revenu Quebec (Canada).
To read more about the awards, go to http://www.centerforplainlanguage.org/awards.
About The Center for Plain Language
The Center for Plain Language is a D.C.-based nonprofit organization that wants government and business documents to be clear and understandable. We support those who use plain language, train those who should use plain language, and urge people to demand plain language in all the documents they receive, read, and use.