When I first read the example ‘The competition policy reforms further improve the performance of government business enterprises through a program of regulation review, enhanced prices oversight, application of competitive neutrality principles and procedures for structural reform of public monopolies,’ on p65 of Death Sentence, I didn’t quite get the author’s point. I mean, I understood what it meant.
But the next example of language spelled out exactly why a person like me needed to read this book. ‘Language is a key issue of access for people from any non-English speaking culture. It affects the individual’s ability to access and use services and knowledge of services.’
Now, because I’m a public servant and my mind is so attuned to ‘government speak’ I’m not sure if the second example is intended as an example of unnecessarily complicated language or not. It is, however, a reminder that language can be an accessibility issue for people from all parts of our community, we need put in the effort to make our writing clear and easy to read.
Read my full review at my blog: shereads