The Past, Problems, and Potential of Readability Analysis
Have you ever wondered how to make your technical writing easier to read? This seemingly simple question is remarkably relevant to many current events and both private and public sector decisions. Consider Washington DC’s Minor Consent for Vaccinations Amendment Act of 2020 (D.C. Law 23-193) is the subject of two lawsuits filed in July 2021 and has been a topic of particular interest during the COVID-19 pandemic. The law in question allows minors 11 years or older to seek and receive vaccinations without parental consent, provided the youth can give informed consent by reading an age-appropriate vaccine information sheet. The law also stipulates the DC Department of Health is responsible for designing information sheets matching the needs of the minors in question. Much depends on whether these and other similar vaccine information guides can be objectively evaluated to determine their suitability for target audiences. The big question is how to do this.
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