Plain Language Is a Right, Not a Luxury: Why Repealing the Act Would Harm Us All
The Plain Language Act of 2022 established a fundamental principle: everyone in Aotearoa New Zealand deserves equal access to public information, regardless of literacy level, education, or disability status. This isn't just about making documents "easier to read"—it's about ensuring democratic participation and basic rights for all citizens.
What Plain Language Actually Does
Plain language ensures that vital information—from healthcare instructions to government services—can be understood by everyone. As an example, for medical information, this means people are more likely to:
· Take medications correctly
· Follow treatment plans properly
· Understand health risks clearly
· Make truly informed decisions about their care
The Critical Impact for Blind and Low Vision New Zealanders
Information presented in overly complex ways disadvantages people who are already marginalised within the system. This can include people with English as an additional language, people with lower literacy levels or cognitive needs, elderly populations and busy parents/caregivers to name just a few.
As one example, for children and adults who are blind or have low vision (BLV), plain language isn't optional—it's essential. When information uses complex structures and unnecessary jargon, screen readers become significantly less effective tools. Complex language forces BLV people to:
· Process dense auditory information more intensively
· Hold excessive information in working memory
· Waste mental resources decoding unnecessarily complex phrasing
· Struggle through assignments and other tasks that take much longer to complete
Plain language reduces cognitive load, increases independence, and levels the playing field between disabled and non-disabled people.
The Push to Repeal: Privilege in Action
The current government's push to repeal this Act—which has already passed its first reading—reveals a fundamental disconnect. The claims that the Act "adds extra costs" and creates "unnecessary red tape" betray a privileged perspective from those fortunate enough to have never faced literacy or accessibility barriers.
Would these same politicians be so quick to dismiss plain language if they personally relied on screen readers, or if they were among the 40% of Kiwi adults who struggle to read at the level of most communication? The dismissal of plain language requirements reflects a concerning blindness to the daily challenges faced by many New Zealanders.
Plain Language in Action
Consider this real-world example of non-plain language:
"The digital interface herein has been subjected to comprehensive accessibility evaluation utilising prevalent assistive technologies, including but not limited to screen-reading software implementations. However, in the event that you encounter difficulties in the utilisation of this system, please do not hesitate to contact technical support personnel at the designated electronic mail address, as expeditious remedial action will be undertaken to rectify any identified impediments to accessibility."
Now compare with plain language:
"We've tested this website with screen readers. If you have trouble using it, please email help@example.org. We fix problems quickly."
If you struggled with the first version, you're not alone. Only 16% of adults in Aotearoa have high literacy levels—a statistic from the government's own website. More concerning, approximately 40% of Kiwi adults cannot read at a functioning level, and 40% of our 15-year-olds struggle with basic reading and writing.
A Matter of Social Justice
The repeal of the Plain Language Act isn't a minor administrative change—it's an attack on inclusion and accessibility. In an economy under pressure, it's telling that solutions often target protections for our most vulnerable citizens rather than addressing systemic issues.
Plain language embodies a core principle of Universal Design: what helps one group often helps everyone. It's not about "dumbing down" content—it's about removing unnecessary barriers to understanding.
Moving Forward, Not Backward
As educators fighting for equality and social justice, we've witnessed firsthand how plain language can mean the difference between independence and dependence, between inclusion and exclusion. Repealing the Plain Language Act would represent a significant step backward in our collective commitment to accessibility.
The choice is clear: do we want an Aotearoa where public information serves all citizens equally, or one where understanding government communications becomes a privilege for the highly educated and non-disabled?
We urge you to submit your opposition to this repeal before the May 14th deadline. Our commitment to plain language reflects our commitment to each other—and the kind of society we want to build.
The Equity Through Education Centre at Massey University is a group of educational researchers and practitioners working to promote a fair and equitable education system in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Photo by Elizabeth Woolner on Unsplash