The National Adult Literacy Agency (NALA) has announced details of its 2016 Plain English Awards which is now open for entries. The aim of the awards, which are sponsored by leading law firm Mason Hayes & Curran, is to reward organisations that communicate clearly and to offer free plain English training to those who don’t.

This year NALA is encouraging businesses and organisations from different sectors (Financial, Health, Regulatory and Public Sector) to send us documents that they think are outstanding examples of plain English. An independent panel of plain English experts, including RTE radio presenter John Murray, will judge the entries and decide on the winners in each category.

Speaking about the awards, Inez Bailey, CEO, NALA, said: “Plain English is very important for organisations and businesses as they can deliver a better service while saving time and money by not having to clarify misunderstandings with the public. We developed these awards as we want to publicly acknowledge organisations that choose to communicate in plain English.”

Commenting on the sponsorship, Declan Black, Managing Partner at Mason Hayes & Curran said : “In Mason Hayes & Curran,  our job often involves explaining complex information. We seek to do that clearly, using simple and accurate language. This approach applies to the advice we give clients or when we present a client’s position to another party or in court. In our view, a good lawyer is always clear, accurate and, where possible, brief. So, we strongly support the use of plain English and are very pleased to sponsor these awards.”

The Awards are free for businesses and organisations to enter online at www.nala.ie/plain-english-awards. The closing date is Tuesday, 22 November 2016.

The winners will be announced at a Plain English Awards ceremony in January 2017. NALA’s new Plain English Guide for organisations that provide information to the public will also be launched at the ceremony. The guide will include a preface by Justice Peter Kelly and will feature case studies highlighting how organisations could have avoided expensive legal disputes by using clearer communication.

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For media queries, please contact:

Patrick Gleeson, Communications Officer, National Adult Literacy (NALA), Tel: 01 412 7916 Email pgleeson@nala.ie