I'm starting a conversation about right to understandable information from those who are obliged by law to provide us information or disclosure. I assert that this right already exists.

1. Starting a conversation
When a government or industry is
obliged to provide information, it must
be delivered in a manner that is
understandable by the general public.
Information is a right
Cheryl Stephens
Plain Language Wizardry

2. Some readers
• Cannot read with the necessary skill
• Suffer emotional or psychological problems that
interfere with comprehension
• Experience disabilities that interfere with reading
or comprehension (physical or mental)
• Experience "situational limited literacy“
•Lack knowledge of the domain context
Information is a right | Cheryl Stephens

3. Add presentation title (go to View
> Master > Slide Master) | Add
name and organisation of

4. pivotal role
Since access to information is needed
to exercise all other human rights,
the right to information
is a right
placing on governments
a duty to provide people
with usable information
Information is a right | Cheryl
Stephens

5. a right to access quality information
Quality of information:
• accuracy
• completeness
• currency
• comprehensibility
• format comprehensible
to the people who need it
Information is a right | Cheryl
Stephens

6. United Nations human rights:
1. Universal Declaration of Human Rights
2. International Covenant on Civil and
Political Rights
Right “to seek, receive and
impart information”
implies a right of access to information
Information is a right | Cheryl
Stephens

7. Inter-American
Court of Human Rights:
Claude Reyes et al vs. Chile
Art 13 – right to seek and receive information
American Convention on Human Rights:
the state must follow the principles of
public nature of information,
transparency, and
maximum disclosure
Information is a right | Cheryl
Stephens

8. Article 19 of the UDHR
Everyone has the right
to freedom of opinion and expression;
this right includes
the freedom to hold opinions
without interference and
to seek, receive, and impart information and ideas
through any media and
regardless of frontiers
Information is a right | Cheryl
Stephens

9. US Disability or Discrimination Laws
Access to information
Conditions of effective communication are
1. timeliness of delivery
2. accuracy of the translation
3. manner and medium appropriate to the
• significance of the message and
• abilities of the individual with the disability
Information is a right | Cheryl Stephens

10. Canada FCAC s. 6(4)
Any disclosure
that is required to be made
by a bank …
must be made in language, and
presented in a manner,
that is clear, simple
and not misleading.
Information is a right | Cheryl Stephens

11. Canadian anti-discrimination laws
Failing to accommodate people with low literacy skills
may be a form of systemic discrimination.
Failing to take reasonable steps to end systemic
discrimination exposes organizations to human rights
claims.
To meet its duty to accommodate, an organization must
adjust a policy or practice to meet the special needs of
a person.
Information is a right | Cheryl Stephens

12. Supreme Court of Canada
now recognizes differences
that are disabling
given external barriers
posed by a society and
its norms, procedures, and institutions
discrimination is socially constructed
Information is a right | Cheryl
Stephens

13. Supreme Court of Canada
aspects to disability:
• physical or mental impairments or illness,
• functional limitations, real or perceived,
• society’s problematic response to the person’s
condition:
prejudice and stereotypes
Information is a right | Cheryl Stephens

14. Ontario legislation defines disability
• a condition of mental impairment or a
developmental disability
• a learning disability, or
• a dysfunction in one or more of the processes
involved in understanding or using symbols or
spoken language
Information is a right | Cheryl Stephens

15. A Theory of Everything
Entities Laws Motivators Resource
government treaties duties IN-
industry constitutions ethics FOR-
finance rights docs interests MA-
health info access obligations TION
insurance anti-discrim profit
academia disability marketing
justice system int’l norms
Information is a right | Cheryl Stephens

16. A Theory of Everything
Intermediaries Skill Delivery Resource
gov’t services access IN-
marketeers formats FOR-
health/social serv quality MA-
NGOs transmission belt TION
communicators marketing DE-
enforcers LI-
VERY
Information is a right | Cheryl Stephens

17. A Theory of Everything
People Needs Rights Results
citizens low literacy civil
consumers warnings moral
investors risk quality
civilians protection human
learners disabilities liberties
immigrants ESL ethical treatment
disenfranchised
Information is a right | Cheryl Stephens