Reading my Plain Language textbook, and there are some very sobering facts about comprehension of the average North American citizen.

1/4

Only 20% of the general population have "good reading skills and comprehension."

These people can understand all of the written material needed to navigate society (not including specialized jargon).

2/4

35% struggle and only read at a Grade 3 level and that's NOT considered "low literacy." These individuals may especially struggle in jobs dominated by technology or higher-complexity information.

3/4

Think about the ways this affects people: loans, education, job opportunities, mortgages, health insurance, financials, taxes...

That's 80% of our general population that doesn't have GOOD comprehension of the text they need to read in order to thrive on a day-to-day basis.

4/4

"Vague forms of speech have so long passed for mysteries of science; and hard words mistaken for deep learning, that it will not be easy to persuade either those who speak or those who hear them, that they are but a hindrance to true knowledge."
~John Locke