East Sussex County Council has earned the Plain English Campaign's coveted Internet Crystal Mark for its site, putting it in the top 4% of all council websites.
Council Leader Peter Jones is delighted with the accolade. He said: "We work hard to be open and accountable in all our dealings with the public. The website is leading the way in providing clear information on our services and I am very pleased that it has received public recognition for the quality service that it delivers.”
Information on the Council's website is as clear as possible for its intended audience. This clarity, together with the general usability of the website, its design and layout are all considered by the Plain English Campaign before they award their Internet Crystal Mark.
This recognition is the culmination of months of hard work rewriting thousands of pages of information with the needs of residents in mind. The initiative is already paying off. Since the launch of the website in March, readership on the site has increased by over 25%.
Chrissie Maher, founder and director of the Plain English Campaign said: "The County Council has strived to make its site clear in both content and design. The authority realises that people visiting the site need crystal clear information and they also need to be able to find it without needless difficulty.
"The site will help reduce the number of enquiries council staff deal with, freeing them up for other work. The council sees its website as an information tool to benefit local residents.”
The Plain English Campaign is an independent organisation fighting for crystal clear language and against jargon and other confusing language. Plain English is defined as something that the intended audience can read, understand and act upon the first time they read it.
Reference:
04/243/MF
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