Abstract

Plain language to improve environmental health and justice in Michigan

Natalie Sampson, PhD, MPH¹, Melanie Sampson, MA², Carmel Price, PhD¹ and Sara R Almuktar¹
(1)University of Michigan-Dearborn, Dearborn, MI, (2)Literacy Works, Chicago, IL

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To achieve environmental justice (EJ), federal and state agencies must engage in “the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people” in decision-making to eliminate disproportionate environmental health impacts, and this includes creating accessible materials for engaging in environmental decision-making. The Center for Plain Language independently assigned the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency a ‘D’ grade for organizational compliance with the Plain Writing Act of 2010 and a ‘C-’ for writing quality. Meanwhile, approximately 48 million Americans have limited English proficiency. In partnership with Literacy Works’ Clear Language Lab (CLL) and the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE), we tested accessibility of environmental decision-making documents (e.g., public notices, project fact sheets) in Michigan through two focus groups, including one with community members and leaders in a highly industrial region of Southwest Detroit, Southeast Dearborn and River Rouge and another in a rural MI community experiencing an anomalous trichloroethylene exposure. We describe how we partnered to identify public-facing agency documents to review, our interactive focus group methods to engage participants with the documents commonly used during deliberations, and preliminary focus group themes with examples generated through coding analysis. These themes included general feedback, confusing concepts, how documents are used by the public, and general accessibility of scientific and legal content. Finally, we share how focus group findings and plain language strategies were applied to several documents to improve accessibility towards improved procedural justice. This research is intended to increase capacity and knowledge within EGLE to improve environmental decision-making in ways that promote EJ. The potential of environmental health literacy approaches, particularly through the use of plain language strategies, to address EJ has been overlooked in public health research and practice.

Advocacy for health and health education Environmental health sciences Public health or related public policy Social and behavioral sciences