Plain Language and Beyond: Developing Health Resources for People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

About the Webcast

Although many public health organizations attempt to ensure that information is understandable and actionable, people with an intellectual or developmental disability, as well as others with literacy limitations, may still have difficulty understanding public health messages meant for the public. In close collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, RTI International and CommunicateHealth have developed a Product Development Tool to guide development of products (e.g., website information, print materials, videos) for people with intellectual disabilities and extreme low literacy (IDD/ELL). In this webinar, learn why developing specific products for this audience during public health emergencies is essential, as well as how to do it using the newly development Product Development Tool.

How to Participate

1. This webcast aired on March 13, 2024. The archive is available on YouTube at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7QSuHrHkhoc. You do not need a YouTube account to view the webcast. Closed captioning is available.

2. Tips for Optimal Viewing on YouTube:

   • To increase volume, turn up the volume on your computer and use the volume bar on bottom left side of the YouTube video window.

   • Captioning is available by selecting the "CC" option on the bottom right side of the video window. Click on "Options" to change the font, size, and color of the captions.

   • Additional tools on the bottom right side: "Settings" increase the video quality; "Theater mode" (default)/"Full screen."

3. Presentation Materials:

   • Download a 508-compliant file of the presentation slides used during the session (PDF - 5.7 MB)

   • Download a transcript of the video (PDF - 125 KB)

4. Evaluation: Please fill out a brief evaluation after viewing the webcast. There are no pre-approved CRC-CEUs for this webcast.

About the Presenters

Molly M. Lynch, MPH directs the Audience Engagement Research Program within RTI’s Communication Practice Area. Molly has over 15 years of experience developing, implementing, and evaluating public health programs with a focus on health literacy. Her work focuses on engaging audiences in the development of communication products and interventions using human-centered design principles. 

Linda Squiers, PhD is a Senior Health Communication Scientist within RTI’s Communication Practice Area with over 30 years of experience in health communication research experience. Her work has focused on developing and testing health communication messages and interventions, including print materials, videos, campaigns, and other online tools.

Sidney Holt, PhD is a Health Communication Scientist within RTI’s Communication Practice Area. She has 10+ years of experience designing, implementing, and evaluating local and national health communication campaigns with a focus on reducing health inequities. She combines clear communication best practices with audience insights to develop communication products that help people make informed decisions about their health.