Benson-Goldberg S, Geist L, Erickson K. Simplified COVID-19 guidance for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED RESEARCH IN INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES 2024;
37:e13222. [PMID:
38494739 DOI:
10.1111/jar.13222]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2022] [Revised: 01/22/2024] [Accepted: 02/23/2024] [Indexed: 03/19/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the United States' Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) created guidance documents that were too complex to be read and understood by the majority of adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities who often read at or below a third-grade reading level. This study explored the extent to which these adults could read and understand CDC documents simplified using Minimised Text Complexity Guidelines.
METHOD
This study involved 20 participants, 18-48 years of age. Participants read texts and responded to multiple-choice items and open-ended questions to gather information about how they interacted with and understood the texts.
RESULTS
The results provide initial evidence that the Minimised Text Complexity Guidelines resulted in texts that participants could read and understand.
CONCLUSION
Implications for increasing the accessibility of public health information so that it can be read and understood by adults with extremely low literacy skills are discussed.
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