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In:Lexical Variation and Knowledge Construction across Historical, Methodological, and Cultural Ecologies
Edited by Rossella Latorraca, Rita Calabrese, Jacqueline Aiello and Dirk Geeraerts
[Terminology and Lexicography Research and Practice 25] 2026
► pp. 197–217

Accessibility in public health

An analysis of two US-based plain language lexicographical resources

 | University of Salerno
This content is being prepared for publication; it may be subject to changes.
Abstract
This chapter analyses two plain-language lexicographical resources designed to clarify public health communication for lay audiences in the US: the CDC’s Everyday Words for Public Health Communication and the University of Michigan’s Plain Language Medical Dictionary. Adopting a three-pronged analytical framework based on Cheek’s (2010) plain language definitions (formula-based, elements-focused, and outcomes-focused), the study evaluates each resource’s lexical complexity, syntax, and editorial practices. Beyond offering an in-depth assessment of these valuable resources, the chapter frames the adaptation of specialised and often inaccessible health discourses into plain language as (re)construction of the transmission of knowledge that is attentive to users’ needs, interests, and backgrounds. The overarching aims are to promote existing best practices and to identify alternatives that can inform the development of linguistically effective and globally accessible resources.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Methodology
    • 2.1The data
      • 2.1.1The CDC Everyday Words for Public Health Communication
      • 2.1.2The Plain Language Medical Dictionary Application
    • 2.2Analytical tools and approaches
  • 3.Results
    • 3.1EW and PLMD: Macrostructure, microstructure, and access structure
    • 3.2EW and PLMD: Headwords and definitions
    • 3.3EW Original and Plain Language Sentences
  • 4.Discussion and conclusions
  • Note
  • References
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