Consumer Health Information Hub Resources

The Hub's State and Local Agency Workgroup created this plain language checklist based on one from the Maryland Health Benefit Exchange. Applying this checklist to revise existing content or write new content will help agencies comply with the plain language requirements in the Hub law.

This Horowitz Center-created Web Content Review Tool helps organizations review their web content. The tool addresses three categories of health literacy principles: actionable items, plain language, and content organization. 

The Baltimore City Mayor's Office of Immigrant Affairs (MIMA) created this toolkit that can be a model to help counties and cities comply with federal and state language access mandates. Learn how Language Access Liaisons and bilingual employees, among other strategies, help ensure language access for diverse populations. 

Use this poster to help identify language needs and bridge language gaps in your community. You can display the poster in public-facing areas, such as front desk areas, and use it to connect Marylanders with interpretation services or qualified bilingual staff.

This program provides Maryland State agencies, both governmental and non-governmental, with on-demand and accessible translation services. These services are available 24 hours a day, every day of the year. The goal of this program is to decrease language barriers. 

This statewide resource connects Marylanders to health and human resources in their county. Marylanders can get information in 13 different languages online or over the phone. The 211 website is managed by the Maryland Information Network. 

The Maryland Department of Disabilities offers these Accessibility Quick Cards to help you make your digital products  (including Microsoft Office and Adobe documents; maps; and social media pages) accessible to more users.

These guidelines compel federal agencies to use plain language when communicating with the public. They are a helpful resource for anyone who needs to communicate clearly.

Use this planning tool to identify the key elements of a strategic communication activity.

This free online tool from Stephanie Evergreen evaluates uploaded visualizations. Note: We're linking to the free content as a public service, but this is not an endorsement of paid or commercial services also available on the website.

This website provides guides and resources on best practices for clear communication using digital content. Organizations can use these resources to create better digital services.

This guide is for web designers, content specialists, and other public health communication professionals. Learn best practices for delivering online health information that is actionable and engaging; creating a health website that’s easy to use, particularly for people with limited literacy skills and limited experience using the web; and evaluating and improving your health website with user-centered design.

This Federal government program shares resources and tools to improve language assistance services, per Executive Order 13166, which mandates that all Federal agencies must have support for people with limited English proficiency. The resources cover topics like immigration, language access planning, and public benefits and health.

Public health professionals can use this website to find resources for communicating about health issues, including messaging tools and guides for responding to misinformation. Check out the Collaborative's Plain Language for Public Health communication tool for guidance on applying plain language principles to public health communication.

The National Cancer Institute collects regularly collects national data on the public's knowledge of, attitudes about and use of cancer and other health-related information.

Pew Research Center collects, display and interprets the results of public surveys on major, nationally-discussed topics, including health and science.

The PIACC Skills Map provides model-based estimates of adult literacy and numeracy in all U.S. counties, states, and the District of Columbia. There are also estimates of literacy and numeracy proficiency by age and education groups at the state and county levels.