Learning path · I'm reviewing a draft before it goes out

Reviewing a draft for equity, access, and plain language

You have a draft and want a structured way to check it for equity, access, plain language, sources, and burden before release.

By the end, you will have a review record for a specific draft: what it asks of people, who may be excluded, access and language findings, source labels, changes made, and what remains for the owner.

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Your path

Six steps to work through in order

Get a structured reviewPaste the draft into Ask and choose Review my draft. You will receive findings by category, questions for the author, and suggested changes, with the limits of the review stated.Ask: review my draft
Consider community contextIf relevantIf the draft is aimed at or names particular Minnesota communities, read the relevant brief for naming, language, and access.Explore Minnesota Communities
Choose practical resourcesUse the plain-language checklist, the language access checklist, and the process burden questions.Plain language and accessible documents · Language access checklist · Journey and burden questions
Record your reviewComplete the review record. Do not paste confidential material. Use the downloaded checklist to write your answers in a tool you normally use. This page does not save them.
Review your workConfirm findings are specific, sources are labeled, access and burden were checked, and the owner knows what remains.
Return it to the ownerThe author or content owner decides what changes. Your review helps them; it does not approve the draft.Find the right person

Make the work meaningful

What a useful result looks like

Still needs work:

Approved with no findings
A rewrite that changes the meaning without telling the owner
A reading-level number with no specific change

Ready to use:

Findings are specific and tied to who is affected
Sources are labeled and unsupported claims are flagged
The owner knows exactly what remains

Privacy: Do not paste confidential, predecisional, or personal material. This page does not save your answers or progress. Notes saved through an earlier version may still be in this browser's site data; this page does not show or delete them.

Published checklist

Draft review record

Browse and download only. This published checklist is not a form. Staff notes are not saved here.

Browse and download only. This checklist is published from the knowledge base. Staff notes are not filled in or saved on this page.

Draft name, owner, and audienceIn the published checklist
What the draft asks people to doIn the published checklist
Steps, documents, deadlines, and return methods.
Who may be excluded or burdenedIn the published checklist
By language, disability, technology, time, trust, or place.
Access and plain-language findingsIn the published checklist
Structure, reading level, formats, languages, alternative contact.
Sources and their authority labelsIn the published checklist
Label each claim's source. Flag anything cited from memory.
Changes you suggestIn the published checklist
Specific and short. The owner decides.
Who else should reviewIn the published checklist
Language access, accessibility, communications, or the policy owner.
What you chose not to assumeIn the published checklist
About who reads this and how.
Who owns each remaining changeIn the published checklist
Date the owner needs it backIn the published checklist

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Reviewing a draft for equity, access, and plain language

You have a draft and want a structured way to check it for equity, access, plain language, sources, and burden before release.

By the end, you will have a review record for a specific draft: what it asks of people, who may be excluded, access and language findings, source labels, changes made, and what remains for the owner.

Six steps to work through in order

Get a structured reviewPaste the draft into Ask and choose Review my draft. You will receive findings by category, questions for the author, and suggested changes, with the limits of the review stated.Ask: review my draft

Consider community contextIf relevantIf the draft is aimed at or names particular Minnesota communities, read the relevant brief for naming, language, and access.Explore Minnesota Communities

Choose practical resourcesUse the plain-language checklist, the language access checklist, and the process burden questions.Plain language and accessible documents · Language access checklist · Journey and burden questions

Record your reviewComplete the review record. Do not paste confidential material. Use the downloaded checklist to write your answers in a tool you normally use. This page does not save them.

Review your workConfirm findings are specific, sources are labeled, access and burden were checked, and the owner knows what remains.

Return it to the ownerThe author or content owner decides what changes. Your review helps them; it does not approve the draft.Find the right person

What a useful result looks like

Still needs work:

Approved with no findings

A rewrite that changes the meaning without telling the owner

A reading-level number with no specific change