Preface

OUR SPECIAL section, “Writing for Disadvantaged Readers,” is unusual and unusually pertinent for engineers. As Andrew Malcolm notes in his “Introduction,” many of the engineers in this country are not native born speakers of English and many readers of technical writing may have handicaps which impinge on their understanding of material. Surprisingly, the techniques that the writers in our special section advocate are the very techniques that good technical communicators should be using anyway to achieve clear communication. For example, they underscore the value of avoiding passive constructions. In addition, the value of technology to improve the quality of life is illustrated in the articles dealing with closed captioning. Professional communicators who read “Writing for the Disadvantaged Readers” will find a new sense of pride in their craft and an awakened sense of the value of technical communication.