Maugham: the sheer hypocrisy

[AwardGiselePelicotTheNobelPeacePrize]

I see JM is all over social media pointing out the clear-as-mud toilet signage at Membury services. Yes it's pretty terrible. But where was he when clear language was being mangled in women's health documentation? Suddenly clear communication matters, huh?

The implications of gender-inclusive language for several categories of marginalised women in healthcare is really one of the key things that peaked me. All the "people with cervixes" nonsense that really does endanger disadvantaged women who are speakers of other languages, have low literacy or cognitive disabilities, who are already less likely to access healthcare such as smear tests. It is so against the direction of travel in health communication guidelines, which point to the need for clarity for all users. The average reading age in this country is pre-teen. Clear communication is vital for health literacy.

I can look at the Membury Services photo and say yep, that's terrible communication. But not once have I ever heard a TRA engage meaningfully with the plain language issue from the GC viewpoint.

What a hypocrite.

😁I thought it might be a man standing sideways at a urinal!

Building regs are clear on pictograms so hopefully the universal toilet sign will become standard.

Of course, the supreme court ruling stated that any symbol which is commonly understood to refer to one sex or the other is all that is required to indicate it is single sex - for the use of that sex only. It does not have to say 'Women' 'Girls' or 'Ladies'. Everyone understands that a figure with a skirt is supposed to be representative of a woman.

I mean if Jolyon finds the signs confusing, we can always recruit some teenage boys to draw boobs and willies on the signs.

Thank heavens Cabbage, I thought it was just me 😂