“Plain language” is a term from the legal field: federal law requires that government agencies are required to use clear communication that the public can understand and use. As online teachers, we can take advantage of the set of clear guidelines and best practices that has grown up around this requirement. The federal plain language guidelines are fully in line with web usability recommendations, and can help streamline and clarify our online teaching. Whether you’re writing for a library website, a tutorial, a research guide or some other format, you’ll learn how to make your materials more accessible to the widest possible audience without dumbing them down.