10 minute training: how to write accessible documents
Accessible documents are an important part of creating an inclusive approach to content. This post covers the basics of creating accessible documents, including some quick tips and resources for easy implementation.
Structure
Structuring your document in a logical and meaningful way is a key consideration when designing accessible content.
Use headings
Headings are a really useful way to structure your documents so that they’re clear and readable. It’s important to tag or programme headings too. It’s not enough to just bold or underline text. Formatting text in this way might look like a heading, but it won’t behave like a heading for those using assistive technologies.
By using the appropriate heading tag you’re more likely to engage with the different heading ‘levels’. You should start with a heading 1 tag (H1), this clearly signals to the user what the main focus of the document is. You should aim only to have one H1 tag per document. From there, think about the architecture of your document. Each heading level (H1-H6) should be embedded in the structure above it, think about the heading structure as a hierarchy for your content.
Keep things short and easy to access
For people with neurodiversity like ADHD and Autism, it can be really challenging to read through big chunks of text to find what you need.
Keep sentences short, no more than 15-20 words a sentence. This makes things easier to read and digest.
Consider bullet points. This helps users focus on important information.
Keep paragraphs short and digestible. Like sentences, long unbroken paragraphs can be difficult to work through.
Reading order
Another thing to consider when creating structured documents is reading order. This is especially important when creating dynamic documents like forms or PDFs and can sometimes cause problems when content is structured in columns or tables. There are tools you can use to ensure your reading flow is correct depending on the programme you use to create them. Adobe supports a reading order tool for PDFs. Microsoft uses heading tagging to help tables and columns stay accessible.
Narrative
Outside of structuring your document appropriately, it’s important to be mindful of your content narrative. Being able to see this narrative clearly; the beginnings, ends and asides, is key to accessible publications.
Think of your content as a storybook and take your readers along with you through the start, the middle and the happy ending of your content.
Language
Plain English
In our last blog (about accessible social media content) we talked about the importance of using plain English, which applies here too but the message remains the same.
When you’re trying to communicate to a broad audience using plain English can help all of those readers understand your topic. Using plain English doesn’t dumb down your content, It just makes it easier to consume.
Consider too that using totally ‘plain English’ isn’t always totally, or necessary. You need to consider your audience to give you, the writer, context about what ‘plain’ and ‘readable’ means to your audience.
For example, if you wrote a document instructing a group of midwives then the context of what may be considered ‘plain’ language would be mindful of technical language that’s widely accepted within this field. Delivering the same document to a group of engineers would require consideration of a different context to define what ‘plain language looks like.
Meaningful link text
To be totally accessible, and to optimise readability links are clear and specific, even when taken out of their context. Consider that many readers skim documents and content looking for links. Using ambiguous links makes it unnecessarily taxing for readers to get to the links that are relevant to them.
Try to prioritise action, purpose and information when considering link text.
Ineffective link text
Click here to read about our 10 minutes to accessibility blog.
Effective link text
There are more tips on how to create accessible content in our last blog.
Formatting
Point size
It’s widely accepted that an accessible point size for most documents is 12. Using smaller or dramatically larger fonts can affect the physical readability of a document, but also may affect the layout and flow too.
Using consistent sizes for headings and other tagged elements of text is also useful. Most text programmes allow you to format headings so they automatically apply consistent styles. Considering continuity in this way can help signal a well-structured piece of content.
Font and typeface style
There are hundreds, if not thousands of different fonts and typefaces available. Users have preferences related to aesthetics and style and that’s okay. Sans Serif typefaces are considered to be the most accessible. But not by default. To ensure your document is as accessible and readable as possible you should consider:
Flourishes. Flourishes in fonts refer to ornamental elements of glyphs. Flicks, curves, swirls etc. These can affect readability if they’re particularly ornate.
Weighting. Very thin fonts can be unreadable
The use of italic or bold styles. These can sometimes cause readability issues, consider also that italics are often used for emphasis or contrast. Out of context, this might be confusing.
Kerning, leading and tracking. This refers to the space between letters and words and can affect how readable text is.
People with learning difficulties like dyslexia can also be sensitive to certain typefaces and there are now typefaces designed for dyslexic people like ‘dyslexie’.
Capitalisation
Capital letters should be used as they are intended, to indicate the start of a sentence or a proper noun. Manipulating capital letters should not be used as a style element.
Sure, writing something in all capital letters TAKES UP MORE SPACE, and that might mean that it’s physically more eye-catching, but, it actually puts a burden on the cognitive load of the user.
When you capitalise whole words or phrases you make it harder for a reader to scan and quickly understand what you are trying to communicate. Phrases in all caps may also be interpreted as being ‘shouty’. If you’re someone who struggles with stress or anxiety this might affect how that information is processed.
Selectable text
When designing an accessible document it’s important to make sure that text can be selected with a cursor.
This is beneficial for people who use screen readers, these users may select the portion of text they want to be read out loud, rather than allowing their technology to read the whole page unnecessarily.
Selectable text is also used to enable translation and dictionary software. Many document readers and websites offer tools to do this whilst remaining in the platform. Removing this functionality means that those users may be unable to consume your content.
Beyond disability, selecting on-screen text is also a common user behaviour. Lots of people select text as they read it on a computer screen.
The impact of creating accessible content is well worth the time it takes to make sure your documents are usable by everyone. If you’d like to talk more about designing an accessible content strategy then feel free to get in touch with Cat Prill.
