• Use the simplest language that is appropriate for your document.
  • Use a point size of minimum 12.
  • Use a sans-serif font such as Arial, Helvetica or Verdana.
  • For online texts, use the fonts Verdana, Tahoma and Trebuchet MS, which are specially designed for reading on a screen.
  • Allow the user to change font and point size as needed in online texts.
  • Left align text instead of using block text (full justification).
  • Provide the full name the first time you use abbreviations and acronyms.
  • Provide a text structure by using pre-defined headings (‘styles’) and body text offered by the used software. These headings should follow a logical order.
  • Use headers only where they define structure, not for font effects that should highlight content.
  • Use ‘Bullets and Numbering’ functions for lists.
  • State the primary natural language of your document in the metadata for the document. Mark changes to another language in the text.
  • Identify and provide keywords for your text.
  • Add short summaries of content or chapter where possible.
  • Make navigation in online texts possible with keyboard only or keyboard shortcuts.
  • Ensure that colours and the use of bold and italics are not your only method of conveying meaning.
  • Ensure that your text and background colour combinations provide a very good contrast.
  • Ensure that your text and graphics are easily understandable when viewed without colour. Ensure that all information conveyed with colour is also available without colour. Do not rely on colour alone to highlight different content.
  • Provide non-text equivalents (e.g. pictures, videos, and pre-recorded audio) of your text. This is beneficial to some users, especially non-readers or people who have difficulty reading.
  • Footnotes and links that are particularly relevant to complete/clarify the information in the main elements of the text structure should be numbered and the numbers should be specifically associated with these main elements.
  • Give data tables row and column headers and describe their content in a summary.
  • Make sure that the layout supports the reading direction which makes sense in relation to the content (left-to-right or right-to-left, depending on the language used).
  • Make sure that each link and element has a unique and well-described label.
  • Give form fields a label.
  • Make navigation in online texts possible with keyboard only or keyboard shortcuts.

Comments

Dear colleagues, We had fruitful discussions at the workshop on 27 May 2015, led by Mrs. Isabelle Turmaine, Director of Information Projects and Services, International Association of Universities, at the international conference „ICT for information accessibility in learning” in Riga regarding possible additional fonts, which could be considered and used to enhance information accessibility, I would draw your attention also to the possibilities available by usage of LaTex fonts. They might be considered as an alternative text typing or pictures designing approach. The quality of end-paper is excellent – fonts are looked great at different extensions, also very large ones. However, this way could require some (and sometimes a lot) efforts to tide over a text typing task – so, some familiarity with programming or at least – scripts managing would be useful. Therefore LaTex document preparation system is not gotten wide-spread implementation approach; and mainly it is used in engineering and scientific domain. LaTex might be employed in inclusion / accessibility field ... maybe not right now but some day in future. More info about LaTex could be found at: http://www.latex-project.org/. Hope, this addition may give you some insight into another font possible suitability for use, as well food for thought. Kind regards, Dr.sc.ing. Aleksandrs Gorbunovs, Researcher, Distance Education Study Centre, Riga Technical University, 1 Kronvalda Blvd., Room 108, Riga, LV-1010, Latvia. Web: www.rtu.lv. E-mail: aleksandrs.gorbunovs_1@rtu.lv