Computers and Integration, Inverurie — Information Accessibility

Information Accessibility — How to make information more accessible

Promote a culture of equal opportunity
Reduce the risk of discrimination and lawsuits
Good business sense as it provides access to information for those that are dyslexic, partially sighted and/or blind
More customers and thus cash

Font style
Select a sans serif font such as Arial, Calibri or Verdana
Use a minimum size of 12 or 14 point
In general, avoid uppercase words, as they are harder to read. A word or two in capitals is acceptable, but avoid the use of uppercase for continuous text

Limit lines to between 60-70 letters per line
Use line spacing between paragraphs to break up text and make reading documents easier
Use wide margins
Use boxes for emphasis or to highlight important text
Avoid dense blocks of text by using short paragraphs. Limit paragraphs to between 4-6 lines long
Use bold to highlight. Underlining or italic typefaces can make words run together
Keep lines left justified with a ragged right edge
Use bullets or numbers rather than continuous prose
Use 1.5 or double line spacing

Write in short simple sentences. Keep sentence length down to 15 to 20 words
Don’t start new sentences at the end of a line
Call the reader "you". Try to imagine that you are talking to somebody sitting across a desk from you
Give instructions clearly — avoid long wordy explanations
Use active verbs as much as possible. Say "we will do it" rather than "it will be done by us"
Be concise

Use flow charts to explain procedures
Use graphics to help locate information
Lists of "do’s" and "don’ts" are useful to highlight good practice
Provide a glossary of abbreviations and jargon
Put headings and page numbers in the same place
A contents list is always useful together with page numbers
When Microsoft Word finishes checking spelling and grammar, it can display information about the reading level of the document. For most standard documents, aim for a score of 70 to 80.
To turn on the readability feature in Microsoft Word, press F1 to access help and search for readability

Where possible, use coloured paper such as cream instead of white
Avoid glossy paper as the glare makes it difficult to read
Keep the design of leaflets simple
On leaflets or posters about events, keep essential information about time and place grouped together
On posters and boards, print lowercase instead of using joined writing
When designing forms, allow extra space for partially sighted people and people that have problems with their hands to write bigger

Website navigation should be easy
Use pictures to break up text, but do bear in mind that large graphics make pages harder to read
Offer alternate download pages in a text-reader friendly style
Where possible, design web pages that can be downloaded and read offline for people accessing your site via mobiles on pay as your go tariffs
Don’t make text move – it creates problems for people with visual problems
Offer a choice of background colours
Encourage the use of website links at the end of sentences
Avoid green and red/pink as these colours are difficult for those with colour blindness
Make sure that it is possible for users to set their own choice of font style and size, and background and print colours