The document summarizes tips for creating accessible written content. It discusses how layout, design, fonts, color, structure, and testing can impact readability. The presentation was given by Abi James from AbilityNet and Jack Garfinkel from SCOPE and covered topics like using sans-serif fonts, sufficient color contrast, headings to break up text, collaboration tools for writing and feedback, and testing content with users through methods like highlighter testing.

1. Top tips for publishing accessible written content - 4th April 2019
Accessible Written Content
Abi James, Accessibility Consultant, AbilityNet
Jack Garfinkel, Senior Content Designer, SCOPE
4th April 2019

2. Top tips for publishing accessible written content - 4th April 2019
Accessible written content
• How does layout, design and format
affect legibility and readability?
• Plan, write and test…
• Q+A
• POLL 1
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3. Top tips for publishing accessible written content - 4th April 2019
Welcome
• Jack Garfinkel
Senior Content Designer, Scope
• Abi James
Senior Accessibility Consultant, AbilityNet
• Mark Walker
Head of Marketing & Communications, AbilityNet
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4. Top tips for publishing accessible written content - 4th April 2019
Services
• Digital Accessibility Services
• HE and DSA Services
• Workplace Services
• IT Support at Home
• Advice and Information
Events
• Tech4Good Awards
• IT Volunteer Conference
• TechShare Pro
UK Charity supported by and working with
Microsoft, IBM, BT, Google, RNIB,
Barclays, SCOPE, Lloyds Banking Group,
Stroke Association, Samsung, HSBC and
many more
AbilityNet
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5. Top tips for publishing accessible written content - 4th April 2019
• Dr Abi James
• Senior Accessibility Consultant, AbilityNet
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6. Top tips for publishing accessible written content - 4th April 2019
Creating accessible content
How does layout, design and format affect legibility and
readability?
• Fonts and colours
• Layout
• Structure
• Multimedia

7. Top tips for publishing accessible written content - 4th April 2019
Visual layout and readability
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Readability is the ease with which a written text can be
understood by a reader. The readability of a particular text
depends both on its content (for example, the complexity of its
vocabulary and syntax) and on its typography .
Readability is the ease with which a written
text can be understood by a reader.
The readability of a particular text depends
both on its content (for example, the
complexity of its vocabulary and syntax) and on
its typography.

8. Top tips for publishing accessible written content - 4th April 2019
Coloured paper / readability
• Colour and font changes can improve
readability
• Line spacing, length & justification
• Altering font size & style
• Colour overlays, backgrounds & paper
• British Dyslexia Association Style guide to dyslexia-
friendly text
http://bit.ly/bda-style-2018

9. Top tips for publishing accessible written content - 4th April 2019
Fonts:Use Sans Serif fonts not Serif
Good examples:
Arial, Calibri,
Verdana, Open
Sans

10. Top tips for publishing accessible written content - 4th April 2019
Special dyslexia fonts?
• No evidence that beneficial for all dyslexic readers
and can be more difficult for non-dyslexia readers.
• Research shows familiar Sans Serif fonts better for
all (e.g. Arial)
• Word, character and line spacing shows larger
impact on dyslexic readers.

11. Top tips for publishing accessible written content - 4th April 2019
Other layout considerations
1. Use sentence case. Avoid ALL CAPITALS.
2. Use 12-14pt font size. Remember not all font sizes are the same……
3. Use bold, avoid underline or italics
4. Think about paragraph and line spacing
5. Use bullet points where possible
6. Lines should not be too long
7. Left justify text, avoid multiple columns

12. Top tips for publishing accessible written content - 4th April 2019
Colour
• Provide sufficient contrast between fore/background colours but avoid
red/green
• Do not use only colour to convey meaning
• If possible avoid Black on White. Popular background colours
Cream with black font found to be readable and popular
CreamPale blue Rose Pale green

13. Top tips for publishing accessible written content - 4th April 2019
Structure
• Break-up text with headings
• Use bold and font size to discriminate with normal test
• Use Styles in Word, PowerPoint etc
• Aids consistency
• Create outline
• Helps with navigation

14. Top tips for publishing accessible written content - 4th April 2019
• Jack Garfinkel
• Senior Content Designer, Scope
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15. Top tips for publishing accessible written content - 4th April 2019
I’m going to talk about…
• Team culture
• Planning with data
• Writing tools
• Good feedback
• Just enough testing
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16. Top tips for publishing accessible written content - 4th April 2019
Team culture
Steal someone else’s!
Standards can help with collaboration,
language, structure
• Government Digital Service
• Citizens Advice
• Readability Guidelines collaboration,
Content Design London

17. Top tips for publishing accessible written content - 4th April 2019
Planning with data
Solve a real problem:
• apply UX research methods to content
• write use user stories or job stories
• write acceptance criteria
Your content will be easier to understand, and you can test it.

18. Top tips for publishing accessible written content - 4th April 2019
When…
So that…
I want to…
As a…
Good data, good briefs
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19. Top tips for publishing accessible written content - 4th April 2019
When… I can’t work full-time
So that… I can work and manage my condition
I want to… find flexible and part-time work
As a… disabled person
Good data, good briefs
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20. Top tips for publishing accessible written content - 4th April 2019
Use tools that give you feedback
• Hemmingway is a good writing tool
• Or make your own like Citizens
Advice
• Use pair writing
Tools for writing
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21. Top tips for publishing accessible written content - 4th April 2019
Good feedback…
…is structured feedback
• Roles help
• Tracked changes do not
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22. Top tips for publishing accessible written content - 4th April 2019
Feedback at Scope
We use collaborative workshops called ‘crits’
• Content designer – chair
• Editor – plain English, style guide
• Subject expert – fact-checking
• User researcher – user need and context
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23. Top tips for publishing accessible written content - 4th April 2019
Do some testing
Start small – highlighter testing is good
Read content and:
• highlight the things that help them in green
• use red to highlight things that are hard to understand
• give verbal feedback
Works on paper or on Google Docs (remote testing)
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24. Top tips for publishing accessible written content - 4th April 2019
Links
Content design
Pyjama-based content design (YouTube)
It’s not dumbing down, it’s opening up (Content Design
London blog post)
Content Design (book)
How we use pair writing (blog post)
Pair writing with subject experts (Viemo)
Readability guidelines
Strategy
Example content proposition (Citizens Advice)
Content Strategy for the Web (book)
User research and testing
Replacing the ‘user story’ with the ‘job story’ blog post
Just Enough Research (book)
A simple test for evaluating content (gov.uk user research
blog)
Governance
Managing Chaos: Digital governance by design (book)
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25. Top tips for publishing accessible written content - 4th April 2019
And finally…
Accessible content is useful and inclusive
• Poll 3
Examples to think about:
• Alt text
• Link text
• Reading age
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26. Top tips for publishing accessible written content - 4th April 2019
Thank you
What next?
• We will share the recording and a blog post at
www.abilitynet.org.uk/webinars
• Next webinar: Tech Tips for People with Parkinson’s, 11 April
• Entries are open at www.tech4goodawards.com
• Speak to us about in-house training for your teams
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