Content
Using clear and simple language promotes effective communication. In particular, it helps people with cognitive disabilities or who have difficulty reading and people whose first language differs from your own, including people who communicate primarily in sign language.
Provide the definition of a word or phrase used in an unusual or restricted way for the first occurrence of the word or phrase in a Web page. This can be done by linking to a glossary, a definition list (dl) or by using the dfn element to identify the defining instance of a word.
If complex words are used provide a way to show how the words are pronounced.
Formatting
For an ideal user experience be sure to use the following text guidelines:
- Width is no more than 80 characters or glyphs (40 if CJK).
- Text is not justified (aligned to both the left and the right margins).
- Line spacing (leading) is at least a space-and-a-half within paragraphs, and paragraph spacing is at least 1.5 times larger than the line spacing.
- Text can be resized without assistive technology up to 200 percent in a way that does not require the user to scroll horizontally to read a line of text on a full-screen window.
Consistent Labels
If there are different labels on user interface components (i.e., elements, links, JavaScript objects, etc.) that have the same function, users will not know that they have encountered a component with the same function and will not know what to expect. This could lead to many unnecessary errors. Therefore, consistent labelling should be applied across the Web site.
Examples of Consistent Labels:
- A Web page has a form field at the top of the page labeled "Search." On the bottom of the page is another form field which provides the same function. It is also labeled "Search."
- A picture of a question mark is used to steer users to sections of the page that provide additional information. Each time the picture of the question mark appears it has the same text alternative "more information."
- A link to the Contact Us page of a Web site has the link text "Contact." At the bottom of the page their is a link that also goes to the Contact Us page. It also has the link text "Contact."
Headings
Heading elements (h1, h2, h3, h4, h5, and h6) allow user agents to automatically identify section headings. To facilitate navigation and understanding of overall document structure, authors should use headings that are properly nested (e.g., h1 followed by h2, h2 followed by h2 or h3, h3 followed by h3 or h4, etc.).
Image Text
Logotype names (text that is part of a logo or brand name image) should be conveyed through alt text or by using the image replacement technique.
Scrolling Text
Provide a mechanism to allow users to display moving, scrolling, or auto-updating text in a static window or area.
References
- Caldwell, B, ed, Trace R&D Center, ed, W3C, ed, Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0. World Wide Web Consortium. December 2008.