Top tips for publishing accessible written content
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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.
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Top tips for publishing accessible written content
- 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 2
- 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 3
- 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 4
- 5. Top tips for publishing accessible written content - 4th April 2019 • Dr Abi James • Senior Accessibility Consultant, AbilityNet 5
- 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 7 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 14
- 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 15
- 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 18
- 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 19
- 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 20
- 21. Top tips for publishing accessible written content - 4th April 2019 Good feedback… …is structured feedback • Roles help • Tracked changes do not 21
- 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 22
- 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) 23
- 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) 24
- 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 25
- 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 26
Editor's Notes
- Info and advice content for disabled people and their families …means helping people to make decisions and we do that by... understandable = lowest effort, simple as poss Findable = evidence from research > bit, specific need, users language
- Culture = shared ideas, ways of working How you include people. The kinds of conversations you have. How to influence people. Standards can be part of this - (Government Digital Service, Sarah R. readability, CA), dyslexia style guide Small things or big things Big: Designing with data, who audience is (not) Technical detail (links)
- 1 piece = 1 solution to one real problem Relevant, easy to use ('edges') 'relevant, comprehensive =/= useful Data = customer service, search analytics, desk research and talking with people
- +1 Acceptance criteria
- Feedback in tools is the quickest - check as you type Plain English tools, Hemmingway. Reading age – average reading age 9… (vary by audience – but not as high as you think! You can get your rating lower!) best reading age (lower...) Pair writing – subject expert and content person writing together
- Sign off = bad content. Emails, everyone unhappy Supportive and constructive with roles... 'in the room', crits: - writer - another content person (manager, at a push) - subject expert - met the user (customer service, user researcher)
- Trying new things can be scary – I understand! Start small. Highlighter testing (bad/good - narrate choices) Google doc for remote testing