A style guide offers principles that enhance written material, addressing challenges faced by individuals with dyslexia and facilitating text-to-speech for improved readability. Adopting these guidelines not only benefits dyslexic readers but also makes written communication visually easier for everyone.
When implementing these changes, consider all forms of written communication, including emails, presentations, web pages, and printed documents.
It’s important to consider these principles in conjunction with broader accessibility guidelines such as the Web Accessibility Content Guidelines (WCAG).
Readable Fonts for Enhanced Clarity
Font choice significantly impacts readability. Here’s how to optimize it:
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Sans Serif Fonts: Opt for sans serif fonts like Arial, Comic Sans, Verdana, Tahoma, Century Gothic, Trebuchet, and Open Sans. These fonts minimize crowding between letters, enhancing readability.
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Font Size: Utilize a font size between 12-14 points or equivalent (e.g., 1-1.2em / 16-19 px). Some readers with dyslexia may require larger font sizes.
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Letter Spacing (Tracking): Increase letter spacing (tracking) to approximately 35% of the average letter width to improve readability. Be cautious, as excessive spacing can negatively impact readability.
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Word Spacing: Ensure inter-word spacing is at least 3.5 times greater than inter-letter spacing.
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Line Spacing: Increased line spacing can improve readability for some dyslexic individuals. Aim for a proportional spacing relative to inter-word spacing; 1.5/150% is preferable.
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Avoid Underlining and Italics: These styles can cause text to appear crowded. Use bold for emphasis instead.
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Case Sensitivity: Avoid using all capital letters or uppercase for continuous text. Lowercase letters are easier to read.
Headings and Structure for Navigation
Effective use of headings and styles creates a consistent structure, aiding navigation through your content. In word processors like Microsoft Word, you can find these tools in the “Home” tab:
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Heading Font Size: Use a font size at least 20% larger than the standard text size for headings. Use bold if further emphasis is required.
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Formatting Tools: Leverage formatting tools for text alignment, justification, indents, lists, line, and paragraph spacing to improve accessibility for assistive technology users. In Word, these options are located in the “Layout” tab.
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Spacing: Add extra space around headings and between paragraphs to improve visual separation.
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Hyperlink Differentiation: Ensure hyperlinks are visually distinct from headings and regular text.
Color Considerations for Accessibility
Color choices affect readability and accessibility:
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Background Color: Use single color backgrounds, avoiding patterns, pictures, or distracting surrounds.
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Contrast Levels: Ensure sufficient contrast between the background and text.
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Text Color: Use dark-colored text on a light (not white) background.
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Color Blindness Considerations: Avoid green and red/pink combinations, as they are difficult for individuals with color vision deficiencies.
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Alternative Backgrounds: Consider cream or soft pastel colors as alternatives to white backgrounds for paper, computer screens, and visual aids, as white can be too dazzling. Note that some people with dyslexia may have individual color preferences.
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Paper Choice: Use matte paper instead of glossy paper when printing. The paper should also be thick enough to prevent the other side from showing through.
Layout Principles for Readability
Layout significantly impacts how easily content can be read and understood:
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Text Alignment: Left-align text without justification. This ensures consistent spacing between words and facilitates finding the start and end of each line.
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Column Avoidance: Avoid using multiple columns, as commonly seen in newspapers.
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Sentence Length: Use short, simple sentences. Aim for 60 to 70 characters per line.
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White Space: Use white space to reduce clutter near text and to group related content.
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Section Headings and Table of Contents: For long documents, break up the text with regular section headings and include a table of contents.
Writing Style for Clarity
Effective writing style enhances understanding and accessibility:
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Active Voice: Use active voice rather than passive voice.
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Conciseness: Be concise and avoid long, dense paragraphs.
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Simple Language: Write in simple, clear language using everyday words.
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Images: Use images to support text. Flow charts are ideal for explaining procedures. Pictograms and graphics can help to locate and support information in the text.
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Bullet Points and Numbering: Use bullet points and numbering instead of continuous prose.
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Clear Instructions: Give instructions clearly.
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Avoid Double Negatives: Refrain from using double negatives.
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Abbreviations: Avoid abbreviations where possible; always provide the expanded form when first used.
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Glossary: Provide a glossary of abbreviations and jargon.
Adhering to these style guide principles results in more accessible and readable content for everyone.
