Author: Angela Stapleford

  • Make your content easier to read by using accessible typography

    Make your content easier to read by using accessible typography

    How you write can make your content easier or harder to read. But that’s not all that affects the readability of your content. Ensure your message is easy to access by making accessible typography choices.

    Why does accessible typography matter?

    Decisions about font style, type size and layout can make a huge difference. They can affect whether people can read and engage with your work or are not able to use it at all. Coming up we’ve got four quick and easy tips to make your typography accessible.

    These can be applied to all your digital media or products. Use these tips on your website, on social media graphics, in ebooks and in any other content.

    4 typography tips to make sure your audience gets your message

    1. Use larger text. It’s easier to read!

    This is such an easy change to make. It can make a quick and big difference in how accessible your content is. And yet many people will argue against this.

    You might hear comments like “big text is clunky”, or “it’s childish”. Unfortunately, this is an ableist attitude that is all too common. Let’s prioritise accessibility so that your audience can engage with your work.

    The bottom line is that small body text on websites is difficult for many people to read. Larger text is more readable for everyone. In digital design, using 20px for body text is a good start. Avoid going smaller.

    1. Use larger text. It’s easier to read!
    Small body text on websites is difficult for many people with visual or cognitive difficulties to read. Larger text is more readable for everyone. In digital design, using 20px for body text is a good start. Avoid going smaller!

    2. Don’t use lots of different fonts!

    With so many font options out there, it can be tempting to use lots of different fonts on a website page or social post. But this can be distracting and make it harder for people to read your text.

    Don’t get carried away with using lots of different fonts on a design. This can lead to cluttered pages that are difficult to negotiate.

    Keep it simple. You could use 2 fonts that complement each other and use them consistently. For example, use one for headlines and one for body text.

    2. Don’t use lots of different fonts!
    Don’t get carried away with using lots of different fonts on a design. This can lead to cluttered pages that are difficult to negotiate. Keep it simple. You could use 2 fonts that compliment each other and use them consistently e.g. use one for headlines and one for body text.

    3. Common fonts can be accessible fonts

    Again with lots of exciting new fonts to choose from, we can forget that familiarity is not a bad thing. There is a lot of debate about which are the best fonts for accessibility.

    Different disabled people may have preferences for different fonts. While no one best font suits everyone, familiar fonts are often easier for most people to read.

    When it comes to choosing, go for common fonts that many readers will be familiar with reading in. These include sans-serif fonts like Arial, Calibri, Century Gothic and Tahoma. Common serif fonts include Times New Roman and Georgia.

    3. Choose common fonts
    When it comes to choosing fonts, choose common fonts that many readers will be familiar with reading in. These include sans-serif fonts like Arial, Calibri, Century Gothic and Tahoma. Common serif fonts include Times New Roman and Georgia.

    4. Avoid fonts that don’t have distinct characters

    Some fonts don’t have distinct characters. For example in Gill Sans, I, l and 1 look exactly the same. This makes the text more difficult to read for many people.

    And if the letters b and d are too similar in shape, readers can confuse them. Look for fonts that have distinct characters like PT Mono or Comic Sans.

    4. Avoid fonts that don’t have distinct characters
    Some fonts don’t have distinct characters. For example in Gill Sans, I, l and 1 look exactly the same. This makes text more difficult to read for people with dyslexia or visual impairments. And if the letters b and d are too similar in shape they can be confused. Look for fonts that have distinctly shaped characters like PT Mono or Comic Sans.

    We also recommend a font called Atkinson Hyperlegible, which is specially designed to have highly distinctive characters. Find out about this accessible font here.

    Follow these four tips to help you make your content inclusive. Accessible typography makes digital spaces easier to use for many people. This can include dyslexic and other neurodivergent people, plus people with visual conditions.

    We’ve got lots more info on typography accessibility coming soon. Look out for information in our resources and on our blog.

  • Fannie Lou Hamer: Disability and Civil Rights Activist

    Fannie Lou Hamer: Disability and Civil Rights Activist

    Remembering disability rights activists 

    “We’re sick and tired of being sick and tired.”

    Fannie Lou Hamer, 1917-1977

    Content warning: Racism, racist violence, police racism and violence.

    Who was Fannie Lou Hamer?

    Fannie Lou Hamer was a Black civil rights activist. At the age of 44, she found out she had the right to vote. But, in the Southern states, Jim Crow laws prevented Black people from registering to vote.

    Hamer went on to fight for the fundamental right of every Black person in the US to vote. 

    In 1962 Hamer joined the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC). She went with 17 other Black people to the courthouse to register to vote. They had to pass racist literacy tests to register. Afterwards, police harassed and fined Hamer and her companions, claiming their bus was “too yellow”.

    On returning home, Hamer’s white employer sacked her and evicted her from her home.

    Hamer became an SNCC Field Secretary. In 1963 while on a speaking tour, Mississippi police arrested her and other activists.

    The police viciously beat the activists over a period of 4 days. The injuries left Hamer with life-long disabilities and scarring. She experienced sight loss, damage to her kidneys and a permanent limp after the attack.

    Hamer continued to campaign, speaking at the 1964 Democratic National Convention. Her passionate televised speech influenced the legislation that banned local racist voting laws.

    Hamer helped form The Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party and stood for election. She used her campaign to highlight issues of poverty and hunger.

    Hamer’s activism and determination in the face of brutality have had a lasting legacy. She is widely considered to have helped to lay the ground for the disability rights movement. 

    The American Association of People with Disabilities created the Fannie Lou Hamer Leadership Program. It supports young Black disabled advocates to boost voter registration across Black communities. The Fannie Lou Hamer Freedom High School in the Bronx, New York is named after her.

    You can find out more about Fannie Lou Hamer, disability and civil rights activist here.

    You can also read a biography of Fannie Lou Hamer here.

  • A tribute to Judy Heumann (1947-2023)

    A tribute to Judy Heumann (1947-2023)

    We were sad to hear that Judy Heumann, a leading disability rights activist, passed away recently.

    When we started to campaign on digital accessibility we heard about Judy. Her determination and refusal to accept discrimination have motivated and moved us.

    Judy Heumann’s life and legacy

    Judy worked hard to make our world more inclusive. Her work led to groundbreaking legislation for disability rights in the United States.

    “We will no longer allow the government to oppress disabled individuals. We want the law enforced. We want no more segregation. We will accept no more discussion of segregation.” Judy Heumann

    Judy caught polio when she was 18 months old. She experienced segregation when her mother enrolled her at a kindergarten school. Judy was not allowed to go to school. The principal believed Judy’s wheelchair was a “fire hazard”.

    Judy’s mother challenged the decision. After four years of home instruction, the school allowed Judy into the building. However, she was treated like a “second-class citizen”. Disabled children’s classes were held in the basement. This segregated them from non-disabled children most of the time.

    Judy continued to face discrimination when she trained as a teacher. She was subjected to humiliating questioning and denied her teacher’s license. But she kept fighting and sued the New York Board of Education to be able to teach. She won and was the first wheelchair user to become a teacher in New York State.

    Judy became known as someone who would fight for disabled rights. She began to make contact with others who had similar experiences of discrimination.

    She formed Disabled in Action in 1970. The group was at the forefront of the civil rights movement for disability rights. New legislation was in development in the US. Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act would make discrimination against disabled people illegal. President Richard Nixon blocked it.

    Judy led disruptive direct-action protests at Nixon’s offices. Throughout her life, Judy showed absolute determination to take action. This included staging a 28-day sit-in. She refused to accept discrimination.

    “I wanna see feisty disabled people change the world.”
    Judy Heumann

    We’ll remember her as an inspiration and honour her legacy.

    We’ve seen many moving tributes to Judy. She has become known as the mother of the disability rights movement. She guided and supported younger generations of activists.

    It’s a fitting tribute to her and other disabled activists to continue campaigning for disability justice in all areas of life.

    Rest in power, Judy Heumann.

    Sabrina and Angela

  • Use contrast & make your posts more accessible

    Use contrast & make your posts more accessible

    Using contrasting colours is an easy way to make your content more accessible. Colour-blind people will be able to access your content. People with other visual disabilities will also find it more readable.

    When you create a social post or any other digital resource for your audience keep this in mind. You’ll be improving the accessibility of your online presence.

    In this post, we explore the WhoCanUse tool. We look at how useful it could be in helping you identify accessible colour combinations. When you find a good combination you can use it with confidence for your content!

    Accessible content in action

    Text reads “Review of color use in BBC Creative Instagram post”. Below is an image of a post by BBC Creative. The BBC Creative logo is picked out in bright pink magenta against a black background. Below is a bright (almost neon) green shape. The shape is like a square but has rounded corners. It resembles a chunky stylised capital U. Below the green shape text in magenta reads “Creative test” in chunky capitalised type. Below the black box text is the BBC Creative logo.

    To explore this we review the colours used in an Instagram post by @bbccreative

    A screenshot of the WhoCanUse tool. Text reads “We used tools from WhoCanUse.com to check the colour combination used in this post. This nifty tool shows how people with different vision can use this combination, and what percentage of the population they make up.”

    We looked at the colour combination used in the BBC Creative post with a tool from WhoCanUse. The tool lets you enter your colour combination.

    The black and pink colors used in the BBC Creative post are shown in circles that overlap on a white background. Text describes the hex colours used, “Foreground #f46efg”. and “Background #272b37”. A screenshot of the WhoCanUse tool is also shown. Text shows the pink foreground color used and reads “The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog” on the same black used in the BBC Creative post. Colour swatches show the colour hexes used. Black text on a white background below the screenshot reads “Font size 30px, Font weight Bold, Contrast Ratio 5.68:1, WCAG Grading AAA”.

    It will then show you how the combination appears to people with different types of vision. It also lets you know what percentage of the population has each vision type.

    A table view of information shows the percentage of the population that experiences different vision, the name of the type of vision and a simulation of the color combination used in the BBC Creative post. The table shows 68% of people have Regular Vision, (Trichromatic). 1.3% of the population have Protanomaly vision. 1.5% of people have Protanopia. 5.3% of people have Deuteranomaly.
    A table view of information shows the percentage of the population that experiences different vision, the name of the type of vision and a simulation of the color combination used in the BBC Creative post. 1.2% of people have Deuteranopia. 0.02% of the population have Tritanomaly vision. <0.03% of people have Tritanopia. <0.1% of people have Achromatomaly.
    As the previous posts, a table view of information shows the percentage of the population that experiences different vision, the name of the type of vision and a simulation of the color combination used in the BBC Creative post. The first row shows 1.2% of people have Achromatopsia. The second row shows that 33% of the population have Cataracts. The third row shows that 2% of people have Glaucoma. The fourth row shows that 31% of people have Low Vision.

    The tool also shows how the combination works in different situations and environments. You can see how well the combination will stand up in direct sunlight. WeCanUse also shows how the colours will look on a phone in night mode.

    A table view of information shows simulations of the color combination used in the BBC Creative post in different situations. The first row shows the effect of Direct Sunlight when using the color combination. The second row shows the effect of Night Shift Mode when using the combination.

    The tool shows us that the BBC’s post uses a high contrast ratio and meets the WCAG AAA standards.

    Because BBC Creative used colours that contrast well the image is readable for many. It’s also readable in different situations and environments.

    A deep blue/purple circle is accompanied by a yellow emoji thumbs up. Text within the circle reads “Great job!” Text reads, “The BBC Creative post has a lot of contrast making it usable to many people.” Below the text sits the BBC Creative logo in black and white.

    The post by BBC Creative is a good example of using contrasting colours to make posts accessible.

    When creating content for digital spaces make sure you use contrasting colours. You can use the WhoCanUse tool to check who will be able to pick out the colours. Enter the colour codes to check the combination. If you don’t know the colour code you can use a tool like ColorPicker to find the code.

    How to make sure your colour choices are accessible

    By doing this you’ll be helping make your content and the internet as a whole more accessible to more people. Great job!

    We hope you found this post helpful.

    You can get early access to all our tips when you join we’re all human as a member and supporter. Check out our membership options here. They include access to exclusive resources to support you, plus cool anti-ableist merch!