Why are we trying to make sure content is accessible?
One in 6 people is disabled.
Accessible content is good content.
We need to consider interface responsiveness, assistive tech and also the needs of cognitive disabilities and temporary disabilities.
Content design checklist
Structure
-Is the content structured in a way that users can easily skim-read?
-Can someone understand the content by reading only headers and CTAs?
-Keep paragraphs short and scannable.
-Use bullet points to break up text.
-Use structured headings to help users scan the page.
Writing
-Write short sentences, 50-75 characters
-Left-align text
-Sentence case always. Never Title Case.
-Avoid jargon, puns and idioms
-Use readability tools but don’t rely on them solely for ease of comprehension
-Never use ‘click here’, try to keep all links and CTAs descriptive
-Use consistent terms e.g; 'Log in' vs 'Sign in'
Visuals
-Use alt text for informative images and labels for functional icons
-Skip alt text for decorative images
Interaction
-Make sure audio and video have captions or transcripts where applicable