Readable page structure is vital for digital accessibility as it breaks content into digestible, logical chunks. It allows users of screen readers to navigate via shortcuts, helps individuals with cognitive disabilities process information

Using headings correctly helps:

• People who use screen readers navigate your page easily

• All readers quickly skim and scan for key information

• Google and search engines understand your content better

Why This Matters

• Screen reader users often jump from heading to heading to find what they need

• Headings create structure, just like a table of contents

• Without real headings, a page becomes a wall of text for anyone using assistive tech

Don't Do This:

• Don’t use bold text alone to fake a heading

• Don’t skip heading levels (like jumping from H3 to H5)

• Don’t use headings just to make something look bigger—they’re not for decoration

Quick Recap

✔️ Start with H3 (Finalsite reserves H1 & H2)

✔️ Use headings to break up content into meaningful sections

✔️ Always follow a logical order

❌ Never rely on bold or size alone

Example Layout Using Google Sites (Title)

Science Programs (Heading)

Explore the many hands-on science programs offered at our school. (Normal Text)

Biology (Subheading)

Students study living organisms, cellular structures, and environmental systems. (Normal Text)

Botany (Subheading)

Focused on plant biology, this elective explores species classification and lab experiments. (Normal Text)

Math Programs (Heading)

We return to the bigger heading because this is a new subheading. If we were to describe different math programs in this section, we would use subheadings to clearly organize them, like the examples above.

Font Colors

Use Strong Color Contrast

Users with low vision and color blindness may have difficulty reading documents that lack sufficient contrast.

Rule of Thumb:

• Black text on white background.

• White text on black background.

 That’s it. That’s the safest, easiest combo.

Why This Matters:

• Some users:

• Have low vision or glare sensitivity

• Are colorblind

• Use monochrome displays or dark mode readers

Without good contrast, text becomes unreadable—and your message gets lost.

Font Color Is Not Enough

Color alone should never be used to:

• Show importance

• Give instructions

• Highlight errors

Some people are colorblind or use a black-and-white display. If you use color to emphasize something, also use bold text, size, or a clear icon.

Example:

✅Good: Please fill out all required fields.
❌ Bad: All red questions are required.

Don’t Underline Regular Text

In modern digital accessibility, it is an established best practice to never use underlines for emphasis on non-clickable text. Underlines are an established visual indicator that text is a hyperlink. Using them for emphasis creates confusion, violates accessibility conventions, and frustrates users who try to click them but fail.

Don’t Use Cursive Fonts

Cursive may look pretty, but it’s hard to read—especially for:

• People with dyslexia

• Screen readers

• Mobile users with small screens

• Users who can’t read cursive

Use plain, easy-to-read fonts like:

Arial, Verdana, Open Sans, Roboto, Tahoma

Avoid “Funky” or Decorative Fonts

Cool-looking fonts are often a nightmare for accessibility.

They might confuse screen readers, slow down reading, or look like gibberish when resized.

Why it's important:

• It is easier to understand: Many people think and learn in different ways. Simple words and short sentences help everyone understand important ideas quickly.

• Accessibility rules, including the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), require web content to be understandable.

• It helps people finish tasks: When instructions are simple, people are less likely to make mistakes on forms or when using websites.

• It helps computer tools: Tools like screen readers (which read text out loud) work much better when the writing is clear and simple.

Language Translation

Writing simply also makes computer translation tools much more accurate. When you use easy words, the software can translate your content into other languages without making mistakes.

Why simple writing helps translation:

• It prevents mix-ups: Simple words usually have only one meaning, so the computer picks the right one.

• It keeps sentences clear: Short sentences are easier for the computer to understand.

• It stops funny mistakes: Avoiding slang and idioms keeps the meaning accurate when translated.

• It saves money: Good, simple writing means human translators have less work to do.