Writing for accessibility means removing basic barriers to comprehension so your content is readable by people with disabilities.
A billion people (that’s 15% of the world’s population) live with a disability. Making our content accessible helps these individuals understand and engage with it — but that’s just the beginning. Words are the tools we use to inform, entertain, persuade, and connect.
Accessible content can be just as helpful for people who don’t speak English natively, or who are experiencing a temporary disability.
If you’ve ever experienced a temporary disability like eye surgery or a broken arm — or situational limitations like broken glasses or a slow internet connection — you probably have first-hand appreciation for the benefits of accessible content yourself.
If you’re a full-time content creator, go deep on this. Read the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, get informed about accessibility tools, and stay in the know.
And whether you create content daily or just occasionally, follow these guidelines.
Write in plain language
Write short, direct sentences, using plain language and avoiding jargon, clichés, or technical terms unless they’re appropriate. (Don’t worry — you can definitely do this without compromising brand voice.)
Use an adequate font size
Make sure text is legible, especially when used in images or areas that aren’t modifiable. W3C recommends starting at 18pt regular weight, or 14pt bold text.
Structure content with hierarchy
and headers
Put the most important information first. Clearly separate different topics with headings that are nested and consecutive. (Don’t skip heading levels for reasons of style.)
Limit line length
Lines that are too long can interfere with readability and retention. Aim for less than
80 characters.
Use descriptive links and labels
“Click here” forces readers to look at a link’s context to understand its meaning, making it less accessible. Use language that describes what they’ll get when they click (such as the title of a linked article, or a phrase like “subscribe” or “try it for free”).
Avoid directional language
Language that requires the reader to see the layout of your content (like “the list above” or “see below” or “in the sidebar”) can be confusing for people using screen readers or alternative viewing options.
Use inclusive language
Avoid ableist language, stick with gender-neutral pronouns and terms, share diverse voices and visuals, and evaluate text for assumptions of limited points of view.
Provide alternative text for images
The alt tag is the most basic form of image description, and should be included on all images. Write it like a descriptive caption for most images, or add data points for charts and graphs.
Provide captions for videos
For all videos, provide closed captions, transcripts, or both.
Be mindful of visual elements and color
Ensure adequate contrast between text and background colors. Consider color blind readers when creating elements that use color to convey information (like links, error messages, or chart lines). Aim to make visual information available in text where possible.
Use camel case for hashtags
Capitalizing the first letter of each word (#HootsuiteLife, #PlayToWin) makes hashtags more legible and prevents screen reader gaffes.
Avoid special characters
Screen reading tools like VoiceOver and other assistive tools read special formatting very differently.
Limit emoji use
Emoji and emoticons (like ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ ) are read aloud by assistive tech. That means your audience may hear things like “loudly crying face” or “pile of poo.” Before using one, look up how it translates to text.
Don’t overuse caps
All-caps can be difficult to read and misinterpreted by screen readers.
There’s no single, definitive style guide for inclusive language. These three were developed following principles of inclusive writing and are well researched and comprehensive.
A great starting point for exploring words and terms related to inclusivity, bringing together definitions from more than two dozen style guides, journalism organizations and resources.
A Progressive’s Style Guide (Hanna Thomas & Anna Hirsch)
Published by the nonprofit organization SumOfUs, this style guide/manifesto invites drivers of change to “keep building a collective language that liberates us all.”
Conscious Style Guide (Karen Yin)
Launched in 2015, this guide to “kind, compassionate, mindful, empowering, respectful, and inclusive language” is maintained by editor Karen Yin and a diverse and engaged advisory council.
