5 Easy Ways to Make Your Design More Accessible
What’s the first thing you think of when you hear the term "accessibility"?
Elevators? Reserved parking spaces? Curb ramps?
The truth is, accessibility is about so much more, and even has a place in design.
Contrary to popular belief, design isn’t just about making things look pretty, it’s a form of communication. That’s where accessibility comes in – an essential component of inclusive design.
After all, are you really communicating effectively if only a portion of your audience can participate in the conversation or understand the message you’re trying to send?
What is accessible design?
Accessible design not only meets legal requirements like the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Section 508, or Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), it also broadens your audience by making experiences inclusive for people with visual, auditory, or motor impairments, and for people who have limited language, cognitive, and learning abilities.
As one of PointNorth’s multimedia designers, here are some of the ways I incorporate accessibility in my work:
Color Contrast & Font Size: Ensure there’s enough contrast between text and its background and use a large enough font size to make content easier to see and read. Also, avoid placing text on top of busy patterns or photos. If text must be used on top of imagery, consider adding a gradient or color overlay beneath text to increase contrast and legibility. This online contrast checker tool has been so helpful in my work! While neither WCAG AA nor Section 508 specify a minimum font size, for a government website, an 11 point sans serif font is recommended at minimum.
Alternative Text: Also known as “alt text”, alternative text is a brief written description added to images or visual elements on a webpage for screen readers to read. Ensure your alt text is sufficiently descriptive, but remember you only need to include details that are relevant to the content. For example, you wouldn’t necessarily need to describe the color of someone’s skin in a photo on a flyer about the environment, but you might want to include it if the flyer were about inclusion in the workplace.
Technical Jargon: Refrain from using excessive technical jargon in written content, as it can create barriers for those who aren't familiar with the terms.
Acronyms: When using acronyms, be sure to spell them out entirely, at least the first time they’re used.
Differentiate Information Through More Than Just Color: This one is super important, especially if you’re designing a project area map, data chart, or something similar. For example, while it may be tempting to use red to represent something bad/negative, and green to represent something good/positive, it’s important to note that the most common type of color blindness is red-green color blindness. In this instance, you could still use red and green, just make sure to also differentiate the information through something other than color, such as through a solid line and a dotted one. A helpful tip I use when I design is asking myself: If this visual were in black and white, would one be able to differentiate different elements?
Accessibility isn’t just a “nice-to-have”. As a well-rounded designer, it should be something you consider through every step of the design process. Plus, accessibility features often benefit everyone. Just think about how often you turn on subtitles when you watch your favorite TV show!
By prioritizing accessibility, we improve the usability of our materials for all people, uphold our values in the work we produce, and foster a more inclusive experience for everyone.
This is just one example of the care and focus we put into our creative work! If you’d like our support in getting your message out into the world in a way that’s easy for anyone to access, we’d love to chat. Find out more about our creative work here.
