Accessible fonts are easy to read and understand for people with a wide range of abilities, including those with visual impairments, learning disabilities, and cognitive challenges.
Characteristics of Accessible Fonts
Accessible fonts should have the following characteristics:
Good legibility
The font should be easy to distinguish between individual letters and words. This is especially important for people with low vision or reading difficulties.
Adequate stroke weight:
The font should have a thick enough stroke weight to be easily visible against the background colour. This is important for people with low contrast sensitivity.
Regular spacing:
The font should have regular spacing between letters and words to avoid crowding and improve readability. This is important for people with dyslexia or other reading difficulties.
Consistent letter shapes:
The font should have consistent letter shapes that are easily recognisable across different sizes and weights. This is important for people who rely on letter recognition for reading.
Recommended Fonts for Accessibility
Some of the most recommended fonts for accessibility include:
Sans-serif fonts:
Sans-serif fonts lack the decorative flourishes of serif fonts, making them cleaner and easier to read. Examples include Arial, Verdana, and Open Sans.
Serif fonts:
Serif fonts have small decorative flourishes at the ends of strokes, which can aid in readability by guiding the eye along the line of text. Examples include Georgia and Times New Roman.
OpenDyslexic fonts:
OpenDyslexic fonts are specifically designed to improve readability for people with dyslexia. They use a unique design that reduces letter confusion and minimizes visual stress.
By prioritising the use of fonts and adhering to accessibility guidelines, we can improve the world wide web, one website at a time.