Use clear and understandable content

Introduction

Text makes up a large part of most web resources yet a wide range of people experience some difficulty with reading and understanding. Common difficulties include: non native language, reading level, specific words, abbreviations, punctuation and grammar, layout and spacing. People with Cognitive Disabilities in particular are likely to require careful attention to the quality of text content.

The WCAG Guideline 3.1 Readable addresses several aspects of content readability and makes a good starting point. It covers: language, unusual words, abbreviations, reading level and pronunciation. However, content readability is a complex topic and other Design Patterns should be used to ensure suitable quality.

This Objective provides a set of User Stories and Patterns that address readability.

Pages

• User Stories

Patterns

• Use clear words
• Use a simple tense and voice
• Do not use double negatives or nested clauses
• Use literal language
• Separate each instruction
• Keep text succinct
• Use clear spacing
• Use clear, accurate text formatting and punctuation
• Provide summary of long documents
• Provide Alternatives for numbers