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Technique F88:Failure of Success Criterion 1.4.8 due to using text that is justified (aligned to both the left and the right margins)

Applicability

All technologies.

This technique relates to 1.4.8: Visual Presentation (Failure).

Description

Many people with cognitive disabilities have a great deal of trouble with blocks of text that are justified (aligned to both the left and the right margins). The spaces between words create "rivers of white" running down the page, which can make the text difficult for some people to read. This failure describes situations where this confusing text layout occurs. The best way to avoid this problem is not to create text layout that is fully justified (aligned to both the left and the right margins).

Examples

Example 1

In the following example of a failure, the HTML align attribute is used to create justified text. 

<p align="justify">
 Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers
 A peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked
 If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers
 Where's the peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked?
</p>

Example 2

In this example of a failure, the CSS text-align property is used to create justified text. 

p {text-align: justify}
<p>
 How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?
 He would chuck, he would, as much as he could, and chuck as much wood
 As a woodchuck would if a woodchuck could chuck wood.
</p>

Tests

Procedure

  1. Open the page in a common browser.
  2. Verify that content is not justified (aligned to both the left and the right margins).

Expected Results

  • If test procedure #2 is false, then this failure condition applies and the content fails to meet Success Criterion 1.4.8.
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