Image description: Photo of a person’s hands using a smartphone in front of an open laptop on a desk. The screen of the phone is visible, showing a social media feed with floating thumbs-up and heart icons digitally overlaid, symbolizing likes and reactions. The person wears a light-colored bracelet on their left wrist. The laptop screen is blurred but also shows a social media page. A white cup of black coffee sits on a saucer in the bottom right corner of the desk, and the background includes a softly lit window with an outdoor view.
20? 50? 100? How many emails on any given day do you receive? How many websites do you visit? How many social media posts (personal & business related)? Many of us read and reply with barely a second thought. My hope is that you will stop and think about who you’re communicating with. If you’re unsure of their disability status, consider ways to increase the likelihood of your message being received and understood. These are just a few elements of Universal Design as it relates to online communication.
- Is your message easy to understand? Almost half of the adults in the US read below the 6thgrade reading level, and Indiana is at that level. You never know if readers have dyslexia or cognitive disabilities. Consider modifying your vocabulary to even a third to fifth grade reading level.
- Consider using plain language. Use of figurative language will be confusing for someone who, as is common with autism, is very literal in their information processing. For the recipient who reads, “I’ve been scratching my head on this one” or “I am in a fog on what to do,” it may be better understood to clearly say, “I am uncertain on what to do.”
- Double-check your choice of fonts. Select one that is clear and able to be read by a screen reader. Arial, Calibri, Helvetica, and Verdana are preferred. Avoid cursive-like fonts or those similar overly artistic. Arial, Comic Sans, and OpenDyslexic are preferred fonts for those with dyslexia.
- Use dark letters. Text with a softer ink shade or low contrast may present a challenge for those with a visual impairment.
- Limit or avoid emojis. You may clearly know what is meant by some, but your message may not be understood by everyone. They can also be distracting and overwhelming for some neurodiverse recipients.
- Excessive positivity for the person who is depressed or with social anxiety may only compound these feelings. Besides emojis, the excessive use of words like AWESOME, Marvelous, or Outstanding!!!!! (and accompanying punctuation) may not result in the feelings you may hope to convey.
- If you include an image, take a minute and include an image description. Many platforms create them automatically, but if you look at them, they typically aren’t descriptive enough. Take a few extra minutes and customize to convey what’s in the image.
- If you are including a video, include captioning. Words should include capitals and lowercase letters as well as be in a font large enough to be easily viewed on a smartphone. The majority of videos are played while the phone volume is turned down, so this helps not just those who are deaf, but those viewing your videos in a more stealth mode.
None of these pointers will diminish decrease the impact of your message. You may find that it results in increased comprehension and inclusion for readers, customers and friends with whom you are trying to connect.
ADA accessible websites are not just good business, they are the law. Following Universal Design principles as outlined here will be appreciated.