Fonts are important to make your content accessible whether it's on your website, social media, or other visual platforms. They are especially important for people living with visual impairments, dyslexia, and other disabilities.
World Health Organization reports that over 2 billion people globally have visual impairments. This means that you risk losing your reputation if you don’t consider their needs while creating your web content.
If you want to make your content simpler, more accessible, and inclusive, you need to design and use fonts with accessibility in mind.
But how to create web content that is accessible to everyone, including those with various disabilities? Why is it important to use accessible fonts and what are the guidelines for font usage? How to guarantee that your content is inclusive?
Why Are Fonts Important for Web Accessibility
Fonts that are difficult to read can make it challenging and sometimes impossible for people with disabilities to understand the information. While there is no one universally accessible font, options like Arial, Times New Roman, and Calibri are generally easier to read and understand for a large number of people.
If you use accessible and easily understandable fonts, you effectively engage a significant part of the population and uphold your brand's reputation as an inclusive business.
In addition to being ethically responsible, the usage of accessible fonts is important to comply with accessibility laws. If you fail to use accessible fonts you face severe legal and financial repercussions, including fines, accessibility lawsuits, and other enforcement measures. Also, accessibility can help you get more leads.
Regulations About Typography
Various regulations about typography, such as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Architectural Barriers Act (ABA), Section 508 Standards, and others mandate the use of accessible typography on websites.
If your website is in compliance with these regulations, you avoid legal penalties and promote inclusivity and fairness. You may need to run an audit for web accessibility to identify and address potential issues related to typography and ensure that all users can easily read and interact with your content.
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) mandates that all businesses need to ensure their digital content, including typography, is accessible to people with disabilities. This involves using easily readable fonts, ensuring proper contrast between text and background, and enabling text resizing without compromising content or functionality.
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) mandates using Sans Serif fonts such as Arial, Calibri, and Helvetica while discouraging using italic, script, oblique, or decorative characters.
Architectural Barriers Act (ABA)
The Architectural Barriers Act (ABA) requires that federal buildings and facilities be accessible to people with disabilities.
While its main focus is physical accessibility, the ABA also applies to the digital space, stressing the importance of using clear and legible typography in digital communications and signage to ensure effective communication for all users.
The Architectural Barriers Act (ABA) also requires to use Sans Serif fonts and avoid applying italics, script, or decorative and unusual fonts.
Section 508 Standards
Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act requires federal agencies to make their electronic and information technology accessible to people with disabilities. This includes following specific typography standards to ensure text is readable and usable by everyone.
Section 508 standards mandate that at least one type of text should be in a Sans Serif font. If the technology doesn’t allow for screen zooming, the text must be at least 3/16 inch (4.8 mm) tall, measured by the uppercase letter “I”. The text should stand out against the background, either as light text on a dark background or dark text on a light background.
Best Fonts for Accessibility
While there is a large variety of fonts to use for your web content, not all fonts are considered accessible and inclusive.
The good news is that the best and most accessible fonts are easy to find, and you don’t even need to hire a specialist to customize them for you.
Sans Serif fonts are commonly known as the most widely used fonts throughout the internet. Recent studies show that 90% of internet users read content in Sans Serif.
What’s more, they are known for their legibility and simplicity. So, consider using these fonts as your first choice. The most common Sans Serif fonts include:
- Helvetica
- Proxima Nova
- Public Sans
- Open Sans
- Arial
Serif fonts are another widely used font type, including:
- Times New Roman
- Courier New
- Garamond
- Georgia
- Baskerville
Fonts to Avoid
Not all fonts are considered accessible, and some can make it more difficult or even impossible for people with disabilities to read and understand your web content.
To make your web content accessible, avoid using:
- Fonts that have overlapping characters
- Overly decorative fonts
- Custom or cursive fonts
- Hand-writing style fonts
Other Recommendations to Consider
Choosing accessible fonts for your website is important, but it's not always enough, as an accessible font doesn't automatically guarantee complete readability. You never know who your next visitor will be, and some visitors may require larger text sizes than others, etc.
To ensure your content is accessible and compliant, opt for a web design and development agency that is specialized in creating accessible websites. Or follow the recommendations below when creating your own web content.
Avoid Imposter Letters
Minimize or avoid imposter letters. These letters look like one another and create serious obstacles for people with dyslexia or other disabilities to read and understand web content. Instead, choose a font that features distinct characters and proper spacing between them instead of imposter letters.
Avoid Mirroring
Avoid mirroring the shapes of the font letters. People with dyslexia or visual impairments can read mirrored letters as other letters or numbers. This can make your content difficult and inaccessible for them.
Pay special attention to letters like d, b, p, and q, as mirroring them can completely alter your intended message. Choose fonts where these letters are unique and distinguishable characters instead.
Fonts that don’t have mirroring are:
- Times New Roman
- Garamond
- GeorgiaAvoid Uniform Height
Fonts with uniform height, such as Courier, Monaco, and Consolas, feature characters that take up equal horizontal space.
It is better to avoid uniform height fonts if you want to enhance the accessibility and the readability of your web content. They can make differentiating between characters like I, 1, and l challenging, as they appear very similar.
Provide Spacing
When characters are placed closer together, it becomes more difficult for people to read and understand the web content. People with vision impairments, reading difficulties, or cognitive disabilities may struggle with tight letter spacing as it can cause visual crowding, making it difficult to concentrate on and distinguish individual characters. Even those with minor vision impairments may have trouble understanding text that lacks proper spacing.
Make sure to use fonts that provide enough spacing between characters, making your website accessible and easily readable.
Make Sure the Typeface Matches Your Audience
Before selecting fonts for your website content, it's important to identify your target audience. Different age groups and reading abilities may perceive fonts differently. For example, Sans Serif fonts are recommended for children or beginner readers as they help to differentiate characters. On the other hand, Serif fonts are more suitable for advanced readers.
Test the Fonts Before Using
Even if you think you've discovered the ideal and easy-to-read font, take your time before using it. Make sure to test each font with various user groups, especially people with disabilities.
