Posted on by Grace Snow in Design and development, User experience
Design can overlook reading disabilities, but many people struggle to process written text. This post explains how to design digital content that's easier for everyone to read.
Reading is often treated as a binary skill — you can read or you can't. But reading exists on a broad spectrum of fluency. For many, "decoding" text —turning symbols into meaning — requires a lot of mental effort.
This can affect many people, but especially those with reading disabilities such as:
Reading disabilities have nothing to do with intelligence. They are a difference in how the brain processes written information. When reading is exhausting, people have less energy for understanding and decision-making.
By designing for these needs, we make life easier for everyone. This includes people in a hurry or those reading in a second language.
Inclusive design goes beyond the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). Designing for reading disabilities is a shared responsibility between editors, copywriters, and designers. The goal is to remove the friction that makes reading feel like hard work.
“If you make your content easy to read, you aren’t ‘dumbing down’, you are opening up your information to anyone who wants to read it. You are making it accessible. You are trying not to exclude people based on their education, cognitive function or reading ability.”
Sarah Winters, Content Design London
We need to unlearn the academic writing style taught at school. Complex sentences create a barrier for people with reading disabilities.
Be direct. Use simple, everyday words and keep sentences short. Instead of "The implementation of the policy will commence", say "The policy starts." This makes your content open to more people.
In specialised fields like medicine or law, technical terms are often necessary. In these cases, use short paragraphs and good heading structure. If you must use a complex word, explain it simply the first time it appears. You can also provide a clear link to a glossary.
The way text sits on a screen can affect how easily a person can find and read the next line. To help with this:
Research shows that letter features matter more than using a specific "accessible" font. Follow these typography guidelines when you can:
As mentioned in designing for people with anxiety, the average reading age for adults is often around nine to 11 years old. If your content is written at a university level, you could exclude a lot of people.
Use tools like Hemingway to test your content. If the grade level is too high, break down long sentences.
Acronyms and abbreviations can slow people down when reading. To minimise their impact:
Text isn't always the best way to share information.
Sometimes a well-placed diagram can explain a complex process faster than text:
Just ensure visuals have text descriptions for the benefit of people who can't see or understand images. The quality and effectiveness of a text description also affects accessibility of images, so make them clear and meaningful.
Sometimes, a video or audio-only alternative can help people with reading or other disabilities to access the information. Our post on an inclusive approach to video production can help you do this in an accessible way.
Reading disabilities can impact how people navigate the web in general. To support people with low digital literacy:
Designing for reading disabilities moves us away from assuming how people consume information. We can all help people by focusing on clear words, good structure, and better fonts. These small changes reduce reading effort and create a better experience for everyone.
For more information about the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, read our WCAG primer or find out more about how our assessments can help you identify issues in your websites, mobile applications, design systems, and other products and services.
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