Typography

Typography is the foundation of both a beautiful and accessible design experience. Be sure to select typefaces that are clear and easy to read. Fonts should be legible and readable as this helps people with low vision easily make out characters. Also, it can reduce the strain of reading for someone with a learning disability.

Choosing an Accessible Font

• Look for a distinction between potentially ambiguous characters like:

  • Capital I, the number 1, and lowercase l (L)

  • Number 0 (zero) and capital O

• Reserve fonts that are narrow or decorative for headlines and decorative texts only.

• Read the resources below for more detail on how to achieve accessible typography.

Resources

• Fonts, from Web Accessibility in Mind (WebAIM).

• How to Choose an Accessible Typeface, from Web Designer Depot.

• 10 Principles of Readability and Web Typography, by Stuart De Rozario at Smashing Magazine.

• Which are More Legible: Serif of Sans Serif Typefaces? It’s a false dichotomy, says Alex Poole as he digs into the research.

• Does a Large X-Height Make Fonts More Legible? Not necessarily, says Ralf Herrmann at Typography Guru.