How to write accessible text
In the world of content, writing good and inclusive materials is an essential skill. At least until Large Language Models develop attention deficit.
Writing an accessible text is tough. Making sure anyone can enjoy your writing, comprehend your message, and form their opinion on the matter takes time and work.
In this issue of “The Accessibility Apprentice”, we will look into techniques that help compose inclusive materials that your readers will enjoy.
This text comprises 790 words and will take approximately 3.5 minutes to read.
How I read
My Kindle is a desolation of books, doomed to remain unread. I rarely focus on one at a time: my current reading list consists of at least 5 titles, from non-fiction books to fantasy novels. I almost never finish a book in one sitting, and do not hesitate to drop it if it fails to keep me engaged.
Long texts with unformatted paragraphs make me dizzy. Boring technical texts, riddled with jargon and terms, instantly put me off. Product requirements and project briefing materials is what personal hell is composed of.
Reading is my favourite pastime, but I have ADHD, so I do not read like many others would. Instead, I use a special technique that helps me stick with the text to the very end or until boredom do us part.
First, I read the summary and scan the text. Daily reads are often short and easy to digest, so I open them in a separate tab group and read them throughout the day. Texts that require attention and work are saved in my reading list, and I treat them as books.
Next, I scan the text again and visualise its structure. Typically, this is enough to make up my mind about the text’s key ideas, but sometimes, it is entertaining in and of itself.
Finally, I read the text, one paragraph at a time, and if the text is accessible, I finish it and add to my vault.
What makes a text accessible? And why do so many articles end up in the unread pile?
How to write an accessible text
The Web today is filled to the brim with poorly composed (or worse, AI–generated) texts, often badly structured (if at all) and riddled with typos. Writing an inclusive material is as much a matter of understanding accessibility standards as it is about composing good content.
Step 1. Write a good text
Great texts are rare and precious. A solid article is not only informative, but entertaining: it engages the reader and keeps them hooked.
A good text begins with purpose. What are you trying to communicate? Who is your target audience? How will your material help them and what will they take away?
Good texts are actionable, inspiring, and unique. Are you providing a new perspective on things, or are you regurgitating someone’s ideas? How would you summarise your thoughts in one short paragraph?
Step 2. Rewrite your text and some structure
Structure is the backbone of every accessible text. Beside the obvious (beginning, middle, and end), there are several simple tricks that you may wish to incorporate into your next work.
Use headings wisely
Headings represent the true structure of your text and allow readers to scan it for relevant information.
Heading 1 is reserved for the title of your text (think of it as the title of the book or the name of your child).
Each section inside should go one level deeper. For instance, Headings 2 are the offsprings of Heading 1, they are your chapters or section titles. Underneath them, sit Headings 3, 4, and so on, but do not leave any orphans: Heading 3, for example, should not sit directly under Heading 1.
Add an index
An index at the beginning of your material will help readers understand the text, navigate it, and quickly switch between sections. Visitors with screen readers will be especially grateful if your index is clickable and easily available.
Step 3. Optimise your text
Cut, cut, cut
Can your text be shorter? Even shorter? Good. Crop it, kill everything unnecessary, get rid of anything that isn’t critical.
Keep it simple
Feel free to keep the jargon that your audience is familiar with, but drop everything else. Unless you are writing for a particular group that knows the lingo, stick to plain, simple language that everyone, including readers with dyslexia and non-native speakers, can easily comprehend.
Add a summary
Is your text lengthy and complex? Consider adding a short paragraph, summarising the key message in the entire article or in each section, if the text is really long. This will not only help your user read the text faster, but will help you write better.
Add reading time
Letting your reader know how huge of a commitment they are taking upon themselves is a good tone.
Provide alternative text
If your material features images or videos, they should be accessible to everyone: from viewers with slow Internet connection to screen reader users.
Each image in your material should feature an alternative text that describes its content. Videos should contain closed captions.
One last thing
Practice makes perfect. Continue writing engaging texts, reflect on your past materials, and seize every opportunity to make your work more accessible.