For Faculty

Keep Your Fonts Simple

by Jackie Luft, Ed.D, Online Accessibility Specialist

Fonts seem like a simple detail, but you will be surprised at how fonts can affect the ability for some people to be able to read your documents. For example, some people with vision disabilities may use a magnifying app so if your font has too many curves and scrolls the letters will be difficult to decipher. The example below is a screenshot of three scrolled letters zoomed in.

 

Now look at the zoomed letters below. The letter are zoomed to the same amount as the scripted font but this font is sans-serif, which means there are no scrolls and curves at the end of the letters.

Using a sans-serif font allows for easy recognition of letters for not only magnifier users but also for those who have dyslexia. Dyslexia is a disability where the person has difficulty identifying characters so the more curves and scrolls, the more difficult reading text becomes. You can view fonts specially designed to reduce the effects of Dyslexia at Typeface for Dyslexia.

Sans-serif fonts cause some screen readers to have difficulty reading characters with too many curves. This optical character recognition is also important when converting pdfs saved as images into pdfs that recognize the individual characters. You can view common sans-serif fonts at Top 10 Most Popular Sans-Serif Fonts.

Another consideration for fonts is limiting yourself to the minimum number of different fonts per document. The general rule of thumb is for no more than two or three fonts per document, as recommended with WebAims. This number will allow you to have various fonts for your headings. Limiting the number of fonts helps the document look more organized and less cluttered.

Finally, you want to refrain from using all capital letters, italics and bold for emphasis. A screen reader will not be able to determine emphasis unless an emphasis style has been used. You can always modify the way a particular style looks to ensure you have the emphasis you desire for both sighted and non-sighted users.

Ensuring you have usable fonts is the last step to creating an accessible syllabus. At first these might seem complex, but as you work with the process, you will be able to create accessible syllabi and documents with ease. Including these steps will not only ensure you are compliant with federal regulations, but also increase the usability for non-disabled students.

If you have any questions about good font use in your courses, you can let us know at the Online Accessibility Lab!