Designing accessible services

Do:

• Use simple colours
• Write in plain English
• Use simple sentences and bullets
• Make buttons descriptive
• Build simple and consistent layouts

Don't:

• Use bright contrasting colours
• Use figures of speech and idioms
• Create a wall of text
• Make buttons vague and unpredictable
• Build complex and cluttered layouts

Do:

• Let users have control of the contrast and colours on the screen
• Align text to the left, keep a consistent layout and use a sans-serif font at a min 12pt
• Keep content short, clear and simple
• Use images and diagrams to support text and complex ideas
• Use simple colours and coloured paper like yellow or pink
• Use multi-modal materials like audio and video

Don't:

• Overload the user with too much info at once
• Write large walls of complex text
• Use complicated words or figures of speech
• Increase cognitive load by requiring users to recall into
• Use bright and contrasting colours stimulation overload
• Rush users or set short time limits to complete tasks

Do:

• Write in plain language
• Use subtitles or provide transcripts for videos
• Use a linear, logical layout
• Break up content with sub-headings, images and videos
• Let users ask for their preferred communication support when booking appointments

Don't:

• Use complicated words or figures of speech
• Put content in audio or video only
• Make complex layouts and menus
• Make users read long blocks of content
• Make telephone the only means of contact for users

Do:

• Use good colour contrast and a readable font size
• Publish all information on web pages
• Use a combination of colour, shapes and text
• Follow a linear, logical layout
• Put buttons and notifications in context

Don't:

• Use low colour contrasts and small font sizes
• Bury information in downloads
• Only use colour to convey meaning
• Spread content all over a page
• Separate actions from their context

Do:

• Make large clickable actions
• Give form fields space
• Design for keyboard or speech only use
• Design with mobile and touchscreen in mind
• Provide shortcuts

Don't:

• Demand precision
• Bunch interactions together
• Make dynamic content that requires a lot of mouse movement
• Have short time out windows
• Tire users with lots of typing and scrolling

Do:

• Describe images and provide transcripts for video
• Follow a linear logical layout
• Structure content using HTML5
• Build for keyboard use only
• Write descriptive links and headings

Don't:

• Only show information in an image or video
• Spread content all over a page
• Rely on text size and placement for structure
• Force mouse or screen use
• Write uninformative links and headings