One of the least-understood aspects of Web accessibility is how to make information understandable to a diverse audience, including people who don’t read well, have cognitive disabilities, are reading in a second language, or who are accessing the information non-visually. But people go to the Web for information—content—not to admire the design or navigation. Rather than ignoring people with reading disabilities, we can learn to write and design the content to make our information inclusive. Learn these skills with the live Web seminar Content for Everyone: Writing and Designing for Readers, presented by Whitney Quesenbery on Tuesday, 8 April, from 10:00-11:00 AM EDT (GMT-4).
The approach to writing called plain language is the key to making information not only accessible, but more usable. By starting from the audience, this definition brings together core concepts in both Web accessibility and usability or user experience. Content works for everyone when they can find, understand and use it.
- Findable content incorporates both the broader concepts of information architecture and issues of being able to perceive the content in the first place.
- Understanding is a key concept in both plain language and accessibility guidelines, demanding that the content be written in both a style and terminology the audience will understand.
- Use has many different meanings, from basic operability, to ensuring that the information is written in a way that enables people to take action based on it, going beyond merely reading the words to understanding the communication.
Using examples from the Web, this presentation will explore five broad guidelines for creating content for everyone.