Inclusive Typography Practices

There is no such thing as a universally legible typeface. Reading is shaped by the reader. This is the core idea behind my chapter on inclusive text design in The Bloomsbury Handbook of Global Typography (which I’ve just received a copy of). In the chapter, I look at four different groups in particular. A few key takeaways: 1. Ageing changes how we read From around mid-life, we lose sensitivity to fine detail and our reading becomes slower and less stable. Larger sizes, higher contrast, and more conventional layouts help support this. 2. Low vision is not one thing Central vision loss, peripheral loss, and contrast sensitivity issues all affect reading differently. Some readers benefit from larger sizes and more spacing, others from clearer navigation structures. There is no single solution. 3. Children are still developing as readers They process less text per glance, rely less on peripheral vision, and often need more visual clarity. But importantly, we still don’t have strong evidence that “child-friendly” typefaces outperform standard ones. 4. Dyslexia is not solved by special fonts Despite many claims, there is no consistent evidence that dyslexia-specific typefaces improve reading. What does help is spacing, size, and layout. The broader point is this: Designing for everyone is not always possible. But designing with awareness of different readers is. (Link to the book in the comments)

Designing for accessibility is not about finding one perfect font. We constantly search for a universal solution that works everywhere. But accessibility is rarely a choice between two rigid options. The right choice depends entirely on the context and the specific person consuming the content. Forcing one standardized checklist on every mind ignores the reality of human variation. The APA recently highlighted six myths regarding accessible typography. As a dyslexic ADHDer turned clinical strategist, I view these rules through a dual lens. We need a strong baseline. But the ultimate goal is user agency. We must give readers the tools to adjust their own environment. Here are 6 typography myths, the APA reality, and my nuance for neurodivergent (ND) minds. 1/ Serif Fonts Myth: They are always inaccessible. APA Reality: Modern screens handle them well; they are excellent for long reading. My Added ND Nuance: Decorative hooks can create visual noise for readers with specific processing-related or other ND characteristics. 2/ All Caps Myth: They are never okay to use. Reality: "Small caps" text effects let screen readers process words normally. Nuance: Some ND readers rely on unique lowercase shapes to skim. All caps can create an exhausting uniform block. 3/ Smart Quotes Myth: They are not necessary. Reality: Screen readers interpret straight quotes as measurements (inches/feet). Nuance: For technical builders and ND coders, smart quotes can actively break scripts. 4/ Two Spaces After a Period Myth: It makes reading easier Reality: Double spaces create distracting "rivers" of white space. Nuance: Some ND readers use that larger gap as a necessary visual anchor to reset. 5/ Dyslexia Fonts Myth: They are a universal magic fix. Reality: Data shows fonts like Dyslexie/OpenDyslexia do not offer a statistical speed gain for everyone. Nuance: The subjective relief they provide to specific, often ND, individuals remains incredibly valid. Bonus: The article recommends Lexend (available via Google Suite dropdowns) and is my current fav font. 6/ The Serial Comma Myth: It is completely optional. Reality: The APA states this reduces cognitive load and prevents ambiguity. Nuance: For some ND readers, such as those with high sensory sensitivity, extra punctuation could feel like visual clutter. There are no universal fixes. True accessibility is a permission, not a prescription. Build a strong foundation, but always design documents in formats allowing users to change fonts, adjust spacing, color samples, zoom level, and ultimately control their own experience. Read the APA article here: https://lnkd.in/g2PvnEGj How do you customize your digital environment to protect your focus? Individuals have strong experiences and preferences on each of these "myths" so let's see; those reading this post, is there one particular idea here you know is immediately helpful (or a barrier) for you?

🔤 Top 5 Fonts for Readability & Accessibility Choosing the right font isn't just a design decision—it’s an accessibility decision. Fonts affect how easily people can read your content, stay focused, and interact with your website. Whether you're designing in Webflow, building a brand system, or auditing for WCAG conformance, these fonts offer strong legibility, clean lines, and inclusive performance across devices and audiences: 🔷 1. Inter Originally designed for screen readability, Inter is optimized for legibility at small sizes, featuring generous spacing, clear letterforms, and strong support for UI environments. 💡 Great for: interfaces, apps, and modern web layouts. 🔷 2. Atkinson Hyperlegible Developed by the Braille Institute, this font was created specifically to improve character recognition for people with low vision. It exaggerates differences between often-confused letters. 💡 Great for: accessibility-first designs and high-contrast interfaces. 🔷 3. Source Sans Pro Adobe’s first open-source typeface—simple, open, and readable at every size. It has excellent x-height and clean proportions. 💡 Great for: body copy, accessible long-form content, and dashboards. 🔷 4. Lexend Scientifically designed to reduce visual stress and improve reading speed. Originally created to support people with dyslexia and reading disorders. 💡 Great for: education sites, nonprofit work, and inclusive brand systems. 🔷 5. Tahoma A tried-and-true system font that’s sharp, sturdy, and performs well in low-res or screen-constrained environments. 💡 Great for: internal tools, legacy apps, or conservative design environments that require reliability. ✨ Choosing the right font helps reduce cognitive load, supports screen reader clarity, and improves focus for all users, not just those with visual impairments. 📌 Pro tip: Always test font legibility at multiple breakpoints and pair it with appropriate contrast, spacing, and hierarchy. #Accessibility #Fonts #InclusiveDesign #WebDesign #WebAccessibility #Typography #GracefulWebStudio #DesignWithGrace #UXDesign #A11y #DesignTips #WCAG

🍷 Free Accessible Web Fonts For UIs. Highly legible typefaces designed to improve comprehension for everyone, including people with ADHD and dyslexia ↓ Inclusive Sans, by Olivia King New open-source typeface designed for legibility. Supports 533 characters and 500 languages. Available as variable font. 🎁 Download → https://lnkd.in/ecvCEkrm 🍷 Font pairings → https://lnkd.in/e-RXuxTA 👍🏽 Best for: long reading text, UIs. Atkinson Hyperlegible, via Braille Institute Maximizes character distinction, helpful for people with visual impairments and dyslexia. 🎁 Download → https://lnkd.in/epPf6_ED 🍷 Font pairings → https://lnkd.in/erP3pGTM 👍🏽 Best for: long reading text, UIs. Radio Canada, by CBC/Radio-Canada Open source, extensively tested for legibility and digital accessibility, making it very effective when used in continuous text. Understated, variable fonts, comes in 10 styles. 🎁 Download → https://lnkd.in/ekxiEX7R 🍷 Font pairings: https://lnkd.in/eUGeHaWw 👍🏽 Best for: long reading text, UIs. Lexend Deca 7 font families, designed to improve reading proficiency for people with short-sightedness and dyslexia. Variable font, with a weight axis from Thin to Black. 🎁 Download → https://lnkd.in/eG2iRjRC 👍🏽 Best for: long reading text, UIs. AR One Sans Open source, designed for high readability in AR/VR environments and UI text. Useful for low and high resolution. Variable font, 8 styles. 🎁 Download → https://lnkd.in/eTGF2HHG 🍷 Font pairings → https://lnkd.in/ebkEXpXA 👍🏽 Best for: UIs (functional text) When we speak about accessible typography, we need to distinguish between legibility and readability. Often they are used interchangeably, but they mean slightly different things. Legibility is how easy it is to recognize individual letters and words in a typeface. It’s mostly about the design and shape of individual characters. Readability is how effortless it is for people to read and understand text for a long time. It refers to line length, font sizes, line height (leading) and clarity of writing. The wonderful typefaces above have been designed for people with short-sightedness, poor vision, ADHD and dyslexia. They vastly outperform Open Dyslexic, Dyslexie and Comic Sans, as discovered by Oliver Schöndorfer: https://lnkd.in/e4tdQKWD. Better legibility is better for everyone — and so are inclusive design and accessibility. And it’s fantastic to have options that have been heavily tested, and are available for everybody for free. A BIG warm thank you to wonderful type designers for their work. Designing a typeface can take years, and many of these typefaces support dozens of languages. Thank you for making digital products more inclusive, and easier to read and understand for everyone. ❤️ #ux #design

A11Y: Key Principles of Accessible Typography 1️⃣ Text Size: At Least 16px 2️⃣ Line Height: 1.5x the Font Size 3️⃣ Paragraph Spacing: 2x the Font Size 4️⃣ Letter Spacing: 0.12x the Font Size 5️⃣ Word Spacing: 0.16x the Font Size 6️⃣ Line Length: 60-80 Characters Per Line Ensuring Character Differentiation Certain characters can appear similar, making text harder to read. Use fonts that distinguish between: ✅ Uppercase "I" (I), lowercase "l" (l), and number "1" (1) to avoid confusion. ✅ Letters "C" & "O" should be clearly distinct to prevent misinterpretation. ✅ Letters "e", "s", and "o" should have unique shapes for better differentiation. Who Benefits from Accessible Typography? Accessible typography improves readability for everyone, but it is particularly beneficial for: 👓 Users with Low Vision 🎨 Users with Color Vision Deficiency 🧠 Users with Dyslexia 🌫️ Users with Low Contrast Sensitivity So keeping that in mind, let’s build a web that everyone can enjoy! 💡✨ #a11y #ui #ux