Write Web Content That Everyone Can Use, Including People with Disabilities

## Before Writing, List What Could Stop Readers Before drafting, identify the conditions that may prevent someone from receiving the message or completing the task. Consider differences in: - language fluency and reading ability; - familiarity with the subject or technology; - vision, hearing, cognition, and motor control; - device size, connection quality, and missing media; and - available time, attention, and stress. Do not treat one imagined user as the default. Include accessibility checks throughout content design and development, and involve a qualified specialist when the team cannot resolve a material barrier. ## Use Plain Words and Explain Unfamiliar Terms State the main point directly. Use familiar words, short sentences, and focused paragraphs while preserving necessary meaning. Define an unfamiliar scientific, legal, or technical term where it first appears. Write a product, service, or process name in full before introducing an acronym. If many definitions are necessary, provide a glossary as an additional path without forcing readers to leave the main explanation repeatedly. Avoid idioms and culture-dependent expressions when they could exclude or confuse part of the audience. Use readability tools as diagnostic signals, then confirm the result with human review and representative readers. ## Put Needed Explanations Next to What They Explain Put essential clarification beside the statement, control, or visual it explains. Use a nearby definition, a clearly labeled link, or a tooltip when supplementary detail would interrupt the main flow. Choose the method according to the reading context. A reference that works on a large screen may become difficult to find or interpret on a narrow screen or with assistive technology. Do not rely on a reference mechanism that separates a reader from information required to understand the current step. ## Break Pages Up with Clear Headings for Easy Skimming Use precise page titles and headings that reveal the purpose and main points without requiring a complete read. Break long passages into short, coherent sections. Keep related paragraphs connected by a clear progression of ideas. Vary sentence length only when it supports comprehension; split a sentence when its length or structure hides the action, condition, or conclusion. Check the page at narrow widths as well as wide ones. Scannability must survive responsive layout changes rather than depend on desktop spacing. ## Write Alt Text for Images and Charts For each image, chart, icon, or other visual, decide whether it is informative, redundant, or decorative. - For an informative visual, provide alt text that communicates the information needed in context. - When equivalent text is already adjacent, use empty alt text: `alt=""`. - For a decorative visual that should be ignored by assistive technology, use empty alt text. - Do not begin alt text with labels such as “image of”; assistive technology already identifies the element type. Add a caption when readers need visible context, and keep caption style consistent. Keep a visual close to its explanation. Do not place essential technical language or data only inside an image; provide an accessible text or data equivalent. ## Write Link Text That Says Where It Goes Make link text specific enough to remain meaningful when read without the surrounding paragraph. Name the destination or action instead of using a vague instruction. Tell readers when a link opens a distinct format, starts a download, or leads to a different kind of experience. Keep the voice of link text consistent with the rest of the content. Provide more than one practical route through a large information space when appropriate, such as descriptive page titles, a contents list, cross-links, search, or a site map. Each route should use labels that accurately predict what follows. ## Set Up Headings, Forms, and Page Language for Assistive Technology Use semantic headings, labels, relationships, and instructions so assistive technology can present the same organization available visually. Forms must expose their labels, requirements, errors, and instructions programmatically. Declare the primary language of the document with the appropriate language attribute, such as `lang="en"`, and mark passages that switch languages. This enables pronunciation and translation tools to interpret the text correctly. Do not use visual position, color, or styling as the only way to communicate structure or a required action. ## Add Captions and Transcripts to Videos and Audio Synchronize captions with spoken content and meaningful sounds. Captions may be concise rather than word-for-word, but they must preserve the message. Provide a transcript that includes spoken words, essential on-screen text, and descriptions of important visual information. Link it close to the associated media. Provide audio description when essential information appears visually and is not otherwise available through the audio. Use a player that exposes caption and playback controls to keyboard and assistive-technology users. ## Test Finished Pages with a Keyboard and Real Readers Review the completed content through several paths: 1. Scan only titles, headings, and links to see whether the structure and destinations are clear. 2. Navigate by keyboard and assistive technology, confirming that controls, labels, states, and form instructions are announced meaningfully. 3. Use a narrow screen and increased text size to find clipping, crowding, or broken reading order. 4. Disable or omit images, audio, or video and confirm that essential information remains available. 5. Ask representative readers to locate information and complete the intended task. Record barriers, correct the content or structure that caused them, and repeat the affected checks. A tool score alone is not evidence that the experience is accessible.