Conveying Information with Text and Graphics
In general, accessible documentation design follows the same rules as accessible visual design for software:
- Information should not be conveyed by color or graphics alone. If printed documentation relies on color or graphics to convey important information, that information might not be available to some customers. Some customers may rely on a variety of devices to enlarge a document or translate it into ASCII text, speech, or Braille, and those devices are often unable to preserve graphic or color information.
- Color and graphics should be added redundantly to the text to improve documents. For example, if a reference work contains a list of function calls and gives important information about each one, some entries can be printed in blue ink, rather than black, to make it instantly obvious that they are not supported on all systems. In this case, all the entries that are shown in blue can also include a phrase, such as "platform specific" in their description. If space is limited, each can simply be marked with an asterisk. Such redundant use of information often makes documentation easier for everyone to use. A phrase or asterisk could also be used in cases where certain paragraphs are called out with a graphic in the margin.
Modifying text in this way makes it easier for you, or another organization working on your behalf, to translate your documentation into alternative formats, such as Braille or online documentation.
- Maintain high contrast between text and its background, and avoid screened art behind text.
- Text should not be less than 10 points in size.