You’ve spent thousands of dollars creating a branded font for your business, so you’re using it throughout your website. In the process, you may have also created an accessibility issue for people with low vision, dyslexia, and other disabilities — but then again, maybe not.
We’re not trying to be coy; font choice is important for accessibility, but designers often misunderstand how and why it’s important. Here’s what you need to know.
How Fonts Impact Legibility and Readability
“Legibility" refers to how easily a person can distinguish the individual characters that make up a word or number. “Readability" refers to whether a person can quickly process the meaning of the text.
Your font choice can affect both legibility and readability. However, the extent of the impact will vary depending on the reader. That’s one of the reasons that the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) doesn’t set specific requirements for which fonts you’re allowed to use; readability and legibility are subjective.
In other words, there’s no such thing as a “best font" for accessibility. Even if you choose a font that’s specifically designed for users with disabilities (such as a dyslexia-friendly font), some users might prefer a different font.
With that said, simple sans serif fonts are generally easier to read and understand. That includes popular fonts like:
- Times New Roman
- Arial
- Tahoma
- Helvetica
- Calibri
- Verdana
These fonts are popular, which is beneficial — most people have already encountered them, and they’re widely supported by web browsers and other software.
All of these fonts are sans serif fonts, which means that they don’t have “ticks" and “tails" on certain characters. That simplicity may make it easier for readers to separate and decipher the characters.
Does the ADA require certain fonts?
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) does not have specific technical standards for web accessibility, though the Department of Justice has identified WCAG as a reasonable standard for compliance.
However, the ADA and the Architectural Barriers Act (ABA) explicitly require sans serif fonts for signage (ADA standard 703.2.3) and characters on certain display screens (ADA standard 707.7.2).
Once again, these standards aren’t intended for web content, but they support the use of sans serif fonts as a best practice.
What WCAG Says About Font and Typeface
As we’ve discussed, WCAG doesn’t require a certain font (and as we note frequently on this blog, web accessibility doesn’t severely restrict your options as a designer).
That means that if you want to use serif fonts for some reason, you can do so while maintaining WCAG conformance. However, inclusive design isn’t just about conformance: You want your content to be legible and readable for as many people as possible.
If you decide to use serif fonts, use them sparingly. For most body text, you should use a sans serif font with appropriate spacing and weight.
Follow these tips:
- Use a font size of at least 12 points (pt) or 16 pixels (px) for body text. Don’t use absolute font sizes. Learn more: Accessibility Tips: Let Users Control Font Size.
- Zoom your content to 200% or more and make sure that everything still works. If words blend together or overlap into other page content, you’ll need to make some adjustments. Read more: Give Yourself an Accessibility Test: Zoom Your Page to 200%.
- To make your website more predictable, limit the number of fonts and typefaces you use on each page.
- Use appropriate HTML markup for subheadings. Don’t use subheading tags (such as H2 and H3) to style your content; use HTML to define your page’s structure, then use CSS for styling.
Finally, make sure all text maintains appropriate contrast with its background. Color contrast is far more important than font choice for accessibility!
Related: Accessibility Tips: Don’t Use Subheadings Because of How They Look
If You're Thinking About Font Accessibility, You're On the Right Track
When designers ask about font accessibility, it tells us something: They’re thinking about users with disabilities. That’s a crucial part of any accessibility initiative. When you consider the needs, preferences, and expectations of all of your users, you’ll create better content.
To take the next steps on your accessibility journey — and start thinking about accessibility as an opportunity, not a burden — download our free eBook: Developing the Accessibility Mindset.
