Use clear language for site's content |
WAI / WCAG 1.0 checkpoint 14.1
Issue Description Consistent page layout, recognizable graphics, and easy to understand language will benefit all users. In particular, they help people with cognitive disabilities or who have difficulty reading. Using clear and simple language promotes effective communication. Access to written information can be difficult for people who have cognitive or learning disabilities. Using clear and simple language also benefits people those whose first language differs from your own, including those people who communicate primarily in sign language.
How to check Make sure the text on the page is easy to read by everyone, especially by people with reading or cognitive disabilities.
Issue Explanation The following are some writing style suggestions to help make the content of your site easier to read:

- Strive for clear and accurate headings and link descriptions. For example, some users browse by jumping from link to link and listening only to link text
- State the topic of the sentence or paragraph at the beginning of the sentence or paragraph (a technique called "front-loading"). This helps people who are skimming visually as well as people who use speech synthesizers
- Limit each paragraph to one main idea
- Avoid slang, jargon, and specialized meanings of familiar words, unless defined within your document
- Favor words that are commonly used. For example, use "begin" rather than "commence" or use "try" rather than "endeavor"

To help determine whether your document is easy to read, consider using the Gunning-Fog reading measure, available at http://isu.indstate.edu/nelsons/asbe336/PowerPoint/fog-index.htm. When fed a text, this algorithm generally produces a lower score when content is easier to read. If you find your score soaring into the teens (or higher!), you've lost most of your audience in the dense fog.