Grammar and Digital Accessibility

by OIT Staff January 11, 2022 Share

Whether you’re crafting an email, project proposal, flyer, or web page, readability and usability play a significant role in reducing barriers for people with cognitive disabilities. Incorrect grammar and misspellings can negatively impact the readability of your digital content, and in some cases, create serious accessibility barriers for screen reader users.

Why Grammar is Important

Structuring content clearly, with special attention to correct use of grammar and spelling, is a critical aspect of accessible digital design. Reading a misspelled word like “spellign” visually may allow some users to get an overall sense of the word, inferring that it should read, “spelling.” However, if users are listening to the misspelled word with screen reading or text-to-speech software, they will likely need to listen to the word letter by letter, in context, in order to infer intended meaning. People with cognitive disabilities may have trouble deciphering the word visually or auditorily.

Best Practices for Accessible Grammar

Structure content clearly and concisely.
Use the simplest language appropriate for your content.
Avoid colloquialisms, non-literal text, and technical jargon.
Always check grammar, spelling and readability.

References

Readability and Language by Web Accessibility in Mind (WebAIM)
Understandable Content by Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI)

Grammar and Digital Accessibility