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More on Accessible Writing: Fancy Fonts

This entry is part 5 of 5 in the series Writing for Accessibility

Every time I think I’ve finished this series on Accessible Writing, another topic comes up! This article on Fancy Fonts started as a LinkedIn post to get some thoughts from my network. 

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In Summary

Using "fancy fonts" from online generators might seem cool for social media, but they cause problems. These special fonts are actually made of different computer characters that can be hard for people with disabilities, like those using screen readers, to understand. They also make it harder for your content to show up in online searches and can even be linked to spam. It's much better to use regular fonts so everyone can easily read and find your content.

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Writing Bonus! Accessible Emoji Use

This entry is part 4 of 5 in the series Writing for Accessibility

I was done with my planned series on Writing for Accessibility… or so I thought! We covered writing ALT text, writing for readability, and writing captions, transcripts, and audio descriptions. I wanted to add one more “writing” topic to the series: accessible emoji use!

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In Summary

This article shares how to use emojis in an accessible way. Key tips include not replacing words with emojis, avoiding them as bullet points, and placing them at the end of sentences. It's also important to check emoji descriptions, and to use them in moderation.

A yellow bubble with Writing Captions, Transcripts, and Audio Descriptions in black, with the words Did You Know? in white over pink and blue boxes. The inclusive pixelation logo appears in the lower right, with blue arrows in the upper right.

Writing Captions, Transcripts, and Audio Descriptions

This entry is part 3 of 5 in the series Writing for Accessibility

Welcome to this deeper-dive series of blog posts! I’ll be digging in to some accessibility topics that relate to my presentations on accessibility, with the goal of providing you with information and resources to make your workplace more accessible. The third post in this series is on Writing Captions, Transcripts, and Audio Descriptions. (Did you miss the others on ALT Text and Readability?)

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In Summary

When we talk about making videos and audio easier for everyone to use, we focus on three main things: captions, transcripts, and audio descriptions. Captions are like subtitles that show up on a video screen. They display what people are saying and important sounds. A transcript is a full written version of everything said and important sounds in a video or audio recording. It tells you who is speaking and when certain sounds happen. Audio descriptions are for people who can't see well. They're like a narrator who describes important things happening on screen that aren't explained by the talking, like what someone is doing, where they are, or their facial expressions.

A yellow bubble with Writing ALT Text for Accessibility in black, with the words Did You Know? in white over pink and blue boxes. The inclusive pixelation logo appears in the lower right, with blue arrows in the upper right.

Writing ALT Text for Accessibility

This entry is part 1 of 5 in the series Writing for Accessibility

Welcome to this deeper-dive series of blog posts! I’ll be digging in to some accessibility topics that relate to my presentations on accessibility, with the goal of providing you with information and resources to make your workplace more accessible. The first post in this series is on Writing ALT Text for Accessibility.

Read More »Writing ALT Text for Accessibility

In Summary

ALT text is a hidden description for images, helping people who can't see them understand what's there. It's also useful if images don't load or for search engines. Good ALT text describes the image and its purpose, keeping it short and to the point. You only skip ALT text for purely decorative images. While computers can help, always check their suggestions to ensure the description is accurate and helpful.

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Myths About Accessibility and Disabilities

In this post, I want to dispel some common myths about accessibility and disabilities. You may have heard some of these statements before!

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In Summary

Some people think you can always tell if someone has a disability, but actually, many disabilities aren't obvious. Many think that making things easy for everyone to use is too much work. In fact, designing things to be accessible from the beginning helps everyone. It's also usually cheaper and easier to do it right from the start. This way, websites and online tools are usable for all.

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What’s the Difference between Accessibility, Usability, and Inclusion?

What’s the difference between accessibility, usability, and inclusion? I’m so glad you asked! This topic comes up a lot when discovering the world of accessibility, and these topics intersect and apply in different ways depending on your goals. I’d love to share a few definitions and sources I’ve found helpful.

Read More »What’s the Difference between Accessibility, Usability, and Inclusion?

In Summary

Accessibility means making sure websites and online tools work for people with disabilities. You either do it right, or you don't. Usability means making things easy for everyone to use. But sometimes, even if something is easy for most people, it's still hard for someone with a disability. Inclusion is about making sure everyone feels welcome and can be part of things, no matter what. So, accessibility is about following rules to make sure disabled people can use things. It's a "yes" or "no" answer. Usability and inclusion are more about making sure everyone feels good using something and like they belong.