Typography Mistakes That Are Hurting Accessibility

When it comes to typography design, fonts are more than just a stylistic choice. It is part of communication. Words tell the stories on the screen or page with every curve of the line. The wrong typography can cloud your message. 

Especially when it comes to accessibility, not all fonts are created equal. The lettering you choose can create barriers for people visually and cognitively, turning what should be an engaging experience into a frustrating one. 

Let’s break down how fonts can be inaccessible, and how you can change your design to be more inclusive for the disability community.

Why Fonts Matter in Accessible Web Design

Fonts play a huge role in how we read and process information. Think of it this way, how many times have you seen a Discord name in “Fancy” lettering that you can’t read? Now multiply that feeling times a million. That is what inaccessible fonts do to the disability community. 

Leading typography (the vertical space between lines) also impacts readability. When designers focus on aesthetics alone, they may overlook how typographic art choices affect people that are low vision or those that have cognitive disabilities.

Decorative fonts are never accessible. Similarly, fonts with poor contrast or tightly packed lines can make even the most beautifully designed document or web design impossible to read.

Common Ways Fonts Can Be Inaccessible

There are plenty of issues to go through, but let’s narrow it to five. 

1. Low Contrast: Fonts that blend into the background can be nearly invisible to people with color vision differences or low vision. 
2. Overly Decorative Script: While these fonts might be on trend in peak design they often sacrifice clarity for style. 
3. Small Font Sizes: Small fonts make it hard for screen magnifiers to display content effectively and create a major barrier if it is a printed document. 
4. Inconsistent Leading Typography: If the space between lines is too tight or too loose, it can disrupt the flow of reading and make it harder to track lines of text.
5. Lack of Hierarchy: Designs that don’t use clear headings, subheadings, and body text can be confusing and create malfunctions with assistive technology.

Inconsistent Leading Typography

Leading typography refers to the vertical space between lines of text. The term “leading” (pronounced “ledding”) comes from the days of metal type, when strips of lead were placed between lines to increase spacing. 

When leading is inconsistent (either too tight or too loose) it disrupts the natural flow of the text. This makes it harder to follow the words and keep focused. 

As an autistic, ADHDer, I can attest to the barrier this causes. If the flow of text is interrupted, usually I have to start over. While there are some reasons to have creative leading, like for poetry or infographic designs, it is important to always provide more than one format so everyone can read it. 

So to recap the impact of leading: 

• Too little leading: When lines are packed too closely together, the text can appear crowded and overwhelming. This makes it easy for readers to lose their place, especially for those who use screen magnifiers or have tracking difficulties.
• Too much leading: Excessive space between lines can break the visual connection between related lines of text, forcing the reader to work harder to connect sentences and paragraphs.
• Inconsistent application: If leading varies across a page or site, it creates a disjointed experience that disrupts reading rhythm and comprehension. For people with cognitive disabilities, this inconsistency can be especially distracting and exhausting.

Accessible design tip: Use consistent, generous leading (at least 1.5 times the font size for body text) to create a clear, comfortable reading path for everyone.

Small Font Size

Small font sizes can be a significant barrier for anyone who relies on screen magnifiers or zoom features.

• Visual strain: Tiny text requires more effort to read and can cause eye fatigue, headaches, or even force users to abandon the content altogether.
• Screen magnifiers: Users who rely on magnification tools may only see a few words at a time, making it difficult to follow the flow of information and increasing cognitive load.
• Mobile and responsive design: On small screens, small fonts become even harder to read, especially if it is not formatted to zoom properly on smaller screens. 

Accessible design tip: Test your design on various devices and with zoom enabled to ensure readability before you publish. 

Overly Decorative Fonts

Decorative script can be visually striking and add personality to a design, but they often sacrifice clarity for style. Speaking from personal experience, any time I see decorative fonts on Discord, I cringe. There are no tools that can interpret the text. It’s just a bunch of meaningless lines and scribbles. 

The issues with decorative fonts: 

• Legibility issues: these fonts often have irregular shapes, inconsistent letter spacing, and flourishes that make individual letters hard to distinguish. This is especially challenging for users with dyslexia, who may already struggle with letter recognition.
• Screen readers and OCR: Some decorative fonts can confuse screen readers or optical character recognition (OCR) tools, making text less accessible for people who use assistive technology.
• Cognitive overload: For users with cognitive disabilities, ornate fonts add unnecessary complexity, making it harder to process and retain information.

Accessible design tip: If you must use it, make sure to include the title with a clear, sans-serif font. Never use decorative script  for body text or essential information.

Lack of Hierarchy: Why It Matters for Cognitive Accessibility

A clear visual hierarchy is the foundation for accessible web and graphic design. Visual hierarchy is the arrangement and prioritization of elements on a page so users can easily scan and understand information. 

When a design lacks hierarchy, there’s no clear starting point, no obvious navigation, and no cues about what to focus on next. The brain has to work harder to process what’s on the screen, leading to cognitive overload and frustration. Especially if you have a cognitive disability like me!

Research shows that effective visual hierarchy helps guide attention, reduces cognitive strain, and makes interfaces more intuitive for everyone, but it’s especially critical for those who process information differently.

Our brains naturally look for patterns and organization, so visual hierarchy leverages this by using size, color, contrast, spacing, and layout to tell the viewer what is important. 

Best Practices for Inclusive Hierarchy:

• Use clear headings and subheadings to break content into sections with descriptive titles.
• Apply consistent spacing to group related items and add space between unrelated sections.
• Emphasize key actions by making buttons and calls to action stand out with size and color contrast.
• Follow WCAG guidelines and use accessible color palettes and structure to support all users.
• Test with real users, especially those with cognitive disabilities, to ensure your hierarchy works in practice.

Inclusive design isn’t just about meeting legal requirements it’s about creating digital spaces that are welcoming and usable for all. 

Five Options for Inclusive Design 

1. Choose Readable Fonts: Sans-serif fonts like Arial, Verdana, or Tahoma for body text are some of the more readable for users. 
2. Use Accessible Color Palettes: Select colors with strong contrast between text and background. Tools like the Color and Font Accessibility Simulator that can help you make sure the palette meets accessibility standards.
3. Adjust Leading Typography: Set line spacing (leading) to at least 1.5 times the font size for body text. This simple tweak can make a massive difference in readability.
4. Create Clear Hierarchies: Use headings, subheadings, and bullet points to break up content. This not only helps with visual scanning but also supports users who rely on assistive technology.
5. Test Your Design: Use screen readers and accessibility evaluation tools to check your work. AND get feedback from the disabled community!

Making Design Accessibility Standard Practice

Accessible design is a necessity. What you design isn’t just about aesthetics; it’s about creating experiences that everyone can enjoy. By prioritizing accessibility, your typography becomes a bridge not a barrier for the disabled community.

More typography content incoming: Find out how accessible Kinetic Typography is for your projects.