The dos and don’ts of designing for accessibility are general guidelines, best design practices for making services accessible. Currently, there are seven different posters in the series that cater to users from these areas: Anxiety, Users on the Autistic Spectrum, Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Dyslexia, Low Vision, Physical or Motor Disabilities, and Users of Screen Readers.

Designing for Users with Anxiety Poster Description:

This poster describes the Do’s and Don'ts when designing for users with Anxiety.

Do…

• Give users enough time to complete an action
• Explain what will happen after completing a service
• Make important information clear; Give users the support they need to complete a service
• Let users check their answers before they submit them

Don’t... 

• Rush users or set impractical time limits
• Leave users confused about next steps or timeframes
• Leave users uncertain about the consequences of their actions
• Make support or help hard to access
• Leave users questioning what answers they gave

Download Anxiety Poster

Designing for Users on the Autism Spectrum Poster Description:

This poster describes the Do’s and Don'ts when designing for users on the Autism Spectrum.

Do…

• Use simple colors
• Write in plain language
• Use simple sentences and bullets
• Make buttons descriptive
• Build simple & consistent layouts

Don’t…

• Use bright and contrasting colors
• Use figure of speech and idioms
• Create a wall of text
• Make buttons vague or unpredictable
• Build complex and cluttered layouts

Designing for Users who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing Poster Description:

This poster describes the Do’s and Don’ts when designing for users who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing.

Do…

• Write in plain language
• Use captions or provide transcripts for videos
• Use a linear, logical layout
• Break up content with sub-headings, images and videos
• Let users ask for their preferred communication support

Don’t…

• Use figure of speech and idioms
• Put content in audio or video only
• Make complex layouts & menus
• Make users read long blocks of contents
• Make telephone the only means of contact for users

Download Deaf and Hard of Hearing Poster

Designing for Users with Dyslexia Poster Description:

This poster describes the Do’s and Don’ts when designing for users with Dyslexia.

Do…

• Use images and diagrams to support text
• Align text to the left and keep a consistent layout
• Consider producing materials in other formats, like audio or video
• Keep content short, clear and simple
• Let users change contrast between background and text

Don’t…

• Use large blocks of heavy text
• Underline words, use italics, or all capitals
• Force users to remember things from previous pages - give reminders & prompts
• Rely on accurate spelling - use autocorrect or provide suggestions
• Put too much information in one place

Download Dyslexia Poster

Designing for Users with Low Vision Poster Description:

This poster describes the Do’s and Don’ts when designing for users with Low Vision.

Do…

• Use good color contrast and a readable font size
• Publish all information on web pages
• Use a combination of color, shapes, and text
• Follow a linear, logical layout
• Put buttons and notifications in context

Don’t…

• Use low contrast and small type
• Bury information in downloads
• Only use color to convey meaning
• Spread content all over the page
• Separate actions from their context

Download Low Vision Poster

Designing for Users with Physical or Motor Disabilities Poster Description:

This poster describes the Do’s and Don’ts when designing for users with physical or motor disabilities.

Do…

• Make large clickable actions
• Five form fields space
• Design for keyboard or speech use only
• Design with mobile & touchscreen in mind
• Provide shortcuts

Don’t…

• Demand precision
• Bunch interactions together
• Make dynamic content that requires a lot of mouse movement
• Have short time out windows
• Tire users with lots of typing & scrolling

Download Physical or Motor Disabilities Poster

Designing for Users of Screen Readers Poster Description:

This poster describes the Do’s and Don’ts when designing for users of Screen Readers.

Do…

• Describe images & provide transcripts for video
• Follow a linear, logical layout
• Structure content using HTML5
• Build for keyboard-only use
• Write descriptive links & headings

Don’t…

• Only show information in images or videos
• Spread content all over a page
• Rely on text size & placement for structure
• Force mouse or screen use
• Write vague links & headings

Download Screen Readers Poster