Publishing compliance guidelines

Page Layout [back]

The visual organisation and layout of information on the page can help the reader find information efficiently. Good page layout will provide the reader with visual clues about the hierarchy and location of information.

There is minimal visual clutter and maximum white space. Organisation of text on the page is straightforward.

Reading print can be a daunting task for people who have low vision or learning disabilities. The cleaner the presentation of content, the easier it is to read and the more likely they are to read and comprehend the material.

Reading order should be clear so that the flow of the text is from left to right and/or down then up, if using two column text.

Keep language simple [back]

Write your content so that it will be easy to read for your target audience. Don’t attempt to sound more sophisticated or complex than is necessary.

Users must have a way to identify potentially unfamiliar words, such as idioms, jargon, and abbreviations. When it comes to acronyms and abbreviations there are differences to consider. Sometimes we speak acronyms as whole words and at other times, one letter at a time. For example, the acronym for Value Added Tax can be said as “V A T”, or as “vat” (like a container of liquid).

A screen reader might speak an acronym like a word, when a person would not: for example, the acronym for Disability Living Allowance is pronounced “D L A” by people, but some screen readers will say “dla” (like dlah”) instead. The abbreviation “Gov.” is an interesting case. In British English it's an abbreviation for “Government”, and screen readers using a TTS engine with a British voice will speak it as it's written – “Gov.”. However, a screen reader using a TTS with an American voice might speak it as “Governor”, because in the US “Gov.” is also a short form of that word. Capital letters also change the way screen readers pronounce things. A screen reader will say “Gov.UK” like a person would (Gov dot UK”), unless it is reading it as part of a web address where it's in lowercase. Then it will say something like “Gov dot uck” instead.

Where appropriate to the content, keep sentences short. Try to aim for a maximum of around 60 characters per line. [back]

Avoid making your content more complex than necessary. Remember that in many cases you will not be writing for an expert audience. Some people with learning disabilities have difficulty tracking lines that are too long or too short. Such lines may make it difficult for readers to find the beginning of each subsequent line, or to keep their place within a block of text.

Maintaining a standard line length between 40 to 60 characters per line improves legibility. Consistent pattern of layout creates a visual plan and gives the reader the confidence to find the information that is available. Repetition of pattern lets the viewer know how information is organized. Some people with vision loss will benefit substantially from a consistent line length.

Clear organization of page layout and the use of a consistent structure (using Headings) may allow people with vision loss to find information without having to read every word that is printed.

Punctuation [back]

Another thing to consider is the way screen readers handle punctuation. This can vary depending on the particular screen reader. Screen readers read most punctuation by default, such as parentheses, dashes, asterisks, and so on.

However, some do not read asterisks by default, for example. Others read out important punctuation marks by default, like the @ sign in an email address, but do not read out common punctuation marks like full-stops or question marks. Instead they speak the text much like a human would: they pause briefly at the end of a sentence where there is a full-stop (comma, colon or period), or increase the pitch of the voice where the sentence ends in a question mark.

Users can set their preferences so that screen readers read every punctuation mark and character. They can all be adjusted by the user to choose how much punctuation is announced.

Writing simply will assist users of screen readers to understand the content. Keep sentences on the short side, avoid excessive parenthetical statements, and avoid excessive subclauses. Above all, try reading the sentence without giving any particular emphasis to the terms and see how easy it is to understand the statement. It’s easy to write an ambiguous sentence if you’ve assumed it will be pronounced in a particular manner.

Ultimately, the expectations when writing with a screen reader in mind aren’t that hugely different than without. After all, it’s not as if you ‘intend’ to write confusing and ambiguous statements. However, the line drawn between “confusing” and “clear” is not necessarily in the same place for a computerised reader.

“Front Load” titles. [back]

Make sure there are keywords in the first four words of your title. Make a good first impression with short, keyword-leading headings that sound authentic, contain useful information, and make sense out of context. Useful headings are specific. They provide facts or information that pique the readers’ interest. Avoid broad and generic headings. Omit non-essential words.

One place worth practicing being concise is in document titles. Spend time editing titles to cut unnecessary words. Shorter titles require less cognitive effort and engage with readers quickly.

One of the best ways to get traffic to your site is to front-load your titles with keywords. Moving keywords to the front of titles increases the likelihood that they get noticed. Eye tracking studies show that readers pay most attention to the first few words in lists. Don’t count on people reading to the end of your title sentences.

Another advantage is that Google likes it when you front-load your keyword at the beginning of your title tag. This helps your title to rise to the top of search engine results.

File types [back]

Content files should only be supplied to APS for publication as Word, InDesign and an additional PDF where appropriate. Other file types should not be used.

PowerPoint should not be used to create content for Scottish Government documents.

Tables to be used for data only [back]

Data tables are used to organize data with a logical relationship in grids. Accessible tables need HTML markup that indicates header cells and data cells and defines their relationship.

Please refrain from creating text heavy tables as they are hard to read on smaller screens due to the extra scrolling.

All tables and charts should have a key provided alongside.