Types of Accommodations in the Instructional Process

3. Accessibility of Textual Content

It is recommended that textual materials include the following:

A sans-serif font (e.g., Arial or Verdana).
A font size of at least 12 to 14 points.
1.5 line spacing.
Left alignment.
Use bold text for emphasis instead of italics or underlining, as these can be difficult to read.
Use flexible formats such as Microsoft Word, Open Document Text (ODT), accessible PDFs, and HTML, so that students can adjust the appearance, size, and font of electronic documents.
To create an accessible PDF in Microsoft Office, use the "Save As" option instead of"Print to PDF": Save As > Options, ensuring that the boxes for "Document structure tags for accessibility" and "Create bookmarks using headings" are checked.
When linking to external sources, use descriptive text for links instead of phrases like "click here", for example, "Find resources by searching the University Library catalogue." This allows students who use assistive technology such as screen readers to follow the link.
Use strong contrast between the text and the background, for example, dark text on a pastel or cream background (not white). Avoid using red and green in contrast, as people with colour blindness may find it difficult to distinguish these colours.
Ensure that colours are not the only way to convey information: use headings to help students follow the structure of the content.