Paragraph Content Relationships
The visualization Success Criterion helps low vision users by letting them see text without distracting presentational features. It lets them configure text in ways that will be easier for them to see by letting them control the color and size of blocks of text. It also helps people with cognitive, language and learning disabilities perceive text and track their location within blocks of text.
- People with some visual or cognitive disabilities need to be able to select the color of text and the color of the background. They sometimes choose combinations that seem unintuitive to someone without that disability. Sometimes these combinations have very low contrast. Sometimes only very specific color combinations work for them. Control of color or other aspects of text presentation makes a huge difference to their comprehension.
- For people with some reading or vision disabilities, long lines of text can become a significant barrier. They have trouble keeping their place and following the flow of text. Having a narrow block of text makes it easier for them to continue on to the next line in a block.
- People with some cognitive disabilities find it difficult to track text where the lines are close together. Providing extra space between lines and paragraphs allows them to better track the next line and to recognize when they have reached the end of a paragraph.
- People with certain cognitive disabilities have problems reading text that is both left and right justified. The uneven spacing between words in fully justified text can cause “rivers of white” space to run down the page making reading difficult and in some cases impossible. Text justification can also cause words to be spaced closely together, so that it is difficult for them to locate word boundaries.
Paragraph Element Example
A paragraph is a coherent block of text, such as a group of related sentences that develop a single topic or a coherent part of a larger topic.
<p>Use the paragraph element <p> to mark up paragraphs of text, such as this one. The consistent styling of paragraphs improves text readability. It also gives users more control when customizing their view.</p>
How do you make a paragraph accessible?
- Use simple language and formatting, as appropriate for the context.
- Write in short, clear sentences and paragraphs.
- Avoid using unnecessarily complex words and phrases.
- Expand acronyms on first use. …
- Consider providing a glossary for terms readers may not know.
- Use list formatting as appropriate.