School of Education & Human Development

Accessibility Tip: Readable Fonts

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To improve readability, choose a clear font, a comfortable text size, and enough spacing. Check that readers can enlarge the text without losing content.

Accessibility Tips graphic with a Lynx mascot. The left panel shows tiny text and long all caps italics as difficult to read. The right panel shows comfortable body text, sentence case, and brief bold emphasis. The recommendations are to use a familiar body font, start around 11 to 12 points in documents or 16 pixels online, add spacing, and test at 200 percent zoom.

May be difficult to read

Tiny body text can require more magnification. Long passages in all caps or italics can slow reading. 

More accessible 

Use a familiar font for body text. Write in sentence case and use bold for a few key words when they matter. 

Quick recommendations 

  • Use a familiar font for body text. 
  • Try 11 or 12 point text in documents and about 16 pixel text online as starting points. 
  • Use bold briefly and add spacing. 
  • Test at 200% zoom to check for clipped or overlapping text. 

These sizes are suggestions, not WCAG minimums. The goal is readable text that remains usable when enlarged. 

Interested in learning more about digital accessibility or scheduling a consultation? 

Contact Rosanna Miiller Salas at: rosanna.miillersalas@ucdenver.edu 

Small changes can create more inclusive digital experiences for everyone.