READY MINIMISING VISUAL STRESS

Some readers experience Visual Stress when looking at text that does not conform to good practice.

Typical symptoms include a ‘glare’ from white paper, the blurring, fading or swirling of print together with headaches or eye strain when reading. Some individuals are hampered in their reading by continually losing the place as they transfer from one line to the next, while others unintentionally skip words or misread them.

Those affected will include people with dyslexia, migraines and epilepsy.

The points of good practice, outlined below, will make the written word far more accessible to these readers. Many of the guidelines also refer to internet materials.

Aim to avoid or limit the following:

  • fonts below size 12
  • cramped spacing - between words, lines and throughout the document as a whole
  • printing whole words, phrases or sentences in capital letters (dyslexic people often read by recognising the shape of a word - this is destroyed by capitalisation)
  • use of italics (words in italics are harder to decipher)
  • use of ‘fancy’ or unusual fonts
  • glossy or bright white paper (the shine causes intense glare, especially under artificial lighting; the best colour for most people is pale blue or cream)
  • printing in either red or green (colour-blind people also report problems reading text written in green or red)
  • over-elaborate desktop publishing and ‘busy’ backgrounds

Research has concluded that the first two factors present the biggest handicap.

Incorporate the features below, as appropriate:

  • justify left only leaving the right hand margin unjustified (this format leads to equal spacing between the words and makes it easier for the eye to move accurately from one line to the next)
  • use lists and bullet points
  • use bold text selectively
  • use no more than two columns
  • stick to one font and style throughout

The remaining recommendations focus more on assisting the process of assimilation than minimising visual discomfort:

  • aim for a clear text, laid out in a consistent fashion, uncluttered by unnecessary features
  • only use graphics if these underline textual content, otherwise they distract and mislead
  • include icons and pictograms as markers to enable readers to find what they want more easily
  • incorporate clear headings and sub-headings
  • boxed summaries are useful enabling the reader to assimilate the essential message more easily
  • if shading is used, keep it pale and only overprint text in black, not in a colour.
  • many readers find diagrams far more accessible than a written account and flow-charts ideal to explain procedures
  • it is always good practice to provide a glossary of terms at the end - this also assists newcomers in the field

Following these guidelines should not hinder staff in conveying information to the majority who do not experience visual stress. In the case of readers hampered by this condition, however, it could make the difference between inaccessibility and getting your message across.