Typography Hints for Low Vision Impairments

When writing a publication for someone with a low vision impairment, there are some things you should consider. The following is a guide of general typography rules to follow to develop a legible article for a vision impaired audience.

The differences between serif and sans serif typography are important to a vision impaired client. According to KuraFire Network, serif can aid dyslexic people due to its distinction between characters such as I, L, and 1. However, these fonts viewed at sizes below 12 can be difficult to read. The opposite, sans serif, is generally easier to read, even at smaller sizes. But what really works for someone with a vision impairment?

I sat down with Elaine Mara, a Kutztown University graduate student with a low vision impairment, for more information. “Keep the fonts crisp, simple, and clear,” Mara declared. She said curly and script typography is harder for the low vision impaired because their eyes cannot always follow each letter due to rapid eye movements. This is also a reason to not type on a path, but rather type the way we read—from left to right, in order to enhance accessibility. Font size preferences will vary, so always have a way for clients to enlarge publications electronically.
 

Avoid fonts that look like this.
For someone who is not
visually impaired, this is hard to read.
So, for someone who is visually impaired,
this is especially difficult.

If fonts are kept clean and easy to read, all clientele will enjoy your publication. If you avoid fancy fonts such as French Script MS, and instead use something closer to Arial or Times, you will be helping your audience. Whenever possible, however, you should always first communicate with the client to ensure you are making an accessible publication for her specifically.