Accessibility and Dyslexia-Friendly Publishing

1Why Structure Is Accessibility Core

What this page covers: how to lay out a page, write lists and links, caption media, and notate math so a dyslexic or tired reader can follow it the first time. Every rule below comes from the adopted accessibility standard [1].

Readable structure is not a cosmetic choice. Short paragraphs, predictable headings, and plain language reduce how much a reader has to hold in mind at once -- the same standard every already-published page in this collection is built to meet.

One rule applies throughout this guide and every page that follows it: expand an acronym the first time it appears, then use the short form. This page follows its own rule.

2Layout, Typography, and Page Structure Core

Prefer short lines and short paragraphs, with one blank line between paragraphs. Use headings to chunk content into sections a reader can scan before committing to read in full.

Avoid italics for emphasis; use bold sparingly instead. Avoid ALL CAPS except in short labels, such as a badge or a table header -- never in a full sentence. Prefer plain language over technical phrasing when a plain word says the same thing.

Start a page with a short list of what it covers, and close it with a short check the reader can run against what they just read; section 4 of this page is that check. Keep section ordering consistent across related pages so a returning reader already knows where to look.

3Lists, Media, Links, and Notation Core

Use bullets for properties, steps, and checklists, and keep each list item short enough to scan in one pass.

Give every image a caption and enough context that a reader understands why it is there without decoding it first. Prefer simple, high-contrast diagrams over dense or low-contrast ones, and crop screenshots to the region that matters.

Write descriptive link text that names its destination -- avoid "click here" -- and prefer stable links, such as official documentation, a DOI, or a course page, over ones likely to move.

Define a symbol or notation before using it, keep notation consistent across a page, and provide a short plain-language translation alongside it. Section 6 works through a small example.

4Before You Publish Core

Run this check before treating a page as ready:

1. Paragraphs are short and scannable.

2. Headings reflect the content that follows them.

3. No dense walls of text remain.

4. Acronyms are expanded on first use.

5. Images have captions and context.

6. Links are descriptive.

5Advanced: Auditing Structure and Cognitive Load in Existing Pages Optional advanced

The checks below work on any already-published page, including the ones in this collection.

1. Check the heading hierarchy

   Open the page's outline (browser developer tools or a heading-list extension) and confirm headings nest without skipping a level. This page's own numbered section headings are one example of a flat, predictable hierarchy.

2. Check labelled landmarks

   Confirm each summary, aside, table, and figure points its labelling attribute at a visible heading or caption, the same pattern this page's own Summary and Scope-and-safety sections use.

3. Run a read-aloud check

   Read the page aloud, or use a screen reader, and note where you lose the thread. That is usually the paragraph to shorten.

4. Recheck cognitive load, not only markup

   Confirm no paragraph runs past a few sentences and every acronym is still expanded on first use, per the checklist in section 4.

6Advanced: Accessible Mathematics and Data Notation Optional advanced

Notation causes the same problem as a dense paragraph: an unbroken string of unfamiliar symbols forces a reader to hold several undefined tokens in their head before anything resolves into meaning. The fix is the one this page already uses for prose -- chunk it, name it, and translate it before asking the reader to parse it.

1. Translate before you notate

   Put the plain-language meaning in the sentence itself, not only in a caption below it -- a symbol should never appear before its meaning does.

2. Keep it as text, not a picture of text

   If a relationship needs to be typeset, use real markup (subscripts, fractions) instead of an image of an equation -- a screen reader can read text; it cannot read a picture.

3. One relationship per line

   Break multi-symbol expressions apart the same way you would break up a long paragraph. The table below is one way to do that.

These are the accessibility rules. The LaTeX Math Quick Reference covers the syntax mechanics for applying them -- subscripts, fractions, equation numbering -- in practice.

References

1. [1] Polymath Global. Accessibility Guidelines (Dyslexia-Friendly). Layout, typography, structure, lists, media, links, and notation rules adopted throughout this page.