Accessible writing helps people find information and understand what to do with it. It supports readers using assistive technology as well as people scanning a small screen or trying to complete a task quickly. The work begins before choosing colours or page templates: identify the reader's task and organise the text around it.
Give the page a clear purpose
Write a title that distinguishes the page from others on the site. “Contact the editorial team” communicates more than “Information.” Lead with the fact or action the reader came for, then add the context needed to use it. A support page should not require several paragraphs of company history before revealing how to request help.
W3C's writing guidance recommends meaningful page titles, structural headings, useful links and text alternatives for images. Apply those principles to the actual reader journey. For example, an event page should make the date, place and booking process easy to locate rather than hiding them inside a promotional image.
Build a useful heading outline
Group related paragraphs under headings that describe their contents. A reader scanning only the headings should understand the shape of the page. Use the content system's proper heading levels, rather than making ordinary text large and bold to imitate a heading. Structural markup lets assistive technology communicate the relationships between sections.
For a returns guide, headings might cover eligibility, preparing the item, arranging collection and checking the refund. Those labels describe tasks. Decorative headings such as “Your journey continues” may sound lively but give less help to someone who wants one specific instruction. Choose clarity when the page is primarily functional.
Make links meaningful in context
Name the destination or action in the link text. “Read the privacy policy” is clearer than “click here.” If several links on the same page point to different guides, give them different descriptive labels. A person navigating a list of links should be able to distinguish them without reconstructing every surrounding paragraph.
When a link downloads a file, explain the relevant format or purpose where useful. Do not imply that a document is an ordinary web page if the experience changes materially. Keep link wording accurate when updating destinations. A broken or mislabeled link frustrates every reader and can be particularly confusing when visual context is unavailable.
Explain what images contribute
Ask whether each image carries information. A photograph used for atmosphere may not need a spoken description, while a chart showing a comparison needs its conclusion and relevant data available in text. Write the alternative around the purpose in this page, not every visible detail. A detailed visual inventory can distract from the message the reader needs.
For a process diagram, include the sequence in nearby text so the explanation survives if the image cannot be seen. Avoid putting essential contact details or instructions only inside a graphic. Text remains easier to resize, search, translate and use with assistive technology. If an image includes important words, provide those words in an accessible form.
Make instructions concrete
Use familiar terms and define necessary technical language when it first appears. Present steps in the order the reader needs to perform them. State the expected result so people can recognise success. “Select the account you want to export, then check that its name appears in the confirmation” gives a clearer checkpoint than “complete the process.”
Use lists for genuinely sequential steps or comparable items, not as a substitute for explaining a complex relationship. Keep warnings close to the action they affect. If an instruction depends on a condition, state that condition before the action so the reader does not discover it after completing the wrong step.
Review the complete reading experience
Read the page aloud or use an appropriate assistive-technology review as part of testing. Check titles, headings, links and image explanations as separate pieces. Then ask someone unfamiliar with the draft to complete its intended task. Record where they hesitate and whether the needed information is actually present.
Accessible writing is maintained during editing, not added once at launch. New charts, embedded media and shortened link labels can change the experience. A good publishing check asks whether every essential fact remains available in understandable text and whether the page's structure leads the reader through the task.
Sources and further reading
This original guide was prepared with AI assistance. Examples are illustrative. The edition date is an assigned date in this 2026 catalogue. See our editorial policy and report a correction.