Clear Language & Web Accessibility for Cognitive Disabilities

In the field of web accessibility, solutions are often grouped by the general type of disability they aim to accommodate. Visual disabilities are frequently discussed in both front-end design and backend development to ensure a website is not just good looking, but also color-contrast compliant and screen reader compatible. Transcripts and captions are standard accommodations for d/Deaf and hard-of-hearing users. As well, robust accessibility testing often includes navigating a site using the tab key or a puff and sip device, two common tools for users with physical or motor disabilities that may make it difficult to use a mouse.

However, guidelines for accommodating cognitive disabilities are often vague. At best, they just instruct creators to write in “clear language.” At worst, some claim it’s not even worth the time to make any accommodations, as they believe some content is just too complex for the cognitive disability community to grasp. Of course, this is a gross oversimplification of the breadth of disabled experience. And “clear language” doesn’t mean talking down to users or leaving out information. Whether you’re a designer, developer, or content creator, there are many ways beyond “clear language” to ensure all users have the ability to find and understand the information they need.

So what does clear language mean, exactly? And what other accessibility practices for cognitive disabilities are there?

Who benefits from web accessibility for cognitive disabilities?

It may be more people than you think! The cognitive disability umbrella is wide, and many more people who may not identify as disabled still benefit from a site designed with cognitive accessibility in mind.

People with permanent disabilities

The first challenge in ensuring access for users with cognitive disabilities is understanding the diverse experiences that label covers. In web accessibility terms, this group includes cognitive disabilities, learning disabilities, intellectual disabilities, and memory-related conditions. Some more well-known cognitive disabilities include Down’s Syndrome, autism, and Alzheimer’s. This group also includes ADHD and even Long COVID, which often includes brain fog as a symptom.

Even within just one of these conditions, there are a range of symptoms that can affect how a user interacts with content. Take ADHD for example, which can include symptoms beyond the typical focus struggles like difficulty following directions, problems with working memory, and auditory processing disorders. These may result in ADHD users struggling to follow multi-page forms or missing audio-only information. Some users with ADHD may be distracted by animated page elements, but others may benefit from animations that keep important information top-of-mind. And that’s just one condition! In broad strokes, cognitive disabilities can impact users’:

Learning ability
Communication skills
Reading, writing, or math skills
Ability to understand or process new or complex information
Ability to cope independently
Memory and attention
Visual, language, or numerical thinking

The important thing to understand here is that cognitive disability is not a monolith. Cognitive disabilities can impact a user’s ability to understand information, but it may also impact the ability to recall, interact with, or pay attention to content. And like many other accessibility tools, accommodations for users who struggle with comprehension or focus can benefit users across the board.

People with temporary disabilities

Have you ever tried to:

Read an article or present a pitch after a night of poor sleep?
Scroll on your phone with a bandaid on your dominant-hand thumb?
Drive with a neck or back injury?

If so, you’ve experienced a temporary disability. Whether it’s from poor sleep, a distracting environment, a temporary medical condition, or another factor, we’ve all had days where everything feels a bit more complicated.

As well, many everyday situations that might not be negative may functionally disable users. For example, have you ever had to check a timetable on a website in a foreign language? Or tried to use a laptop while holding a newborn? When we make our content, systems, and sites more welcoming to those with cognitive disabilities, we’re making everyone’s lives easier on days when they may really need it. From a user experience perspective, it doesn’t matter whether a user is having a low spoons day or they’re just distracted by other people on the bus. It just matters that they can find what they need with the abilities they have.

Addressing clear language: simplicity vs. clarity

First, we have to address the biggest misconception about “clear language.” Clear language (also called “clear words” in the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, or WCAG) is a writing style that aims to make writing as easy to comprehend as possible. Many people think this means they should write for lower reading levels by using smaller words, shorter sentences, and simpler concepts. And yes, unnecessarily complex language can impede comprehension. However, it’s crucial to understand that clear language is not oversimplifying content. Readers don’t want to be talked down to. In fact, oversimplifying content can become an access barrier when users aren’t provided with all the information they need.

Clear language doesn’t mean over-explaining or altogether avoiding complicated concepts. It also doesn’t require sacrificing style and voice. It just means following general guidelines for effective writing and being mindful of your audience.

Clear language in practice

The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) defines clear language as follows:

“Writing and editing in plain language means using:

Common words
Concrete and literal words and phrases
Consistent, clear and simple language structure
Language that clearly illustrates the main point and take-aways
Clear, short, step-by-step instructions
Explanations of icons, numbers, and acronyms”

Some of these guidelines may be things you’re already doing! Consistent language structure, clear instructions, and clearly illustrating the main point and take-aways are just good writing practices. Explaining icons, numbers and acronyms is already a familiar practice from other WCAG success criteria: 3.1.3 Unusual Words and 3.2.4 Abbreviations.

Now let’s look at the remaining bullet points: sticking to common words and avoiding metaphor. These may make language more clear, but sometimes at the sacrifice of style or specificity. And in some cases, sticking to common words can oversimplify content to the point where meaning is lost. Even W3C specifies that specialized or complex information are exceptions to these guidelines.

Here are some ways use clear language without sacrificing style:

Include a definition for any uncommon abbreviations or industry jargon the first time they’re used. This may be in the text, as a popup definition, or a link to a glossary
Avoid vague phrases or words like “ect.,” and “and so forth”
Embrace on-page structure to highlight important ideas, such as:
1. Follow heading best practices
2. Use bullet points or numbers for instructions and lists
3. Include summaries or takeaways for longer or more complex sections
Write for your audience! If your target readers are already familiar with your topic, over-explaining can bog down your writing

For a wider audience with mixed needs and ability levels, consider progressive disclosure. It’s a method of structuring information that defers advanced or more in-depth information to a separate page, section or screen, allowing users more control of how much information they engage with.

What other accommodations are there for cognitive disabilities?

Manage expectations

One of the main tenets of accessibility, whether online or in-person, is transparency. There’s a wide variety of disabilities, and even within one condition there’s a variety of unique experiences. For example, one user with dyslexia might prefer audio content as a text alternative, while another prefers graphics and visuals. With such a spectrum of needs and abilities, accommodations can’t be one-size-fits-all. However, when we are candid about what users can expect, they are more able to choose the right assistive tools for the job. Here are a few ways to help users understand what to expect when interacting with your content:

For articles, or blog posts, include estimated reading time and reading progress bars
Long pages or posts also benefit from a table of contents. This helps users understand the scope of the entire page and quickly find any specific information they might want
For forms and interactive content, avoid timed sessions when possible. Where timed sessions are required for security, like banking, clearly show users the time left and provide an option to extend the session

Multiple information formats

If you’re at all familiar with basic web accessibility concepts, you’ve likely encountered the idea of providing information in multiple formats. Most often this appears as alt text: when images have a text description for blind or low-vision users. This idea also sets the expectation that audio or video content should have written transcripts. Most web accessibility standards focus on audio and visual content because those are the primary types of content on the web. Therefore, users who cannot hear or see are the most obviously impacted.

While they may not be the intended audience, this idea can benefit cognitively disabled users as well. For example, someone with dyslexia may use the same audio content as a blind user. However, some additional alternate format considerations can provide even broader accessibility.

When describing audio or visual content, include implied or ambiguous information such as body gestures, inflection, or facial expressions
Graphics or videos may be more accessible to dyslexic users than text. Graphics are also more accessible to users with auditory processing difficulties
Common icons and symbols help users with focus difficulties find and track their position on a page. These may also benefit users who have a harder time processing written information, whether that’s because of a learning disability, limited cognitive processing, or not being fluent in your language

Designing for dyslexia

Much has been made of “dyslexia-friendly” fonts in recent years. Before their popularity, some best practices existed such as opting for sans-serif fonts and avoiding all-caps text when possible. Section 508 includes some accessible typography standards, and the ADA has a few standards for regulated signage. But even those Section 508 resources acknowledge that conflicting needs are at play here: “For people with good vision, a typeface with serifs is slightly easier and faster to read than one without serifs. Typically, for people with low vision, the serifs significantly degrade legibility.”

Like many guidelines supporting blind or low-vision users, those for dyslexia are as much, if not more so, about being compatible with assistive technology as they are about making content functional on its own. There’s no single font, format, spacing, or color combination that works for for every single reader. Some fonts and color schemes are broadly more accessible than others, but it’s just as important to program your site correctly. That way, users are able to choose and configure their own assistive tech solutions. When your site is built to work with assistive technology, disabled users have more control over their experience and you can focus on the value of your content instead of just the aesthetics.

Predictable layouts, functions, and landmarks

WCAG Success Criteria 3.2 says that web pages should “appear and operate in predictable ways.” The criteria documentation includes a number of examples, but the basic idea is that websites should be consistent with both general website best practices and design choices across your own site.

General web page best practices encompass the ways users generally expect all websites to work.

Some common expectations include:

The site logo in a header or footer menu links to the homepage
A site’s header menu contains the main content categories and contact info like a phone number or a link to a form
A site’s footer menu contains links to administrative information like the privacy policy and accessibility statement
External links open in a new tab or page

For more in-depth info on designing intuitive sites, check out 10 Usability Heuristics for User Interface Design from NNGroup.

Site-specific expectations might look like:

All pages within a group have consistent formatting
The main menu is accessible from any page on the site
Action items like buttons or forms that look the same do the same thing
- For example, a “contact us” button always leads to your main contact page

When sites work as predicted, the user’s cognitive load is reduced because they don’t have to spend extra time and energy figuring out how the site works. The smoother a user’s site experience is, the more likely users are to find what they need or complete conversion actions.

Sensory considerations for neurodivergent users

Some neurodivergent users, like those with ADHD or autism, may struggle with sensory overload. Unlike other disabilities, the format of info may be less of a barrier than the sheer amount of it received at once. A heavy cognitive load can diminish sensory processing capacity even further.

Here are a few sensory considerations for cognitive accessibility:

Avoid harsh flashing animations. This is also important for users with epilepsy
Avoid auto-playing audio or video
Moving, blinking, or scrolling content has controls for the user to pause, stop, or hide (per WCAG A 2.2.2)
Make sure important things look important
- Ensure the purpose of the page is clear
- Communicate expected actions and how to complete them
- Ensure controls are clearly differentiated from non-control elements
- Make sure the effects of each control are clear, both the function of the control and the actual result
  - For example: a submit button is clearly associated with the form, and there’s a thank you or error message to communicate if the submit action happened when clicked

Recognize vs. recall

Another way to reduce cognitive load is to give users opportunities to recognize information rather than having to recall it. It’s why multiple choice test questions are often easier to answer than fill-in-the-blanks; information is easier to recognize or confirm in context than it is to recall from scratch.

Here are a few ways to opt for recall in user experience:

Contextual help over tutorials

Instead of tutorials, which often slow users down if they’re not just skipped, opt to make help accessible at any point of the user journey. This can be accomplished with well-placed definitions and tooltips, and also by ensuring help resources are intuitively located in your site menu. Users aren’t required to recall information from the tutorial; they can easily find it within the context of their immediate need.

Better forms and actions

Especially for multi-step user actions, the user experience improves when necessary information like instructions are available at each step of the process. If users need to repeatedly reference something, make it available at every step where it’s needed.

This is also where proper autofill programming comes into play. If form fields are correctly set up to pull in a user’s saved information, the cognitive load is reduced from recalling the info and figuring out the correct input format to just confirming if the info is correct.

How to implement cognitive accessibility best practices

Incorporating cognitive accessibility into your site is just like any other accessibility guideline: do it at the start. Accessibility is easier, more comprehensive, and likely cheaper to implement when you include it in your site design from the beginning rather than fixing problems in a finished product. Consider including personas with cognitive disabilities in your site design, build, and testing processes. W3C has a great list of example personas and questions for user testing.

The good news is that if you’re following WCAG standards, UX principles, and general writing best practices, you’re already well on your way to a cognitive disability-friendly site already. And like most other web accessibility guidelines, designing for users with cognitive disabilities can improve usability across your entire audience.

Want to learn more about how Pilot Digital can help with your website accessibility? Contact us to connect with a web accessibility specialist.

Clear Language and Web Accessibility for Users with Cognitive Disabilities

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