ACBguidelines

The ACB offers guidelines for offering documents that are usable by people who have low vision. http://acb.org/node/750

This document compares the list provided with the LVTF's requirements document.

AWK: I believe that the only item we don't cover is #15.

1. In general, at least an 18 point, and preferably a 20 point, bold, sans serif, mono or fixed space font is desirable. Adobe's Verdana, Helvetica, Tahoma, Arial; Linotype's Futura Light Bolded; and Typography's Gotham Rounded fonts currently offer optimal readability for large print documents when the aforementioned parameters are applied.
   • Covered by 3.3.1-3.3.3
2. Large print documents, with a line spacing (leading) of at least 1.5, provide good readability and help reduce eye strain.
   • 3.4.1
3. Titles and headings should be larger than the text of the document and contain both upper and lower case letters. Titles and headings should be aligned left where possible.
   • 3.5.1 - element–level customization
4. Large print documents that display the text in blocked paragraphs which are aligned left are preferable. Double spacing between paragraphs is necessary for readability.
   • 3.4.4
5. Bulleted text should be identified by large solid dark bullets, with double spacing between items.
   • 3.5.1
6. Eliminate "widows" and "orphans" when continuing text from one page to the next.
   • As this is about paged media it doesn’t always apply to web content. That said, it could, although I’m not sure if this is as important as the others in this list.
7. Page numbers should be the same font style and of at least the same font size as the document text.
   • 3.5.1 - element–level customization, covered by user agents generally.
8. In single-sided, unbound documents, the page number should be positioned in the top right corner. Additionally, it is helpful to have the page number appear at the bottom center. In book formatted documents, the page number should be located in either the upper or lower outer corner of each page. In either case, a margin of at least 0.75 inches is needed to accommodate the page number.
   • 3.5.1 - element–level customization, covered by user agents generally.
9. The paper used in large print documents should have a matte or dull finish to reduce glare. An eggshell color minimizes eye strain.
   • N/A
10. Paper used in large print documents should be no less than twenty pound bond to avoid "bleed thru”
    • N/A
11. Emphasis is best achieved by the use of asterisks, dashes, double bolding, or by simply underlining an individual word. The use of color or italics is not acceptable for low vision readers.
    • 3.5.1, element-level customization
12. Horizontally connect two columns of information with leader dots, as in a table of contents. When a table appears in a large print document, it should be kept on one page. Horizontal and vertical lines between rows and columns will facilitate tracking in tables with multiple columns.
    • 3.5.1, element-level customization
    • Leader dots, e.g. Hot Chocolate ………………. $4.50
    • Of course, we would also want these to be presentational so they aren’t read.
    • We could include this in 3.6.2 Proximity of related information as another example.
    • We can’t control how many pages tables are on, and this document uses “should” because it knows that also.
13. Binding large print documents that are up to approximately 20 sheets of paper can be saddle stapled. Thicker documents must be bound with an appropriate spiral or wiro binding to facilitate flattening for ease of reading. An ample margin is needed to accommodate the binding.
    • N/A, relates to production
14. The enlargement feature on a copy machine does NOT produce large print documents. Copy machines create fuzzy text, which is often on oversized pages, making the document cumbersome. The use of electronic editing and formatting produces large print documents of superior quality.
    • N/A, relates to production
15. Low vision readers have trouble with graphs, charts, and pictures in documents. An effort should be made to isolate them on individual pages accompanied by explanatory captions.
    • This is a very specific one. I don’t think that we cover this.
16. Color and hue are not as important as high visual color contrast between a background and a text to those with low vision. The greater the difference between the "light reflectance values" (LRV) of two adjacent surfaces, the greater the contrast. Large print documents produced with a high degree of contrast receive high marks from the low vision community.
    • Addressed in 3.1.1. Covered by WCAG 2.0 directly as written above, we are describing a better situation with configurable luminance.
17. It is generally understood that the characteristics which have the greatest effect on the readability of large print documents can be ranked as follows: spacing, font size, contrast, and font style. Printing houses and publishers should focus on these characteristics when producing documents for the low vision community.
    • This is redundant on this list. Covered as above.
18. Depending on eye condition, some low vision readers can read text that is presented in two columns, while others can read text in full width format.
    • 3.2.2