Accessible and inclusive design

Integrating accessibility into our graphic design for web and print is a constant process, just as it is for our programming and communications. It is also a massive field of study and practice, but here are some of the high-level considerations we begin with, following best and emerging practices.

Organization

When laying out reports and other long-form documents we use grids to organize and align content consistently to help readers navigate through large bodies of information. 

Colour

Some of our considerations around the use of colour include:

• Not using colour alone to highlight information as this excludes readers with colour blindness
• Asking how various cultures may interpret the colours selected
• Maintaining enough contrast in design elements and type and building accessible colour palettes to avoid eyestrain 

Typography

Font selection, size and typesetting (i.e., line height, character spacing/leading, etc.) in print and digital materials can make text easier to read for people with vision impairments.

Text and images

Whenever possible, we separate text from website graphics and place it directly on the web page to empower those who use screen readers, enlarged text or other accessibility features. This is in addition to using alt text.