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  4. Five Tips for Resource Readability

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Five Tips for Resource Readability

Last Updated: 5/7/25

By Shellie Reid

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Introduction

To support legal aid organizations in creating clearer, more accessible content, the Legal Services Corporation (LSC) Model Practices & Innovation (MPI) Office of Training and Technical Assistance partnered with the Legal Services Technology National Assistance Project (LSNTAP) to develop the "5 Tips for Resource Readability" infographic. These practical tips—focused on structure, font, headings, and language level—are designed to help organizations improve the readability of public-facing materials, especially for individuals with disabilities or lower literacy levels. 

We’ve also included a text version of the infographic to ensure full accessibility and ease of reference. While the visual version offers a quick overview, the text version is compatible with screen readers, easier to print, and more flexible for use in presentations or internal training. Both formats are intended to be shared widely and used as a resource in your content development efforts.

This resource also serves as an example of how accessibility and visual design can go hand-in-hand. Infographics, when thoughtfully designed and paired with accessible alternatives like text versions, can enhance understanding without creating barriers. Rather than avoid infographics out of accessibility concerns, legal aid organizations can use this as a model for how to incorporate visual content in an inclusive and effective way.

The Infographic

 

The Text Version

5 Tips for Resource Readability

LSC’s Model Practices & Innovation (MPI) Office of Training and Technical Assistance partnered with the Legal Services Technology National Assistance Project (LSNTAP) to provide these tips to enhance the readability and accessibility of resources produced by grantees of the Legal Services Corporation.

What is Readability and Why Does it Matter?

Readability is the ease with which a reader can understand written text. For people with disabilities, formatting content for readability can be essential to a successful user experience.

The 5 Tips

Paragraph Structure:

Keep paragraphs short by using no more than 3-5 sentences and 50-75 words per paragraph. Increase white space between paragraphs to boost content readability. Without additional space between paragraphs, lines of text may blur together for some readers.

Headings:

Use headings to inform readers about the contents of a section. Make headings bigger and bolder than the bodies of text to help them stand out.

Reading Level (6th-8th Grade):

Write content at the 6th-8th grade reading level to ensure accessibility for most audiences. Use short words and sentences to improve clarity. Break down complex concepts into simpler explanations.

Font Size:

Choose appropriate font sizes to ensure readability. Use at least 12-point (pt) font for print materials, 16 pt for web content, and 18-22 pt for headings.

Font Type:

Choose fonts carefully: Serif fonts like Times New Roman have decorative strokes that work better in print publications. Sans serif fonts like Arial or Calibri have clean lines without decorative elements, making them better for digital reading.

Additional Resources:

Web Content Accessibility Guidelines: Web Accessibility Evaluation Tools List
LSNTAP Web Accessibility Resources

 

Files
PDF version of 5 Tips for Resource Readability infographic
Text version of 5 Tips for Resource Readability infographic
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