• Use clear, concise English, avoiding jargon where possible.
• Consult the Writing Style Guide for information on using inclusive language.

The colour contrast between font colour and background colour, both on the web and in print, can impact those with a visual impairment. If there is not sufficient contrast, text is harder to distinguish. When designing your publication or other materials, ensure text is legible against the background and avoid having text run over images. If you have any queries about colour choice, contact Style Guide. To find out details of our brand colour palette, visit the Brand colours web pages.

Graphs and charts

When preparing graphs and charts, keep in mind the following guidelines to help ensure that they are accessible for people with colour blindness:

• Print graphs in black and white first. If they can be easily interpreted without full colour, then it is likely that they will be accessible for a colour blind person. 
• Avoid red-green, grey-pink, yellow-blue combinations: these are the most common colour combinations that colour blind people struggle to interpret.
• If there is no other choice and you must use the above colour combinations, then ensure that you use extreme shades, for example, a very light pink with a darker shade of grey.
• Ensure that colours are not the only method of conveying important information. Use patterns or shading wherever possible, or provide another method of understanding the information.
• When using clustered stacked bar charts, label parts of the chart with letters to illustrate colours or items on your chart.
• Ensure that your graph is in large scale and that you include a key to any chart.

• Ask guests about specific requirements, including diet, information in alternative formats, accessible entry and induction loops/infrared systems for people with hearing impairments. Provide a name, phone number, email address and postal address for guests to advise you about their requirements.
• Speak to the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Centre if you feel that your event requires specialist support (for example, personal assistance for guests, sign language interpreters, Braille signage).
• When preparing signage, keep in mind the following guidelines:
  • Use one of the two house fonts (both are sans serif) and ensure that where possible, characters are at least 15mm high.
  • Symbols and pictures should be clear and consistent
  • Avoid using upper-case only
  • Ensure that the colour of characters contrasts with the background colour

• An access statement indicating that information is available in alternative formats should be included in a visible location and in a large font size. The message should include contact details (phone and email) for requesting alternative formats.
• When preparing an alternative format of one of our publications, we should be guided by the user as to his or her specific needs. Some general guidelines to bear in mind include:
  • Use at least font size 12
  • Make sure that there is ample space between lines and leave a full line between paragraphs
  • Avoid italics and block capitals
  • Do not split words between two lines
  • Do not write entire sentences in capital letters
  • Do not use glossy or patterned paper
  • Separate images from text and avoid placing text on top of imagery.
  • If it is not feasible to prepare a bespoke alternative format, then printed text can be enlarged with the use of a photocopier or scanner. The Copyright (Visually Impaired Persons) Act 2002 introduced exceptions to copyright law, which remove the need for anyone to obtain permission from the rights holder to produce an accessible copy. This does not, however, cover everyone with a disability. For further information see: RNIB document: Copyright (Visually Impaired Persons) Act 2002.

• In December 2014, the College launched its new website. We are committed to making all of our website Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 AA compliant.
• You can find out about our to ensure our website comply with the new regulations.
• Accessible features of the website design include:
  • The option to ‘skip to main content’ and ‘skip to department menu’ for screen reader users
  • The option to use arrow keys when a tab area is in focus or for accordion items on a page, as per WAI-ARIA 1.0.
  • An increased font size compared to the previous design, and a responsive design which resizes to the size of the user’s window. Users can also use their browser to alter font size.
• Web editors can get guidance for best practice in terms of content accessibility in Imperial's online web guide. There is also a checklist to help you stay on track.

Writing

• The Plain English Campaign has a series of free guides available in PDF format on its website:

Design

• The British Dyslexia Association Style Guide provides guidance on preparing accessible publications.
• Microsoft Office has ten tips for making documents accessible.
• The UK government provides information on creating accessible PDFs.
• AbilityNet has guidance on producing accessible material for print and online.
• Etre.com offers a tool to help you establish whether your photos are colour-accessible.