Three simple ways to make content more accessible for neurodivergent audiences
Written by Fair Play
NEURODIVERSITY CELEBRATION WEEK
This week marks Neurodiversity Celebration Week, a week to challenge misconceptions, recognise our differences and most importantly, celebrate them.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE NEURODIVERGENT
Neurodiversity is an umbrella term that includes conditions such as autism, ADHD, OCD, dyspraxia, dyslexia, dyscalculia and Tourette's. It simply means that neurodivergent minds function and process information differently to those which are considered “typical”. Brain functionality can vary massively within the community but there are easy processes that we can follow to ensure content is accessible to all audiences.
At Tangerine, we want every aspect of our employees’ roles to be fair and accessible for everyone. From ensuring that our recruitment processes cater to neurodivergent applicants, offering adjustments throughout, being transparent about our interview process to all our candidates and providing ongoing support in role.
We continue to challenge ourselves with our Fair Play team. Our journey for inclusivity is continuous and we listen to our peers to ensure we are always taking steps in the right direction.
We know that championing our differences does not stop in-house. That is why we constantly review our own work to make sure the content we produce is accessible to all audiences and reflects our diverse society. Working with Diversity & Ability, we put together our Inclusive Comms Guide, which outlines three simple rules that make all the difference:
Make It Visual
People with neurodivergence may have issues with attention span or with processing information. Including a graphic in your post is an effective way to make your content eye-catching and easy to digest. But using the wrong graphic can become overwhelming so it is important to find a balance.
Graphics should not include lots of text
There should be a clear contrast between the text and the background
Avoid using too bright, clashing, or too many colours
Use easy to read fonts
Graphics should avoid using any hard to read fonts like cursive or handwriting. Instead, opting for Sans-serif fonts like Arial or Verdana that have a clear distinction between lettering, consistent spacing and size. At a minimum of 12pt font size, this can be much friendlier than serif fonts like Times New Roman.
Keep It Simple
Looking at large chunks of text littered with industry jargon can be daunting to those with reading and comprehension difficulties. We want to make sure that everyone can understand and engage with our content.
Wording should be plain, simple and to the point
Break up large text into smaller paragraphs
Keep font simple to allow for screen readers
Use formatting like bold text, headings, and bullet points
Using simple formatting can stop audiences scrolling and improve retention, particularly for those that scan text before reading. By breaking copy down into digestible chunks, we can help readers stay focused and remember our content.
Caption It
Many people within the neurodivergent umbrella struggle with auditory processing disorder. This means that despite being a hearing person, they may have difficulty understanding sounds or spoken words.
Understanding speech in noisy places, strong accents, fast talkers, or similar-sounding words can be hard. Using closed captions on videos can help audiences process what is being said.
Use captions on all videos
Make sure captions can be read clearly on all backgrounds
Try to keep background noise to a minimum
Slow down when talking
By working to make your posts more accessible, you can create more engaging content for all audiences.
Neurodiversity Celebration Week is a great reminder of how we can strive to continue to make our content accessible and inclusive, not just this week but all year long.
