As documentation moves increasingly into the digital space and companies seek to economize by reducing printing, it’s reasonable to see a gap emerging between digital and print documents. As such, do standards and guidelines even apply to both types of documents?
More specifically, are the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) meaningful for print documents?
After all, the term “web content” seems to exclude other formats from the get-go. However, web and print documents are not mutually exclusive entities: they’re more like two sides of the same coin.
Importance of consistency between web and print formats
Online content, such as explanatory text, account information, and forms, is typically printable for various purposes. It also features similar structures, including headings, lists, tables, and images.
For instance, a contract between a bank and a customer may be drafted online, printed to obtain a signature, and then stored as part of the contract record.
From an accessibility standpoint, it is very important that there be consistency between web and print formats. A user may download a document and apply custom styling to meet personal needs, such as low vision or color vision disabilities; they can also print it for their own use and retention.
In the case of the bank contract mentioned above, it would be very important to ensure consistency between the digital and analog versions of the contract.
It is important for both the digital and print versions of a document to follow similar guidelines.
While WCAG is intended for web content, it has been adapted into guidance for other formats. For instance, the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), the ultimate publisher of WCAG, has authored numerous subsidiary documents, one of the most noteworthy being “Guidance on Applying WCAG 2.0 to Non-Web Information and Communications Technologies.”
This publication is commonly referenced for adjacent or downloadable content from a website, often in PDF format. PDFs serve as a prime example: They are classified as “non-web” content because they were originally intended to be downloaded or distributed, allowing users to access all formatting and font information without requiring an internet connection. However, since PDF documents can also be printed while preserving the same layout, font, and formatting, the same guidance applies to printed materials.
Having laid out the case, let’s look at how WCAG applies to print. What parts of it offer relevant guidance? Let’s examine three specific examples of WCAG success criteria that impact users.
1.1.1 Non-text Content (Level A)
This first WCAG success criterion states, in part, “All non-text content that is presented to the user has a text alternative that serves the equivalent purpose, except for the situations listed below.”
The term “non-text content” applies to a variety of content, including images, icons, logos, charts, and workflow illustrations. This is admittedly a very broad category. Web pages that include these elements often provide alternative text (i.e., “alt text”) that conveys meaning to users with visual disabilities (i.e., through screen readers).
The same non-text content requires special consideration in a print context.For example, workflow illustrations are often large and contain a variety of graphic elements (e.g., arrows, Venn diagrams, etc.) that may be difficult for users with low vision, restricted visual fields, or cognitive disabilities to understand.
These illustrations can benefit from a figure caption that offers a text explanation,providing a more straightforward description.
1.4.12 Text Spacing (Level AA)
This success criterion guides text style properties. It uses the font selected as its baseline and specifies measurements of:
- Line height (line spacing) is at least 1.5 times the font size.
- Spacing the following paragraphs at least two times the font size.
- Letter spacing (tracking) at least 0.12 times the font size.
- Word spacing is at least 0.16 times the font size.
Text spacing is important because it allows users to control the font to make content as readable as they need. This can benefit readers with low vision who require increased space between lines, words, and letters to read text. It also assists readers with dyslexia or other cognitive disabilities by allowing them to increase the space between lines, words, and letters, which helps them better distinguish between blocks of text.
1.4.3 Contrast (Minimum) (Level AA)
This is the first and most important “color contrast” WCAG guideline. It mandates that“the visual presentation of text and images of text has a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1; large-scale text and images of large-scale text have a contrast ratio of at least 3:1.”All content, whether digital or print, should maintain sufficient foreground-to-background color contrast.
This enhances the readability of content for users with low vision or color vision deficiencies.
The measurement of this contrast is a mathematical ratio, sometimes called the “luminosity” (or brightness) ratio between the background and foreground. Text or images of text are considered “regular” size if they are less than 14-point bold or 18-point regular-weight and must meet the minimum standard of a 4.5:1 contrast ratio.
Text (or images thereof) that are 14-point bold or 18-point regular or larger are classified as “large-scale” and have a more lenient benchmark of 3:1 for contrast ratio. This can be easily measured and applied to both digital and printed content and assessed by software tools that compare the mathematical values of foreground and background colors.
Allyant has a long track record as a “one-stop shop” for accessible communications, particularly focusing on print documents. Our team comprises expert professionals and production facilities committed to defining, remediating, creating, and producing alternative format documents. We consistently assess, template, create, and deliver print documents for a variety of small, medium, and enterprise organizations.
Our clients include school boards, universities, and various educational institutions; utility companies, banks, and other financial institutions that require secure handling of personal account statements; different levels of government; and even restaurants that benefit from having printed menus.
If you represent an organization that needs or is invested in providing both digital and print documents requiring accessibility compliance, contact Allyant for a consultation regarding our product and service offerings.
