Elderly locked out of online world as fonts become ‘unreadable’
Seniors and visually impaired struggle as websites use more light blue and grey, says expert
THE internet is becoming unreadable because of a trend towards lighter and thinner fonts, making it difficult for the elderly or visually impaired to see words clearly, a web expert has found.
Where text used to be bold and dark, which contrasted well with predominantly white backgrounds, now many websites are switching to light greys or blues for their type.
Award-winning blogger Kevin Marks, founder of Microformats and former vice president of web services at BT, looked into the trend after becoming concerned that his eyesight was failing because he was struggling to read text on-screen.
He found a “widespread movement” to reduce the contrast between the words and the background, with Apple, Google and Twitter all altering their typography. True black on white text has a contrast ratio of 21:1 – the maximum which can be achieved. Most technology companies agree that it is good practice for type to be a minimum of 7:1 so the visually impaired can still see text.
Apple’s own typography guidelines, which recommended 7:1, are written in a contrast ratio of 5.5:1. Google’s guidelines also suggest a 7:1 contrast ratio, but have 54 per cent opacity of display, which brings the ratio down to 4.6:1.
Mr Marks, who has been named as one of The Telegraph’s 50 must influential Britons in technology, said the changes risk undermining the universal reach of the internet.
“The typography choices of companies like Apple and Google set the default design of the web, and these two drivers of design are already dancing on the boundaries of legibility,” he said on the technology site Backchannel.
“If the web is relayed through text that’s difficult to read, it curtails the open access by excluding large swaths of people such as the elderly, the visually impaired, or those retrieving websites through low-quality screens.”
The changes in typography have come about because, as web design has evolved, the numbers of fonts, colours and background began to diverge from the original set of “web-safe” fonts.
The rise in LCD technology and high-definition screens has also allowed designers to use increasingly thinner fonts, which can be hard to read on smartphones or tablets. Reference guides such as the Typography Handbook have steered designers away from high contrast, saying traditional black on white strains the eyes, and made it difficult for dyslexia sufferers.
Dr Simon Harper, a scientist in human computer interaction and information systems at the University of Manchester, said: “Black text on a white background may convey a certain harshness. Grey text, on the other hand, may convey a softer more friendly feeling. But for some, these design choices come at the cost of legibility, fatigue and comprehension.
“In the new world of cutting edge digital design all of us will at some point become impaired.
“Making sure controls are present to conform the design to the user, so the user doesn’t have to conform themselves to the design is the only viable option.”