Writing for Accessibility
At Wayfair, we work to build experiences that are inclusive of the broadest range of possible users, and that includes crafting accessible copy.
As content creators, it’s important to understand that total accessibility is not something we can ever ensure. There is no way to know that an experience fully complies with guidelines and best practices until it is built and tested — context is everything. Still, there are a number of principles we can keep in mind to make sure we’re doing the best we can.
Use plain language
Write short, clear sentences. Prioritize clarity over wit. Skip jargon and slang. Define any necessary technical terms. If someone who doesn’t work at Wayfair wouldn’t be able to easily define a word or phrase, don’t use it. Generally, avoid idioms, undefined acronyms, and inside jokes.
Create informative page titles
Your page title can be the same as the main heading on the page, as long as it’s both informative and unique. Describe the content on the page in a way that differentiates it from other pages, and put the most useful information first (e.g., “Shop All Bedroom Furniture | Wayfair” is better than “Wayfair | Shop All Bedroom Furniture”).
Structure your content
Use headers (H1, H2, H3, etc.) to help users scan a page and get the general idea of its content. Put the most important information at the top of the page, and group similar topics together under different, descriptive headers.
Don’t skip any header levels for aesthetic reasons, but avoid adding too many headers or nesting sections unnecessarily (hint: you probably shouldn’t need an H5).
Use meaningful link text
Your link text should describe the content of its target. At this point, most people know that “Click Here” is bad for SEO, but it’s also horrible for accessibility! Try “View your recent orders” instead of “View your recent orders here.”
Avoid sensory characteristics and directional language
Instructions that reference characteristics of content or controls, like shape, color, screen location, or sound could be confusing or unintelligible to some users.
For example, “the purple button at right” is less clear than “the Add to Cart button.”
