Accessibility Aces
This short description helps screen reader users understand the content of an image.
What is alt text?
Breaking long content into smaller parts using headers improves this.
What is readability?
This guide helps ensure consistency in writing style and formatting.
What is a style guide?
This acronym appears during sign-in and lets users log in once to access multiple applications.
What is SSO – Single Sign-On?
This punctuation style uses a comma before the final “and” or “or” in a list to avoid ambiguity.
What is the Oxford comma (serial comma)?
Using color alone to convey meaning can be problematic for people with this condition.
What is color blindness?
These two document features help users skim and locate specific content fast.
What are headings and a table of contents?
This term describes user-centered documentation that focuses on completing a task.
What is task-based writing?
You might use this to securely connect to your company’s network while working remotely.
What is VPN – Virtual Private Network?
Avoid this type of language that may exclude or offend users based on gender or ability.
What is ableist or gendered language?
This acronym outlines international guidelines for making web content accessible to all users.
What is WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines)?
This formatting style is especially useful for listing steps in a task.
What is a numbered list?
Good documentation should be updated regularly to avoid this common issue.
What is outdated or inaccurate information?
This acronym describes a type of file format that preserves layout and is often used for sharing official documents.
What is PDF – Portable Document Format?
When introducing an acronym, this is the best practice for first use to aid understanding.
What is spell out the phrase followed by the acronym in parentheses?
This common formatting element often used for layout can break screen reader functionality, especially when it includes merged cells or lacks proper headers.
What is a table?
Using these formatting tools helps users distinguish steps, avoid visual fatigue, and improves accessibility—especially when separating actions from explanations.
What are white space and lists?
Give one example of a collaborative review step for ensuring document accuracy.
What is a Subject Matter Expert (SME) review?
You may be asked to check this inbox when you haven’t received a confirmation email.
What is the SPAM or Junk folder – SPAM: Often interpreted as Unsolicited Email, though the term isn’t an acronym.
This Latin abbreviation is used to clarify or rephrase a statement—not to introduce examples—and misusing it can change the meaning of technical instructions.
what is id est, or i.e.?
Screen reader users rely on this semantic HTML structure to understand a document’s organization—skipping or misusing it can disorient them.
What are properly nested and sequenced heading levels?
Explain how progressive disclosure improves document usability.
What is showing only essential content first, and revealing more detail as needed?
Why is version control important in technical writing teams?
What is to track changes, prevent conflicts, and collaborate efficiently?
This challenge-response acronym is used on websites to tell humans and bots apart.
What is CAPTCHA – Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart?
Instead of referring to page location with “above” or “below,” use these more accessible terms.
What are preceding, following, or earlier?
"If the power light is red, refer to the steps below."
➤ "If the power light is red, refer to the following steps."