How can you test the accessibility of your writing?

Readability is crucial - but it's often something writers forget to prioritize when they're also balancing other interests. There are a ton of easy-to-use, online tools to check your writing and make sure that it's readable. But my favorite free trick? Just read your own writing out loud! Better yet, record yourself reading it, take a break from writing, and then listen to what your writing sounds like. If you're losing track of the points or having trouble understanding, that's a clear sign you'll need some more edits!

Even Grammarly's free version can check the readability of your content and give you a report to some extent. Check it out too.

- Use online tools to assess readability and structure. - Ensure compatibility with screen reader software. - Check for readability with proper contrast and font sizes. - Confirm navigability using only a keyboard. - Include descriptive alt text for visual content. Tip: Stay updated on accessibility standards and seek feedback from diverse users for improvement.

Checking how easy it is for people to understand your writing involves a few things. First, there are tools that can tell you how readable your writing is. Then, you can look at your sentences to make sure they're not too long or complicated. Try to use simple words and break up big paragraphs into smaller ones. Also, using active sentences, where the subject is doing the action, can make things clearer. Basically, it's about making your writing easy for everyone to understand without needing a dictionary or getting confused by long, tricky sentences.

To be a successful writer, know your audience and present it in the most easily readable way possible. Use bold words, short paragraphs, listicles, and images. Don't make the reader feel stupid or lost. Don't use run-on sentences. If readers are not engaging with your content, it is your fault, not theirs.

Make your readers' life easier. People don't have time to use dictionary for your complex writing. Make your writing understandable. Be clear over clever. Use active voice over passive voice. Use simple words over complex words. The easier your writing is to read, the more chances it has to not get skip.

Keep your language simple or academic depending on your purpose and audience. Though it is always great to keep the sample uncomplicated and avoid jargon, sometimes adding some complex terminologies will add an expert touch to your write-up. There should be a balance between complexity and simplicity to increase the readability. If you think adding jargon will add value to your writing, feel free to use it but with caution. Add adequate explanation to complex terms and points to increase the readability.

A lesson I learned in school that I’ve applied in multiple career platforms: Bottom Line Up Front (or BLUF). Similar to the infamous “hooks” we’re taught in grade school, our bottom line up front gives our audience the main takeaway and offers them something direct to contemplate while our subsequent evidence backs up the claim. I think we get caught up in evidence too often, losing our listeners while attempting to validate a point that hasn’t clearly been made.

Using simple language can reach a wider audience. However, certain types of writing require technical words and terms. Properly using sentences, tone, and words makes content more accessible, fostering increased engagement. Plain language connects with everyone because nobody wants to use a dictionary while reading our content.

Writing in plain language means using simple words and sentences so that everyone can easily understand what you're saying. It's like making your writing as clear as possible, so nobody gets lost or has to struggle to figure out what you mean.

Accessibility is an important aspect of content design. The more accessible your content is the more reachable. You can use the lighthouse tool as an extension in Google Chrome to analyse accessibility of the content.

You can create and powerful impact on your audience. If they can learn more within least time possible.??? Adding headings and lists makes it easier for audience to navigate through your writing. Anyone can skim through your article and understand the gist of your writing. Hence, Impacting them becomes easier.??

Headings and lists are powerhouses for accessibility, but beyond just structure, consider them doorways. Craft headings that pique interest and accurately reflect the content beneath, like "Unlocking the Secret to SEO Success" instead of "SEO 101." For lists, think visuals. Imagine someone using a screen reader – will a bullet point sequence sound monotonous? Break it up with numbered steps for actions or evocative titles for grouped items. Remember, clear doorways invite EVERYONE in.

??If you are new to accessibility, check the WCAG - it is the international standard for accessibility and inclusivity. It also helps to read the Accessibility Fundamentals Overview that comes with it. In this way, you have a clear understanding of how to establish accessibility and inclusivity in your writing.

The one approach that I find particularly useful is getting feedback from someone outside the field, especially if the written piece contains complex information and jargon. As a mental health writer, I usually share the final draft with friends/family members to ensure that the content is easily understood and resonates with a broader audience. This process provides insights into the accessibility of the content for a diverse readership.

Always get feedback on your writing! It’s the best way to learn how to improve our drafts and keep our audience engaged. Without having a test audience to point us in the right direction we are basically a ship lost in a storm. Write then rewrite about one hundred times if that’s what it takes! The readers will tell you what is good, bad, confusing, informative, etc. then you will be able to rewrite your project based on their feedback.

Smart tips to write for a purpose: 1.Use simple yet persuasive language. 2. Use of you-viewpoint, a style of writing that puts readers' needs first for example: Simple: “I am interested in learning more about the program that was designed by you.” You- Viewpoint Please tell me more about the program you designed. 3. Use one word for many like effective use of collective nouns, adjectives etc. 4. Use pronouns effectively. 5. Avoid repetition of words. Happy Writing??

Consider the logic of your writing and ask yourself where are the possible misinterpretations or distractions that can happen. Plug those gaps by either defining your terms more clearly or cutting out distractions. C.S Lewis’s observation is very true: “I sometimes think that writing is like driving a sheep down the road. If there's any gate open to the left or the right the reader will most certainly go into it.”

The POUR (perceivable, operable, understandable and robust) acronym really allows one to make their writing (regardless of style) accessible for most communities/readers. Hence, when proof-reading or editing, checking one’s text using the POUR acronym covers most of one’s bases without (unabashedly) discounting individual differences and cognitive exceptionalism.

The best way to figure out what you know and how to improve your writing is to aim for volume, rather than perfection. You won't know what resonates until you have ample data —?that is, you will know what type of written work resonates most when you have 100 posts you've published. Reader engagement is your immediate feedback to see what works and what didn't. It took me publishing thousands of articles online to get a good idea of what readers were looking for, and what readers came to me to learn. Reader feedback helped me better figure out what my own expertise was. In effect: iterate, ship, iterate, ship?—?just like a startup's new product.