Martina
New member
- Joined
- Feb 27, 2026
- Messages
- 5
Accessible design literally changes lives. Someone out there will be able to read your charity's message because you cared enough to ask this question. That's not dramatic, that's just facts. 
Okay, here's what I've learned from painful trial and error:
1. Go for clarity over personality.
I know, I know—this hurts the artist in all of us. But for body text, save the quirky handwritten fonts for maybe headers. Your main content needs to be a hardworking friend, not a fashion model. Think Arial, Verdana, Helvetica, Open Sans, or Roboto. These are called "humanist" sans-serifs and they're basically accessibility superheroes.
2. Size matters. Like, REALLY matters. 16px is the new 12px. Anything smaller and you're making part of your audience squint or reach for reading glasses (or just leave). And on mobile? Even bigger. Your charity's message shouldn't require a magnifying glass.
3. Contrast is your best friend. Light gray text on a white background looks "clean" and "minimalist" to designers. To someone with low vision, it looks like nothing. There are free contrast checkers online—use them! The WCAG guidelines aren't just suggestions, they're literally rules that help real humans read your words.
4. Avoid fancy stuff. No scripts, no handwriting fonts, no "unique" display faces for paragraphs. Save those for ONE word in your logo if you must. Every decorative choice is a barrier for someone with dyslexia, low vision, or cognitive disabilities.
5. Let people customize. If your platform allows, give users options to increase text size without breaking the layout. This is HUGE.
Here's my real talk moment: The "coolest" font is the one everyone can read. Your charity's mission matters too much to hide behind typography that excludes people.
What kind of charity is this? Different audiences might have different needs. Seniors? Kids? General public?
Okay, here's what I've learned from painful trial and error:
1. Go for clarity over personality.
I know, I know—this hurts the artist in all of us. But for body text, save the quirky handwritten fonts for maybe headers. Your main content needs to be a hardworking friend, not a fashion model. Think Arial, Verdana, Helvetica, Open Sans, or Roboto. These are called "humanist" sans-serifs and they're basically accessibility superheroes.2. Size matters. Like, REALLY matters. 16px is the new 12px. Anything smaller and you're making part of your audience squint or reach for reading glasses (or just leave). And on mobile? Even bigger. Your charity's message shouldn't require a magnifying glass.
3. Contrast is your best friend. Light gray text on a white background looks "clean" and "minimalist" to designers. To someone with low vision, it looks like nothing. There are free contrast checkers online—use them! The WCAG guidelines aren't just suggestions, they're literally rules that help real humans read your words.
4. Avoid fancy stuff. No scripts, no handwriting fonts, no "unique" display faces for paragraphs. Save those for ONE word in your logo if you must. Every decorative choice is a barrier for someone with dyslexia, low vision, or cognitive disabilities.
5. Let people customize. If your platform allows, give users options to increase text size without breaking the layout. This is HUGE.
Here's my real talk moment: The "coolest" font is the one everyone can read. Your charity's mission matters too much to hide behind typography that excludes people.
What kind of charity is this? Different audiences might have different needs. Seniors? Kids? General public?
