SpaceHey Accessibility Series Part 2: Blogs

Welcome to part two of my accessibility series! If you haven't had a chance to read the first part, which focuses on profile design, you can check it out here. Sorry for being slow with this second part, I just wanted to take my time and collect my thoughts before putting it all together.

For the second part, we'll be focusing on how you can make your blogs easier to read for different kinds of readers, since people like to read blogs from both their computers and phones. As always, these are just general pointers! Feel free to take what's useful and leave what isn't.

If you would like to read more about online accessibility, here are some resources to get started:

• ✿ Web Content Accessibility Guidelines
• ✿ Americans with Disabilities Act Guidance
• ✿ A11Y Project Accessible Design

✿ #1 — Layout Matters

One of the easiest things you can do to make your blog more readable is think about how it looks while you're writing it! Large walls of unbroken text can be super overwhelming, and a lot of readers will click away before they even start reading a single word. Even breaking text out by paragraphs can make it easier for all kinds of people to use.

• Headers are your best friend. They can really help readers connect with what you're writing, and also keep you focused while writing the blog. You can go as fancy or simple as you want with your headers!
• People love to see photos! If you're writing about making or drawing something, and you are comfy sharing it, add a photo of it. I personally use ImgBB to upload and hyperlink my photos (since spacehey doesn't allow you to host photos, you can only add the html code). If you need any help with that, feel free to message me or comment. 
• If your blog has a custom CSS layout, think about whether your design choices make it easy to read the text and understand what you're writing about. A beautiful layout and an accessible one can absolutely coexist.

✿ Tip: Before you publish, scroll through your post and ask yourself: does this feel like a lot to take in at once? If yes, look for a natural place to add a break or a header!

✿ #2 — Plan Out Your Writing

Getting started is honestly the hardest part. I used to stare at a blank text box for way too long before I figured out a process that actually works for me. Here is roughly how I approach it now:

• Step 1: What do I want to say? You don't have to be an expert to write a blog. You can share experiences, give tips, or just use your blog as a space to express yourself. I found some really great blogs to be basically a word-vomit of what was on the person's mind!
• Step 2: What's my spin on it? Even if a topic has been written about a hundred times, no one has your unique perspective. Your voice and personality is what will keep people coming!
• Step 3: How long should this be? I have found that people tend to lose interest if a post goes on too long, but a post that feels too short has the same effect. A scroll or two is a pretty good sweet spot. If your topic is big, consider turning it into a series, which is what I did here!

✿ Tip: Try writing a one-sentence summary of your post before you start. If you can't summarize it easily, your topic might be too broad, and that's a great sign it could become a series!

✿ #3 — Make Your Formatting Work For Everyone

This one ties into layout, but I wanted to give it its own section because it goes a little deeper. Formatting choices that feel purely decorative can actually have a real impact on whether someone is able to read your blog comfortably.

• Text color and contrast: If your text color is too close to your background color, it can be really hard to read, especially for people with low vision or color blindness. Try to keep enough contrast between your text and background. When in doubt, darker text on a lighter background is usually the safest bet.
• Font size: Just like with profiles, font size matters in blogs too. Anything under 12px can get really hard to read on desktop, and even harder on mobile. If you have a custom CSS style, double-check that your font size looks good on mobile too.
• Avoid centering large blocks of text: Centered text looks great for short lines like headers or titles, but long paragraphs of centered text are tiring to read because your eye has to find a new starting point on every line. Left-aligned body text is much easier to follow.

✿ Tip: Pull up your blog on your phone and zoom in to 150%. Can you still read it comfortably? If things start breaking or disappearing, that's a sign your formatting might need a little love for mobile readers!

My next entry in this series is going to focus on actually writing and staying consistent with your blog, so look out for that one! What have you found works well for your blogs? And what do you enjoy most about blogging? I'll see you all in bulletins and the comments section~!