Accessible Brand – General Guidelines
Accessibility is not only a technical requirement — it is a brand responsibility.
An accessible brand ensures people can perceive, understand, and trust what you communicate, regardless of ability, device, or context.
These guidelines define baseline accessibility expectations that apply to all brand expressions: digital products, marketing, documents, and communications.
Core Accessibility Principles for Brands
Clarity Over Decoration
Brand expression should never obscure meaning. Visual or verbal style must support understanding, not compete with it. Avoid relying on color alone, decorative typography that reduces legibility, or clever language that hides intent.
Consistency Builds Access
Consistent use of color, typography, language, and interaction patterns reduces cognitive load and helps users predict behavior. Inconsistency disproportionately affects users with cognitive, learning, or attention-related disabilities.
Flexibility Is Essential
Accessible brands must work across screen sizes, zoom levels, high-contrast modes, and assistive technologies. Brand systems must allow flexibility without breaking identity.
Color Strategy
Color conveys meaning and emotion, but it should never be the only way information is communicated.
❌ Bad Practice (Non-semantic)
Inaccessible to keyboards and screen readers.
<div class="btn" onclick="submit()">
Submit Form
</div>
✅ Best Practice (Semantic)
Native support for focus, Space/Enter activation.
<button type="button" onClick="submit()">
Submit Form
</button>
Contrast Ratios (Non-Negotiable)
Ensure your brand palette supports WCAG contrast requirements:
Structure & landmarks
4.5:1 for normal text (body copy, subtitles)
Structure & landmarks
3:1 for large text (18pt+ or bold 14pt+) and UI components (buttons, input borders)
❌ Avoid
Light grey text on a white background. “Subtle” aesthetics often fail legibility tests and are unreadable for users with low vision or in bright environments.
✅ Best Practice
Dark grey or near-black text on a light background ensures clarity for everyone, including mobile users outdoors.
Typography Selection
When choosing brand fonts, verify:
Distinguishable characters (capital “I”, lowercase “l”, and the number “1” are clearly different)
Open counters in letters like a, e, o (closed shapes blur together for some readers)
Even spacing and readable kerning (letters should not touch)
❌ Risky choices
Ornate scripts, decorative fonts, and tight serifs can interfere with character recognition, especially for users with dyslexia or low vision.
✅ Best Practice
Humanist or neutral sans-serif fonts with clear letterforms and consistent stroke widths perform well across devices and assistive technologies.
Logo & Iconography
Your logo is your brand’s signature. It must scale without losing meaning
The squint test
If you blur or squint at your logo, is it still recognizable?
Small sizes
Fine details disappear at favicon or mobile header sizes. Provide a simplified logo variant.
Vector formats
Always use SVG for logos and icons so they remain crisp at any zoom level (200% zoom is a WCAG requirement).
Icons should be simple, consistent, and never rely on color alone to convey meaning.
Imagery, Representation & Tone
An accessible brand is also an emotionally inclusive one. When using imagery of people with disabilities:
Avoid “inspiration porn” (portraying disability as tragedy or heroism)
Show autonomy and real participation (working, leading, parenting)
Reflect intersectionality across race, gender, and age
Language & Plain Communication
Write at approximately an 8th-grade reading level
Avoid jargon, idioms, and metaphors that require interpretation
Use clear labels, specific instructions, and actionable messages
