Creating Effective, Accessible Content

Use clear, straightforward language that is easy to understand.

• Prefer simple words over jargon
• Avoid unnecessary technical terms
• Write for a broad audience whenever possible

Do's and Don'ts:

✗ Utilize the navigation functionality
✓ Use the navigation menu

People scan content before they read it fully.

• Keep sentences and paragraphs short
• Focus on one idea per paragraph
• Remove repetitive or unnecessary words

Do's and Don'ts:

✗ Due to the fact that
✓ Because

Active voice is more direct and easier to understand.

Do's and Don'ts:

✗ Your request has been reviewed and approved by the Registrar.
✓ The Registrar approved your request.

Place the most important details first.

• Front-load key information
• Clearly explain next steps
• Use “you” when appropriate

• Clear
• Confident
• Conversational
• Helpful

• Overly formal language
• Marketing buzzwords
• Excessive filler
• Unclear or vague messaging

Organize content using descriptive headings and logical hierarchy.

• Use one H1 per page
• Follow heading order sequentially (H2 → H3)
• Make headings descriptive and scannable

• Limit paragraphs to a few sentences when possible
• Break up dense blocks of text
• Use whitespace intentionally

Bulleted and numbered lists make content easier to scan.

Use lists when presenting:

• Steps
• Key information
• Related items
• Requirements or deadlines

Use bold text only when necessary to highlight important information.

Avoid:

• Excessive bolding
• ALL CAPS
• Over-formatting

Links should clearly explain where they go.

Do's and Don'ts:

✗ Click here
✓ View Undergraduate Admission requirements

Include alt text for informative images, graphics, and charts.

✓ Good alt text:

• Students attending a campus resource fair in the student union.
• Bar chart showing a 25% increase in student participation from 2025 to 2026.
• RPI campus map highlighting accessible building entrances.
• Faculty member presenting during an orientation session.

✗ Avoid:

• Image of students
• Picture of a chart
• Campus photo

• Maintain strong color contrast between text and backgrounds
• Use readable font sizes and accessible typography
• Avoid dense blocks of text
• Do not rely on color alone to communicate meaning

Use these accessible RPI brand color combinations to ensure text readability for all users.

• Use proper heading hierarchy
• Ensure documents and PDFs are screen-reader friendly by using the "Prepare for Accessibility" feature in Adobe Acrobat Pro
• Add captions to videos when appropriate
• Include transcripts when needed

Spell out acronyms on first reference.

Example:
Student Living and Learning (SLL)

• Spell out numbers one through nine
• Use numerals for 10 and above
• Always use numerals for dates, percentages, and measurements

Use the Oxford comma for consistency.

✓ Students, staff, and faculty

Follow Associated Press (AP) style guidelines when formatting time:

• Use figures for all times (e.g., 8 a.m., 3:30 p.m.).
• Use lowercase a.m. and p.m. with periods.
• Do not use “:00” for times on the hour (e.g., 8 a.m., not 8:00 a.m.).
• For time ranges within the same half of the day, use a.m. or p.m. only once (e.g., 8-9 a.m., 2-4 p.m.).
• For time ranges that span different halves of the day, include both a.m. and p.m. (e.g., 11 a.m.-1 p.m., 9:30 p.m.-1 a.m.).

✓ Use direct, action-oriented language:

• Apply now
• Download the program guide
• Contact Admissions

✗ Avoid vague calls to action:

• Learn more
• Click here

• Read content slowly and aloud to catch awkward phrasing
• Check spelling, grammar, punctuation, and capitalization
• Confirm names, titles, dates, and statistics are accurate
• Ensure terminology is used consistently
• Remove repetitive or unnecessary words
• Verify headings and formatting are consistent
• Confirm lists use parallel structure
• Ensure calls to action are clear and actionable
• Review tone and audience alignment
• Take a short break before the final review to improve accuracy

• Test links and confirm they work correctly
• Check for missing images or media
• Review content on desktop and mobile devices
• Confirm accessibility standards are met
• Ensure alt text is included where needed