The Brinemarch Run

Design

I presented an example of a handwritten and painted layout in a New School Revival discussion group. One of the most positive comments on the aesthetics of the example also reported that, as someone with dyslexia, they would not run it. The thought of putting work into something that is completely inaccessible does not interest me. I will think about accessibility in visual communication going forward. I know universal design and accessibility in UX are well-developed fields, so why not just... use the internet.

At this point in the project, I will never get as far as advanced layout, but these principles are important for any kind of visual communication. I am going to list of a hodgepodge of twelve principles among many and then put links at the bottom for further reading.

  1. handwritten text There's really no way around that

Audio Options - making sure a document works well with speech-to-text technology (and transcripts vice versa). I've experienced this with documents that have text on different layers, so the reader works from front to back or vice versa.

Utilize alt text for images: This allows screen readers to describe images to visually impaired users. Ensure adequate contrast: Text should stand out against the background to aid those with visual impairments.

Simplify Navigation - minimize flipping pages, have consistent design.

Considerate Color Choices

Visual Hierarchy- are design elements communicating what is important? If everything is emphasized, nothing is. Break up walls of text:

https://www.continualengine.com/blog/neurodiversity-and-digital-accessibility/

https://webaim.org/resources/

  1. Utilize alt text for images: This allows screen readers to describe images to visually impaired users.
  2. Ensure adequate contrast: Text should stand out against the background to aid those with visual impairments.
  3. Provide transcripts for audio: This ensures that deaf or hard-of-hearing users can access your content.

From ADA Compliant Websites: The New Norm in Web Development by Maria Nario, May 24, 2023 on https://bitskingdom.com/blog/ada-compliant-websites-the-new-norm-in-web-development/ ; accessed at 9:30 pm 9 Dec. 2025