Accessibility

This page explains how to create content that works for:

• disabled people
• people using low-cost devices
• people with slow or unreliable connections
• people with different levels of digital confidence and experience

Don't treat accessibility as a feature#

• Accessibility is part of good content design.
• Ensure your content works for everyone who needs to use your service, including disabled people.
• Aim for WCAG 2.2 AA as the floor, not the ceiling.

Writing for screen readers#

• When using links, make them descriptive. This gives users who use screen readers an idea of where the link will take them before selecting it. For example, 'View your statement', not 'click here'.
• Your buttons should say what they do. For example, 'Send ₦5,000", not 'Submit' or 'Continue' where a specific verb fits.
• Headings should form a real outline. Use One h1 per page, don't skip levels.
• Alt texts should focus on what matters to users. Describe the information the image carries, not its appearance. Decorative images should get empty alt texts.
• Avoid ALL CAPS and stylised Unicode. Both can be read out letter by letter or skipped entirely.

Writing for low bandwidth and low-end devices#

• Front-load every page and message. This makes the content accessible even when users have slow or no internet connection.
• Keep transactional SMS and push copy short. They may be the only channel that users have access to.
• When writing for digital interfaces, don't put essential information only in images.

Writing numbers, codes and references#

• Break long codes into groups: 0803 123 4567, not 08031234567.
• Let people copy reference numbers with one selection, and say so. For example, "Select to copy".

Related guidance#

• Plain language
• Error messages