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Thread: Form font sizes

Number of posts in this thread: 6 (In chronological order)

From: Krack, Joseph@DSS
Date: Fri, Jul 14 2017 10:49AM
Subject: Form font sizes
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We (our new accessibility unit) are requiring our state agency to change the way they create forms to ensure accessibility. Currently they use font sizes down to 8 and 6 on the forms to ensure they fit onto a certain page count. I recommended we use our agency standard for print documents (Arial 12 - with the ability to go to 11 to have letters fit on one page) on forms. So basically no smaller than 11.

This is causing some forms to increase page count, and this is leading to increased printing costs. Some forms are 25+ pages now, and with increased font size some people in high places are now becoming very interested in our new policy.

I'd be interested to know what is the minimum font sizes people in this email group use/mandate/allow in your agencies/companies. I want to know if demanding 11 point font minimum is a reasonable request or if smaller font sizes would be reasonable in the case of forms. I will be going into meetings soon to discuss this and just wanted to have some other opinions from here to know if this is a hill to die on :)

Thanks,

Joe Krack

From: Krack, Joseph@DSS
Date: Fri, Jul 14 2017 11:14AM
Subject: Re: Form font sizes
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From: Joseph Krack
Date: Fri, Jul 14 2017 11:30AM
Subject: Re: Form font sizes
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We (our new accessibility unit) are requiring our state agency to change
the way they create forms to ensure accessibility. Currently they use
font sizes down to 8 and 6 on the forms to ensure they fit onto a
certain page count. I recommended we use our agency standard for print
documents (Arial 12 - with the ability to go to 11 to have letters fit
on one page) on forms. So basically no smaller than 11.

This is causing some forms to increase page count, and this is leading
to increased printing costs. Some forms are 25+ pages now, and with
increased font size some people in high places are now becoming very
interested in our new policy.

I'd be interested to know what is the minimum font sizes people in this
email group use/mandate/allow in your agencies/companies. I want to know
if demanding 11 point font minimum is a reasonable request or if smaller
font sizes would be reasonable in the case of forms. I will be going
into meetings soon to discuss this and just wanted to have some other
opinions from here to know if this is a hill to die on.

Thanks,

Joe Krack

From: Sarah Jevnikar
Date: Fri, Jul 14 2017 12:56PM
Subject: Re: Form font sizes
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Hi there,
I can't find any official regs on font size, but I would suggest that anecdotally 11 is the absolute minimum size for font. Any recommendations I can find suggest 12-18 points. An alternative perhaps would be to have someone available upon request to act as a private scribe if there isn't traction in increasing the forms's page count. Especially if you're working for a state agency providing some means for accessible form completion should be mandatory.
Apologies that I'm not more authoritative than anecdotes.
Sarah

Sarah Jevnikar
Accessibility Consultant

Digital Echidna

t: 877-858-9604
e: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =

-----Original Message-----
From: WebAIM-Forum [mailto: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = ] On Behalf Of Joseph Krack
Sent: July 14, 2017 1:31 PM
To: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =
Subject: [WebAIM] Form font sizes

We (our new accessibility unit) are requiring our state agency to change the way they create forms to ensure accessibility. Currently they use font sizes down to 8 and 6 on the forms to ensure they fit onto a certain page count. I recommended we use our agency standard for print documents (Arial 12 - with the ability to go to 11 to have letters fit on one page) on forms. So basically no smaller than 11.

This is causing some forms to increase page count, and this is leading to increased printing costs. Some forms are 25+ pages now, and with increased font size some people in high places are now becoming very interested in our new policy.

I'd be interested to know what is the minimum font sizes people in this email group use/mandate/allow in your agencies/companies. I want to know if demanding 11 point font minimum is a reasonable request or if smaller font sizes would be reasonable in the case of forms. I will be going into meetings soon to discuss this and just wanted to have some other opinions from here to know if this is a hill to die on.

Thanks,

Joe Krack

From: L Snider
Date: Fri, Jul 14 2017 12:58PM
Subject: Re: Form font sizes
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Hi Joe,

What about a different font? I always advise 12 point and above, but
sometimes you can do a sans serif that is 11 and it looks bigger than let's
say Arial at 12. I am curious to know what you do, because I have been
asked this in the past (specifically for a one page form, and the slightly
larger print size made it 2 pages)...I stick with 12 because as we get
older, larger is better...

It will be interesting to hear what others say about increased cost,
because that is a factor people consider...

Cheers

Lisa

On Fri, Jul 14, 2017 at 11:49 AM, Krack, Joseph@DSS < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =
> wrote:

> We (our new accessibility unit) are requiring our state agency to change
> the way they create forms to ensure accessibility. Currently they use font
> sizes down to 8 and 6 on the forms to ensure they fit onto a certain page
> count. I recommended we use our agency standard for print documents (Arial
> 12 - with the ability to go to 11 to have letters fit on one page) on
> forms. So basically no smaller than 11.
>
> This is causing some forms to increase page count, and this is leading to
> increased printing costs. Some forms are 25+ pages now, and with increased
> font size some people in high places are now becoming very interested in
> our new policy.
>
> I'd be interested to know what is the minimum font sizes people in this
> email group use/mandate/allow in your agencies/companies. I want to know
> if demanding 11 point font minimum is a reasonable request or if smaller
> font sizes would be reasonable in the case of forms. I will be going into
> meetings soon to discuss this and just wanted to have some other opinions
> from here to know if this is a hill to die on :)
>
> Thanks,
>
> Joe Krack
> > > > >

From: Sandy Feldman
Date: Fri, Jul 14 2017 1:04PM
Subject: Re: Form font sizes
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Joe, would offering a large font version on request be a reasonable
accommodation?

Sandy

On 2017-07-14 2:56 PM, Sarah Jevnikar wrote:
> -----Original Message-----
> From: WebAIM-Forum [mailto: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = ] On Behalf Of Joseph Krack
> Sent: July 14, 2017 1:31 PM
> To: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =
> Subject: [WebAIM] Form font sizes
>
> We (our new accessibility unit) are requiring our state agency to change the way they create forms to ensure accessibility. Currently they use font sizes down to 8 and 6 on the forms to ensure they fit onto a certain page count. I recommended we use our agency standard for print documents (Arial 12 - with the ability to go to 11 to have letters fit on one page) on forms. So basically no smaller than 11.
>
> This is causing some forms to increase page count, and this is leading to increased printing costs. Some forms are 25+ pages now, and with increased font size some people in high places are now becoming very interested in our new policy.
>
> I'd be interested to know what is the minimum font sizes people in this email group use/mandate/allow in your agencies/companies. I want to know if demanding 11 point font minimum is a reasonable request or if smaller font sizes would be reasonable in the case of forms. I will be going into meetings soon to discuss this and just wanted to have some other opinions from here to know if this is a hill to die on.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Joe Krack