Inclusive and accessible

Perceivable

Is there anything in our product or on our website that a blind, deaf, low-vision, or color-blind user can’t perceive?

(1) Write content with screen readers in mind.  Someone can tell a screen reader to only read headings (H1, H2, and so forth), or to skip from section to section, or just from link to link.
(2) Make sure videos have captions.
(3) Include meaningful alt text for images, icons, and controls.
(4) When a label is used multiple times on the same screen (Edit, Learn, More), provide screen-reader-only text to clarify.
(5) Don’t refer to color, or where elements are on a screen, like “above”, “below”.
(6) If the text is meant to be read, don’t put it in an image.

Be careful with color and contrast

Some of our users are color blind. Others have low vision and need lots of contrast between background and text. Some people use screen magnifiers, and others just prefer to zoom or enlarge text to make things easier to read.

(1) Make sure there is enough between foreground text and background color.
(2) Linked text should be meaningful and stand out from body text.
(3) Include icons with text to make things clear and to indicate status changes.
(4) Don’t use color alone to indicate status (such as on/off or paid/unpaid).
(5) Don’t use images of text. It’s not screen-reader friendly and can’t be enlarged when someone zooms in on the screen

Use captions for audio content

(1) Make sure videos have captions that indicate who is speaking.
(2) Keep captions in sync with what’s happening on the screen.
(3) Don’t rely on sound alone for notifications.

Think about typography

Font face, size, and weight are all elements to consider when designing for readability and legibility.

Operable

Make forms accessible

(1) Make sure field labels are visible when the focus is inside the field.
(2) Labels, tooltips, and input fields should appear in a logical keyboarding tab order.
(3) Be aware of when the system validates the fields and when and where error messages might appear.
(4) Present errors clearly. Use an element in addition to color and guide users to the field that needs their attention.

Understandable

Some of our users have cognitive impairments or learning disabilities. These folks need content that is simple, clear, and direct to help focus their attention.

Make content readable

(1) Keep content clear and easy to read—and listen to. Remember that when someone is using a screen reader, the content is spoken aloud.
(2) Present only the info users need, and only when they need it.
(3) Keep sentences simple. Aim for 5th to 8th grade readability.
(4) Use images to support copy. Illustrations and graphs can clarify complex concepts.

Consider information hierarchy and layout

(1) Make page titles unique and informative.
(2) Keep heading styles consistent. Use typography and styles to provide meaning and structure.
(3) Make sure the correct HTML is used (H1, H2, etc.) so that screen readers can easily interact with the page structure. (Search engines also use these to analyze your content.)
(4) Use headings, subheadings, and bullet points to make content easy to scan.
(5) Give just the info our users need, right when they need it.
(6) Keep sentences simple. Aim for 5th-8th grade readability. Try not to have lines longer than 80 characters, or sentences longer than 20 words.
(7) Use images to support content. Illustrations and graphs can clarify complex concepts.
(8) Pair icons with text labels to provide contextual cues and help with comprehension.
(9) Keep user interface terms (menu, tabs, and so forth) consistent throughout the product or on a screen.
(10) Don’t use form-field ghost text in place of a field label.

Robust

(1) Make sure things work well across platforms, browsers, and devices—different assistive technologies work better in some areas than others. Try to be platform agnostic.

Inclusivity

At Ledger, everything we do begins and ends with our users. We exist for them. Using inclusive language is a matter of making our users feel seen and respected. It shows that Ledger is concerned with the end goal and how the users get to it. It’s about being culturally sensitive, respecting people’s identities, and reducing harm. Challenge your assumptions and biases about what you consider normal or typical. Lead with curiosity and empathy.  If a word is unclear or potentially harmful, choose clear, direct language instead. For instance, metaphors can sometimes obscure meaning rather than communicate it.

(1) Expand beyond Western culture. If you use examples, what types of names are you using? What type of family structure? If you’re using an illustration, who is represented in that illustration? More importantly, who is left out?
(2) Don’t use only cisgender or white-dominant cultural examples. Examine what you default to when designing and actively seek to widen your purview.
(3) Use names and examples that reflect a variety of ethnicities, genders, and pronouns.
(4) Don’t use only Westernized, generic names like John Smith or Jane Doe. Our customers live all over the globe and should see themselves reflected in our content.
(5) Be thoughtful about the imagery that supports your content. Work with your design partner.  If your content uses text or imagery to depict people in certain occupations or settings, include a variety of ethnicities, genders, ages, body types, and abilities.
(6) Don't ask for personal info that doesn’t affect how customers use a product.
(7) It’s OK to collect this info about gender, age, ethnicity, and race for government forms or to meet other compliance requirements. Include a “why we need this” tooltip.
(8) If you’re designing a form field or an email, ask yourself why you need to include a title (Mr, Mrs, Ms, and so on). How is the info relevant? If you do have a valid reason for collecting the info, be sure to include a gender-neutral option (Mx), and make the field optional.

If you ask customers to identify their ethnicity and race, consider asking the questions separately. For racial identity, let customers select as many options as they want.

Localization and cultural sensitivities

(1) Do not use idioms, metaphors, street language, or exceedingly colloquial phrases that would be difficult for non-native speakers to understand, and also to localize.
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(2) Avoid idioms, similes, and analogies as much as possible. Some similes might not translate well for other languages and cultures. Feel free to use similes, but be careful and test it if you can. What sounds good to you may not resonate with others. Similes are recommended to explain complicated jargon.
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(3) Use everyday contractions, but not at the expense of clarity, especially keeping in mind non-native English speakers. When there’s a need to take a serious tone (warnings, errors) avoid using contractions.
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(4) Use the contractions of everyday conversation. Don’t use regional contractions like ain’t, shan’t, y’all, mustn’t, and so on. Don’t turn nouns into contractions. Be aware that contractions get tricky when it comes to translation.

List of contractions that are acceptable to use:

Aren't, can’t, couldn’t, didn’t, doesn’t, don’t hasn’t, haven’t, isn’t, it’s, let’s shouldn’t, that’s, there’s, they’re, they’ve, wasn’t, we’ll, we’re, weren’t, what’s, where’s, won’t, you’ll, you’re, you’ve.

Gender Neutral

(1) Keep things gender-neutral. If you find yourself in an awkward spot where the subject’s gender is unknown, write your way around it. Don’t use she/he, s/he, or one. If you can’t write your way around it, then it’s OK to use they, them, or their.
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(2) In some instances, we ask users to select a gender for themselves. Unless a specific regulation requires a binary choice, present these three options:
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- Female
- Male
- Non-binary/Other Don't use “Other” as an option by itself. You’re other-ing an entire group of people.
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(3)Avoid unnecessarily gendered language.
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Do:
- distinguished guests
- everyone
- customers
- developers (more specific)
- everyone
- folks
- friends
- team
- children
- siblings
Don’t:
- ladies and gentlemen
- men
- women
- guys
- boys and girls

Anti-racist language

How do you know if a word is racist?


Part of engaging with anti-racist language means using your own judgement. But sometimes it can be difficult to guide yourself through the decision-making process. You can start by asking yourself these questions:

(1) Is the language working metaphorically?
(2) If so, what are the implications behind the metaphor? Does it place a positive connotation on whiteness and a negative one on something else (usually blackness)?
(3) Does the language imply “otherness” and exclusivity?
(4) Can it be substituted for something clearer or more literal? (The answer is often yes.) Think about what the term actually means and describe that.
(5) Are there any groups of people who could be harmed by this? Who and how so? Thinking about who is affected deepens your understanding of anti-racism.
(6) Does the language make you uncomfortable, even if you can’t quite articulate the reason?

These are terms with racist roots that. This list is evolving and by no means exhaustive.

black box: Don’t use. In general, avoid metaphorical terms where black means mysterious, shady, or bad and white means good, accepted, or true. Use a more literal term, such as confusing or unclear.
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black hat: This term enforces the “white is good” and “black is bad” paradigm. Don’t use it. Try unethical hacker/hacking.
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blacklist: This term enforces the “white is good” and “black is bad” paradigm. Don’t use. Instead, use an alternative that’s appropriate to the context, such as block or deny (for verbs) or deny list (for nouns).
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brown bag: Don't use this term. It refers to intra-racial discrimination from the segregation era. Try lunch and learn or lunch meeting.
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cakewalk: Don't use. This term refers to plantation owners who held contests in which enslaved people competed for a cake. Later, it was popularized through racist minstrel shows. Try being more clear.
circle the wagons: Don't use. This phrase is based on racist notions of Indigenous peoples. You could say something like gather folks together or unite instead.
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conquer: This term has ties to colonization. Be mindful of how the idea of dominance—often of a people or place by force—shows up in words like this. Other words you could try instead: win, overcome, defeat.
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dark UX: Don’t use. Avoid metaphorical terms where dark means mysterious, shady, or bad. These reinforce research findings that suggest people have a tendency to perceive someone with darker skin as more likely to commit an immoral act. Use deceptive design patterns, deceptive design, or deceptive UX instead.
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denigrate: This word means “to blacken” and further perpetuates the “black is bad” stereotype. Use clearer language—check the thesaurus or rewrite what you're trying to say to be simpler.
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grandfathered: The "grandfather clause” originally described policies exempting illiterate white people from discriminatory Jim Crow voting laws. Don’t use it. Say legacy, exempt, or find another way to write what you’re trying to say.
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hold down the fort: Don't use. This phrase is rooted in racism, originating from settlers and soldiers building forts in and on indigenous lands to forcefully claim and colonize them. Other words you could use instead: take over, take the lead.
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master: Don’t use. In some contexts, it connotes a hierarchical relationship of control and ownership. In any form, it’s connected to the idea of dominance and is a harmful term that comes with a history of oppression. Choose another word, such as main or primary (nouns) or ace (verb). Note: Be mindful of how this idea of dominance—often of a people or place by force—shows up in other words. “Conquer,” for example, has ties to colonization.
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master/slave: Don’t use. This shows up in engineering code and documentation.
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open the kimono: Don’t use. This phrase is both racist and sexist, originating from Japanese geisha culture. And there’s no need talk about removing clothes when discussing business—that’s just vulgar. Use clearer language, like "share plans," "reveal information," or "be fully transparent."
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peanut gallery: Don't use. This phrase originally referred to the cheapest section of seats during the vaudeville era in the U.S. In the segregated South, seats in the back or upper balcony levels were mostly reserved for Black people. Instead, you could try crowd or rowdy group.
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powwow: A powwow has cultural and spiritual significance for many Indigenous communities. It’s not a cute term for a meeting. Instead, just say meeting, chat, brainstorm.
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redline: Don’t use. In design, redlining refers to marking changes, providing specs, or highlighting priorities. But the term originated from systemic segregation and discrimination, when financial institutions would draw red lines on maps around "risky" neighborhoods (predominantly Black and Latino) where people were deemed more likely to default on a mortgage. Some alternatives, depending on context: priority list, special case, replacement list, or UI annotations.
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spirit animal: Don't use. A spirit guide or Spirit Helper is sacred and represents a larger spiritual culture within Indigenous and other cultures. It’s not a reference to your inner personality. Instead, you could try kindred spirit.
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tiger team:  Don’t use. This term originated from “tiger force,” which was a WWII bomber squad meant to bomb Japan. Tiger Force was also a US military unit that committed war crimes against Vietnamese civilians during the Vietnam War. It’s a loaded term that has ties to military aggression against Asians, even though it’s now used as corporate jargon. It’s also unclear, especially for non-native English speakers. Other words you could try instead: small team, specialized team, mission team, name the team(s) individually.
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tribe:  Don't use. A tribe is not just a group of people. Words like this have important meaning in Indigenous and other cultures, and should be used mindfully in casual conversation. Instead, try one of these words: team, community.
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white glove: Don’t use. Refers to top-notch service. This term is unclear to begin with, and more importantly, it has ties to racist minstrel shows. Choose a clearer term. Some alternatives, depending on context: top-notch care, meticulous attention, premium or VIP service.
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white hat: This term enforces the “white is good” and “black is bad” paradigm. Don’t use it. Try ethical hacker/hacking, or “security researcher.”
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white label: Even though the term white label may not be directly assigning a value judgment to color, it’s doing so indirectly. Additionally, the term is unclear and not easily translatable. Instead, try custom branding.
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whitelist: This term enforces the “white is good” and “black is bad” paradigm. Don’t use. Instead, use an alternative that’s appropriate to the context, such as trust or allow (for verbs) or allow list (for nouns).

Readability

Our ideal readability target is 5th to 8th grade, or 10 to 14 years old. It makes content more inclusive for neurodivergent people, more easily understood by non-native English speakers and helps folks who might be distracted, in a rush, tired, and so on. It also makes our content easier to translate and localize.

Here are some things that help us write content everyone can understand.

(1) Shorter sentences and words

Give people important info in the fewest amount of words. According to Nielsen Norman Group, people understand 8th-grade–level content equally well on computers and mobile devices. But they slow down when reading longer, 12th-grade–level content on mobile.  Using shorter, everyday words (like use instead of utilize) keeps our writing conversational, inclusive, and easy to understand.
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(2) Familiar words

When we choose familiar, conversational words over complex or jargony ones, we’re using terms most people understand and use every day. And we can still talk about complex financial topics in a way that feels clear and natural.
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Note: Sometimes you may need to use technical or professional jargon depending on your audience. For example, it makes sense to use accounting terminology with accountants. That will raise the reading level, and that’s OK—just be mindful that the words you’re using are clear to your audience.
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(3) Simpler tenses

Simple verb tenses (past, present, and future) keep things concise and make localization and translation easier. And people process simpler tenses faster than complex ones.
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Examples:
- to save vs. to be saving
- you import vs. you’ll be importing
- you got vs. you had been getting
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(4) Avoid adverbs and adjectives

Does not apply to marketing copy or for blogs) Adverbs and adjectives can often add unnecessary complexity to sentences, making them harder to understand, especially for readers with lower literacy levels or non-native speakers of the language. By removing these modifiers, sentences become more straightforward and easier to understand.

Examples:

Original: "Ledger's comprehensive security features ensure that users can safely store and manage their cryptocurrencies with confidence." Simplified: "Ledger's security features ensure that users can store and manage cryptocurrencies safely." Original: "Ledger's user-friendly interface makes it easy for newcomers to navigate the complexities of digital asset management." Simplified: "Ledger's interface makes it easy for newcomers to manage digital assets."

Readability scores

To score content, look at the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level and the Gunning Fog Index. The Flesch Reading Ease score is also interesting—a high number (close to 100) is better than a low number. The Hemingway app is a useful tool for checking readability.

Use readability tools to test your content, but don’t rely on them exclusively. Remember to take context into account. Focus on clear, simple, familiar language and short sentences over a readability formula.