Typos and Other Vision Related Issues
22 June 2010Typos are an ever present reality for anyone who writes. But when your ability to proofread is compromised by a visual disability the problem can become unmanageable. For example, the squiggly lines under misspelled words are virtually invisible to me so I don’t have the visual clue others have. My best resource is to have my wonderful wife do my proofreading. Of course, I tend to want to post when I’m through writing and that doesn’t work if I have to wait for someone to proofread my copy. And if I save as a draft I have to remember to ask her to proofread when she’s available. There are just so many things that change when you can’t see.
Another example of the changing reality is trying to follow package directions on food. I keep a large magnifier in the kitchen for reading package directions. The problem is, so many food labels are printrf with very poor contrast. Like whitr trxt on an orange background. I can’t make that our no matter how much I magnify it. So I end up calling my wife to the kitchen to read it to me. It’s really very frustrating. I know that food companies aren’t just messing with the vision impaired but they aren’t exactly thinking about us either.
I remember reading several years ago about standards for web design that make reading web pages much easier for the visually impaired. The problem is, no one thinks about it unless they or someone they are close to is actually visually impaired. There have been moves to address the problem but so far as I can tell, none have met with much success.
So if you’re reading this and you have a web site or you are in any way involved in producing any kind of copy intended for wide consumption, please give so thought to those of us who struggle to read what you write.
Note: Please excuse any typos you may find in this post.
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June 22nd, 2010 at 11:10 am
My iPhone has a built in spelling corrector that works amazingly. I mistype virtually every word, and it fixes them. I wonder if an application exists which would correct as you type? You may still end up with typo’s but perhaps far less.
June 28th, 2010 at 10:38 am
I’ve done some looking around and so far I haven’t really found anything like that for the browser.