Cognitive accessibility and neurodiversity
Cognitive accessibility aims at content understandable by people with dyslexia, autism, ADHD, memory difficulties or simple fatigue. It relies on clarity, predictability and user control.
The key rules
- Plain language: short sentences, no jargon, abbreviations explained.
- Clear instructions: linear layout, numbered steps.
- Fewer distractions: no automatic animation; respect
prefers-reduced-motion; controllable moving content (RGAA 13.8). - Spacing: airy text, line length around 70 characters.
- Immediate feedback: confirm each action, announce state changes.
- Consistency: navigation and help in the same place (WCAG 3.2.6).
Code example
@media (prefers-reduced-motion: reduce) {
*, *::before, *::after { animation-duration: .01ms !important; transition-duration: .01ms !important; scroll-behavior: auto !important; }
}How to test
Enable reduced motion in your system, read the page aloud, ask an outside reviewer to summarise the expected task. See the W3C WAI cognitive accessibility guide.
Frequently asked questions
Does RGAA require plain language?
RGAA doesn’t impose it as such, but several criteria (clear labels, motion, contrast) contribute; it is a recommended practice.
What is prefers-reduced-motion?
A CSS media query detecting the system preference for reduced animation so you can adapt to it.