It’s about accessibility
When creating this new website, I found it interesting how text alignment can influence a website's accessibility.
I prefer the look of justified text, but I suspected there might be an issue. My web designer sent me this, which helped understand why it could affect dyslexic readers and those using screen readers, etc. I asked Funké Oseni to review it for me. Here is what she found out.
Justified Text for Accessibility
Did you know that justified or centered text can actually make your content harder to read?
If you’re designing a website or writing a blog, using fully justified or center-aligned text may look neat, but it’s not always accessible.
Justified text forces words to spread out to align both sides of the paragraph, this can create uneven spacing that makes it difficult to follow, especially for people with dyslexia or low vision. The uneven spacing often forms distracting vertical “rivers of white space”. which disrupts reading flow and can make it hard to distinguish individual words, especially when zoomed in.
Centered text makes it hard to find the start of each line, especially when zoomed in or using screen readers. Though commonly used for stylistic purposes it causes readability issues by placing each line in a different horizontal position. This can confuse readers and make navigation with assistive technologies more difficult.
Accessibility matters. That’s why left-aligned text is the best choice for readability
Learn more about why alignment choices matter:
🔗 https://www.boia.org/blog/why-justified-or-centered-text-is-bad-for-accessibility
Best Practices:
Stick to left-aligned text for paragraphs.
Reserve centered text for short elements like titles or quotes.
Avoid full justification in digital content, especially for longer passages.
Making small changes in formatting can make a big difference in how your content is received and who can access it!
