Techniques for WCAG 2.0

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C21: Specifying line spacing in CSS

Applicability

All technologies that support CSS

This technique relates to:

Description

Many people with cognitive disabilities have trouble tracking lines of text when a block of text is single spaced. Providing spacing between 1.5 to 2 allows them to start a new line more easily once they have finished the previous one.

Examples

Example 1

Setting the element to 1.5 line height. In the style sheet set the characteristics of the element.

Example Code:

p { line-height: 150%; }

In the content the element will now be 1.5 line height, throughout the document.

Example Code:

<p> Lorem ipsum dolor sit …  </p>

Example 2

Setting a class to 1.5 line height (space-and-a-half line spacing). In the stylesheet, define the class.

Example Code:

p.tall {line-height:150%}

In the content, call up the class = "left".

Example Code:

<p class="tall"> Lorem ipsum dolor sit …  </p>

Example 3

Setting a class to double-spaced line height. In the stylesheet, define the class.

Example Code:

p.tall {line-height:200%}

In the content, call up the class = "right".

Example Code:

<p class="tall"> Lorem ipsum dolor sit …  </p>

Tests

Procedure

  1. Open content in a browser.

  2. Check that the spacing between lines in blocks of text is between 1.5 and 2.

Expected Results

If this is a sufficient technique for a success criterion, failing this test procedure does not necessarily mean that the success criterion has not been satisfied in some other way, only that this technique has not been successfully implemented and can not be used to claim conformance.

Techniques are Informative

Techniques are informative—that means they are not required. The basis for determining conformance to WCAG 2.0 is the success criteria from the WCAG 2.0 standard—not the techniques. For important information about techniques, please see the Understanding Techniques for WCAG Success Criteria section of Understanding WCAG 2.0.