What to consider when designing accessible videos

Video is a powerful way to reach a broad audience, especially when 40% of Australians have literacy levels below what’s needed for everyday life. But to make sure your message is accessible, there are a few key design principles to keep in mind.

Colour contrast

Colour contrast standards are set by the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), the internationally recognised standards for digital accessibility.

Contrast refers to how clearly elements stand out from one another. For example, black and white offers strong contrast, while yellow and orange can be difficult to distinguish. Contrast ratios measure how easy overlapping colours are to see.

To improve visibility, you should:

• use high contrast colour combinations
• add outlines to lighter text or graphics
• test designs for colour blindness and low vision.

You should also consider how intersectionality might impact how a viewer experiences your content. For example, an older person from a multicultural background who is experiencing vision loss. When colour contrast is done well, it can reduce several barriers at once.

Typography

It’s important to limit text in videos where possible, as too much text increases cognitive load. When text is necessary, you should make sure it’s easy to read.

Generally, sans serif fonts are clearer because they don’t include decorative strokes known as serifs. However, well-designed serif fonts can also be accessible. You should try to avoid decorative, overly thin, heavy or highly stylised fonts that slow reading and reduce clarity.

Your typography should:

• use a minimum of 18px for digital text
• avoid ALL CAPS
• use italics sparingly
• apply generous line spacing
• add space between paragraphs.

Clean, simple, spacious text benefits everyone, particularly people who are neurodivergent or have low vision.

Auslan, captions and audio description

Accessibility goes beyond visuals.

Auslan interpretation makes content accessible for Deaf people who use Auslan as their primary language. You should make sure the interpreter is clearly visible and not cropped or too small on the screen. You may need to adjust framing or aspect ratio to get this right.

Your captions should be accurate and synchronised, covering both spoken words and important sounds. You should avoid relying solely on auto-generated captions and review them carefully. Captions support Deaf viewers and anyone watching without sound. For example, people in public spaces who watch videos on mute.

Audio description helps people who are blind or have low vision. It describes important visual information that isn’t conveyed through dialogue.

Pacing

It’s important to give viewers enough time to process information before moving on.

Accessible pacing:

• allows comfortable caption reading
• reduces cognitive overload
• supports people with intellectual and learning disabilities.

Good pacing recognises that people absorb information at different speeds.

Designing accessible videos isn’t just about compliance. It’s about making sure your message reaches as many people as possible. Thoughtful choices in colour, typography, interpretation, captions and pacing make your content clearer and more inclusive for everyone.

For more information on accessible videos, watch our free webinar with visual communications agency Punchy Studio. We explore real-world examples of making videos more accessible without compromising storytelling or visual impact.