Using Italics on the Website: Accessibility, Readability, and Standard Statements
How should we use italics on our website, especially for headings, emphasis, and standard statements like ADA accommodations, commercial disclaimers, or the Equal Opportunity statement, while keeping accessibility and readability in mind?
Response:
Italics can be a useful tool for emphasizing text or following academic conventions, but overuse can make content harder to read and reduce accessibility. The following guidelines explain when and how to use italics effectively on our websites while keeping readability and accessibility in mind.
Using Italics on the Website: Best Practices
- General use: Italics should be used sparingly as a visual styling tool rather than for semantic emphasis.
- Headings: Avoid italics in headings. Our header fonts can skew oddly, reducing legibility.
- Paragraphs: Italics are acceptable for short emphasis, but avoid long blocks of italicized text, which can be harder to read—especially for users with dyslexia or other reading challenges.
- Standardized statements: Italics are intentionally used for ADA accommodations disclaimers, commercial/brand disclaimers, and the Equal Opportunity long-form statement. These passages are short, displayed in a readable sans-serif font, and remain fully legible. Screen readers read italicized text normally, so accessibility is preserved.
- Scientific or foreign-language terms: Italics may be used for Latin terms or other foreign-language phrases in research content, following standard academic or publication conventions.
Principle: Use italics only when necessary for clarity or visual distinction, while prioritizing readability and accessibility.
Additional Resources on Using Italics
For more guidance, reputable resources such as WebAIM’s Accessibility Quick Reference and the University of Exeter Accessibility Fundamentals emphasize limiting the use of italics for readability and using visual emphasis sparingly.
Reach Out to Our Team
If you’d like a one-on-one discussion or step-by-step work session with a member of Extension’s Web Team, submit your request through the form on the Extension Communications and Marketing: Submit a Request page.
- Our team will follow up within 48 hours of submission.
- You’ll also receive a confirmation email with a copy of your request—please reply to that message if you need to add updates or additional information.