Some individuals have difficulties understanding text in various severities. It is important for content authors to write as simply and clearly as is feasible, taking into account the primary audience - including those who may have difficulty with some of the content. Avoid using non-literal text such as sarcasm or colloquialisms as these can be challenging to understand. The unstated assumptions and implied meaning of written content may seem obvious to the writer, but readers may not have the necessary background knowledge. Some readers may not have the skills to infer meaning from text without additional help.
- Identifying the primary language of a web page, such as Arabic, Dutch, or Korean;
- Identifying the language of text passages, phrases, or other parts of a web page;
- Providing definitions for any unusual words, phrases, idioms, and abbreviations;
- Using the clearest and simplest language possible, or providing simplified versions.
Mathematical expressions are not easy for everybody to understand. Often it is helpful to explain math conceptually, either with or without the formulas. Conceptual explanations help readers understand the reasoning behind the math.