Re: Contractions: good or not from the accessibility perspective?

For me, I avoid contractions whenever possible. They sometimes create 
inaccuracies when translating to different languages especially when so 
many Americans use them incorrectly. Also, I have seen studies that 
punctuation slows people (including with Dyslexia) down so why add a 
hurdle when there is an (better) alternative.  But either way, avoid 
going back and forth with contractions - pick one pattern and stick to it.

Contractions can create a more "informal" tone but this is not the 
typical tone for certain professional writing assignments like tech 
writing, news articles, etc.   I see writing with a casual tone 
(contractions, slang, etc.) more applicable for a blog post, novel, etc. 
when trying to create a more casual environment with your reader 
"friends" but just know that it may not translate well to an 
international audience.

But this is just my opinion on approach. I am sure that there will be 
people who agree with Microsoft.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
*From:* Niklas Pivic [mailto:niklas.pivic@snowsoftware.com]
*Sent:* Friday, May 28, 2021, 5:06 AM
*To:* w3c-wai-ig@w3.org
*Subject:* Contractions: good or not from the accessibility perspective?

> Hi!
>
> I am new to the WAI list, so I apologise in advance if I happen to do 
> something wrong.
>
> I have searched the web for an answer but can’t find one, so here goes:
>
> Is it OK to use contractions in documentation and still write 
> inclusively with accessibility in mind?
>
> Microsoft’s Writing Style Guide says that using contractions is good 
> <https://docs.microsoft.com/en-gb/style-guide/word-choice/use-contractions>, 
> as it contributes to creating ‘a friendly, informal tone.’
>
> On the other hand, I’ve seen people note that contractions are bad 
> from the accessibility standpoint, mainly where people with certain 
> visual impairments are concerned along with people who have certain 
> disabilities, for example dyslexia.
>
> I would appreciate your thoughts on this dearly.
>
> Thank you very much in advance.
>
> Best regards,
>
> Niklas Pivic
>
> Technical Writer
>
> +46 708575069
>
> niklas.pivic@snowsoftware.com <mailto:niklas.pivic@snowsoftware.com>
>
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