Re: Why reduce font size

Paul,

> Thanks to standards I exclusively use font sizes specified as "x-small and
> xx-small etc..."
> Why? I use this as it allows the users of ALL browsers (including IE) to
> change the size of the font according to their wishes.
>
> It's scary to note that some of those large organisations you highlighted
> fix the font size (Apple at 12px) which does limit the accessibility to
> their sites.

Just because Internet Explorer lacks an accessibility feature that every 
half-decent browser has--in this case, resizing text from so-called fixed 
sizes--does not mean that it is the Web developer who is limiting 
accessibility by using fixed sizes.

As I see it, in this case, there are two problems: the browser's failure to 
resize text set to such sizes (a failing that makes even less sense to me 
than using the term "favorites" to refer to bookmarks--a decent metaphor and 
less likely to have distasteful implications--or limiting their names to 
names allowed by the underlying file system) and the common notion that a 
particular outdated browser with poor standards support even matters when 
free and inexpensive browsers with better standards support and 
accessibility features are available for all major computer platforms.

I do not think we should appeal to the failings of a particular browser--any 
particular browser, regardless of how common it is--as a point against using 
those so-called fixed sizes or anything else.


Kind regards,

Brian Sexton

Received on Tuesday, 1 March 2005 14:55:00 UTC