In support of Nova Scotia’s accessibility legislation (2017) and Nova Scotia Health’s Accessibility Plan 2023-2026, we are redesigning Nova Scotia Health patient education pamphlets to be accessible for everyone.
To achieve this, we are integrating elements of increased accessibility into existing processes, and adopting new processes when necessary. Changes are being made over time to meet Nova Scotia’s 2030 timeline. For example, all new pamphlets are designed with accessibility in mind, and all existing pamphlets are redesigned for increased accessibility as they are updated.
What changes have we already made?
- Alternative (alt) text is added to the PDF for all included images or figures in new or updated English pamphlets.
- New review process implemented
- Before an English pamphlet PDF is uploaded to the Nova Scotia Health website, it will be reviewed and edited for increased accessibility using Adobe Accessibility Check and a manual review of the material.
- Standard language updates
- We have implemented changes to how text appears in our pamphlets online, so it can be more easily understood by clients using screen readers, text-to-speech, and Braille displays.
- Prioritizing readability
- We ensure font size is no smaller than 14 pt. for main text and 10 pt. for footnotes (like backmatter, "Also available in", etc.) with no exceptions. Eye Care Service pamphlets are created using large font (16pt./18pt.).
- We ensure there is sufficient whitespace between titles, paragraphs, and images.
- We ensure the template used is a good fit for the amount of content included.
