Success Criterion 1.4.12 - Text Spacing - Level AA

[JJdeGroot]

Discussion:

8 May 2024

[Source](https://www.w3.org/2024/05/08-matf-minutes.html#t02) ## 1.4.12 Text Spacing [JJ moves to relevant row in screenshare] JJ: Joe is saying might be a no, there are bookmarklets for testing on web JJ: to 'applicable to mobile native', Joe also added 'no' quintinb: with this, what we probably can do, we strongly recommend that you respect user text settings or just user settings I agree with quintinb that it could be added in the future. Yeah not in stock Android for now Oooh what do we think about apps that force a specific font? julianmka: I tell designers there is no such thing as a canonical view of an app… supporting capabilities is important I'm still testing but Samsung's OneUI font swapping only applies to apps that use the designated system font. JJ: I think in the EN 301 549 there is a mention of that software should implement text properties of the software system or something Is TalkBack on? Double_a: font sizes are difficult to manage… we recently did a survey … if the accessibility features to make content bold are turned on, and the content was already bold, it will make it unreadable Double_a: we observed this with nearsighted users We can't test every potential combo of dubious font settings, but people should have the decision to use them if they want to. +1 JJ: so would say this SC is not applicable but we could add some best practices Double_a: I did write a blog post on the font specific stuff, would be happy to share it can developers force the use of the font used in the application over the OS font? yes they can in Android I was going to ask about this JJ: yes they can JJ: as far as I know there is no way for users to override quintinb: if the user could set their font, should we require that apps respect the user setting? JJ: would also be interesting to look at the EN standard I could see this being useful for folks, but also makes life heck for designers the EN has a specific criterion on this 11.7 user prefs JJ: shares 11.7 User Preferences of EN 301 549 font type possibly serif vs sans serif? Hidde: chapter 11 of EN 301 549 is likely to get expanded JJ: we'll discuss 1.4.13 and 2.4.1 next time Thanks JJ and Hidde!

1. Applicability to Mobile Native:

• JJ: Noted Joe's input that this criterion might not be applicable to mobile native apps.
• QuintinB: Recommended respecting user text settings in apps.
• Joe_Humbert: Agreed with the potential for future inclusion, though it's not in stock Android currently.

2. Font Usage in Apps:

• Apps forcing specific fonts can impact accessibility.
• Julianmka: Emphasized the importance of supporting user capabilities over a canonical view of the app.
• JJ: Mentioned EN 301 549's guidance on implementing text properties in software.

3. Managing Font Sizes:

• Double_a: Shared survey findings on difficulties managing font sizes, especially when accessibility features like bold text are turned on, which can make content unreadable.
• Consensus: Users should have control over font settings, but testing every combination of settings is impractical.

4. Developer Control Over Fonts:

• Joe_Humbert: Asked about developers forcing app-specific fonts over OS fonts.
• JJ & Others: Confirmed developers can force font usage in Android, and there's no way for users to override this.

5. Respecting User Font Settings:

• QuintinB: Suggested apps should respect user-set fonts if the OS allows it.
• JJ: Proposed looking into the EN 301 549 standard for more guidance.

6. EN 301 549 Standard:

• JJ: Shared section 11.7 User Preferences from EN 301 549.
• Hidde: Mentioned the potential expansion of chapter 11 in EN 301 549.