By Sally Pritchett
CEO
Writing a great report is one thing. Making sure it’s accessible for your readers is another.
Accessibility goes beyond font size or colour contrast – it’s also about creating content that people can understand and engage with. And that starts with how we write, structure and design our reports.
Whether you’re creating an impact report, gender pay gap report, annual report, ESG report or something else, here are five practical ways to make your report more accessible and digestible.
Keep language simple
Complex language, overly long sentences, unfamiliar words all make writing more inaccessible. Using simpler language and keeping sentences clear and concise can make it easier for your audience to stay engaged as they read.
- Swap complex or long words for simpler alternatives (e.g. use ‘help’ instead of ‘assist’)
- Break up long sentences, and write the way you speak
Top tip: Read your content out loud. If it sounds unnatural or clunky, rework it until it flows in a similar way to how you’d speak.
If you’re looking for more ways to write in a clear, inclusive way – not just in reports but across all your channels – our guide to creating authentic, accessible and inclusive communications is a good place to start.
Don’t assume knowledge
Acronyms, industry terms and technical jargon can quickly alienate readers unfamiliar with the topic. If you must include them, always explain the term the first time you use it.
Writing in a way that assumes no prior knowledge isn’t patronising – it’s inclusive. It means anyone, whether they’re new to the subject or an expert, can follow your report without confusion.
Structure matters – break content down
No one wants to read pages of big blocks of text. Well-structured content is easier to scan, understand and remember. Think about what you’re trying to say – and how you can say it in fewer words or in an easier-to-digest way.
- Use clear headings and subheadings to break up text
- Make information easier to scan with bullet points and numbered lists
- Make key messages easy to find in the flow of the content, using callouts or visual elements to support them where useful
Use inclusive visuals
Not everyone processes information the same way. Visual elements like infographics, diagrams and charts can help bring your content to life. However, it’s important to ensure any visuals you use are accessible.
- Choose high-contrast colours and legible fonts
- Avoid using colour alone to differentiate data – also use patterns, labels, symbols or shapes for each section of a chart or graph
- Add meaningful alt text to all informative images for screen reader users
- Avoid overuse of decorative visuals that distract from your message, and mark them as decorative rather than describing unnecessarily
Top tip: Consider whether the message would still be clear if the image didn’t load.
Make it keyboard and screen reader friendly
If your report is digital, it should be easy to navigate with a keyboard and work properly with screen readers.
- Use proper heading styles (H1, H2, etc.) rather than relying on visual formatting alone
- Make sure PDFs are properly tagged and follow a logical reading order
- Keep important information as real text rather than embedding it in images or scanned pages
- Use descriptive links, such as ‘Download the 2026 Report’ instead of ‘Click here’
- Keep tables simple and make sure headings and data are structured properly
Where possible, it can also be worth providing an HTML version alongside a PDF, particularly if the report is being published online for a wide audience.
Top tip: Use built-in accessibility checkers, such as those in Microsoft Word or Adobe Acrobat, as a starting point. If possible, ask real users to test your report and provide feedback.
A report that’s easy to navigate and understand gives more people the chance to engage with what you’re sharing. Thinking about accessibility from the start can make it easier for readers to find the information they need and use it.
Want to make your next report stronger?
If you already have a report and want to understand where it could be improved, our Report Reviewer gives you an expert review of its storytelling, structure, accessibility and design.
If you’re starting from data, evidence or source material and need support turning it into a finished report, our Report Builder can support the process from structure and content through to design and production.
Or, if you’d like to talk through what you need, get in touch.
FAQs about accessible report design
An accessible report is easy for people to read, navigate and understand. That means using clear language, logical structure, legible design, accessible colour contrast, descriptive links, meaningful alt text and formatting that works for screen readers and keyboard navigation.
Accessibility matters because reports are often created to inform, influence or build trust with important audiences. If a report is difficult to read, navigate or understand, people are less likely to engage with the content, remember the key messages or act on the insight.
Your report may need improving if it feels too long, hard to navigate, overly technical, visually cluttered or difficult to use as a digital document. It may also need a review if the content is strong, but the story, structure, accessibility or design are making it harder for audiences to engage with.
Our Report Reviewer product is designed for organisations with an existing report that is live, in draft or ready to refresh. We review your report across storytelling, structure, accessibility and design, then provide practical recommendations to make it more engaging, easier to navigate and more useful for your audience.
Something Big can support with different stages of report creation, from reviewing what you already have to designing, producing and launching a new report. Depending on what you need, we can help improve an existing draft, turn agreed content and data into a polished report, build the story and structure from the start, or create campaign assets that help your insight reach the right audiences. And if you have a report brief ready to go, then use our report briefing tool to get started.