Canada.ca Content Style Guide: Canada.ca design

Writing for accessibility

Making content accessible means a wide range of people can use it, including people with physical and cognitive disabilities (for example, reading disorders, attention deficit disorders, memory disorders).

To make your content accessible, consider how assistive technologies work and how some writing practices may impact people's ability to read or understand text. Remember to also refer to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0.

Write in the active voice

In most cases, using the active voice will help your audience understand what they’re reading. Sentences in the active voice are direct, clear and easier to understand. Their structure is logical and easy to follow because the subject is the doer of the action:

• subject (the doer) + verb (the action) + object (who/what the action is about)

Avoid the passive voice

In a passive sentence, it may not be clear who or what is doing the action. This makes the sentence harder to understand. The structure of a passive sentence is:

• Object + verb + subject

Examples of active and passive voice

Write: We may ask you to provide proof of citizenship. (active)
Instead of: You may be asked to provide proof of citizenship. (passive)

Write: You must file your returns electronically. (active)
Instead of: Your returns must be filed electronically. (passive)

The passive voice is useful in some cases. For more on this topic, consult:

• Writing Tips Plus: Active voice, passive voice

Use the positive form

Whenever possible, tell people what they may or must do instead of what they may not or must not do to complete their task. Avoid negatives, double negatives and exceptions to exceptions.

Examples of positive and negative sentences

Positive: You will receive your Notice of Assessment once you’ve filed your return.
Negative: You can’t receive your Notice of Assessment if you haven’t filed your taxes.

Positive: You're entitled to part of the deduction.
Negative: You're not entitled to the entire deduction.

Positive: The procedure will be effective.
Double negative: The procedure will not be ineffective.

Positive: You may claim a child born in 1972 or earlier as a dependent if they have a mental or physical disability.
Double negative: You may not claim anything for a dependent child born in 1972 or earlier unless the child has a mental or physical disability.

Exception: Acceptable use of the negative form

You can use the negative form when something has serious or fatal consequences. The negative form will make it easier to explain what is not possible or should not be done. Do not use contractions (don’t) to make sure your audience will read and understand the statement.

Examples of using the negative form for something that has serious consequences

• Do not try to locate the source of carbon monoxide. Leave your home immediately and move to fresh air.
• Do not attempt on your own as this can have serious or fatal consequences.

Use verbs instead of nouns formed from verbs

Avoid using nouns that are formed from verbs. Verbs alone clearly express the action needed. Always use the simplest form of a verb. When possible, use the present tense.

Examples of the use of verbs instead of nouns

Write: apply
Instead of: submit your application

Write: consider
Instead of: take into consideration

Write: modify
Instead of: make a modification

Write: needs
Instead of: is in need of

For more details read:

• Writing Tips Plus: Turn nouns into verbs

Avoid noun strings

Don’t use a group of 2 or more nouns to modify another noun.

These noun strings are hard to understand. They force people to do a lot of unpacking to get at what the phrase means.

Write: standards for post-mortem evaluation of food animal carcasses
Instead of: Food Animal Carcass Post-mortem Evaluation Standards

See how this rule applies in French:

• 2.4 Rédigez avec la voix active, directe, et affirmative

2.5 Avoid jargon and similar language

Where possible, avoid using jargon, idioms, metaphors and expressions. Use the clearest, most popular term for your audience.

Legal and technical terms and "government-speak" confuse most people.

People who don't speak English or French might use online tools to translate text. These tools do not always translate words and ideas accurately.

Examples

• Jargon:
  • adverse effect (effect)
  • citizen engagement (meaningful involvement of citizens)
  • remuneration (pay)
  • disclosure (making information available)
  • pro bono (legal service provided free of charge)
• Idiom: to hire a helping hand (meaning to hire an employee)
• Expression: attack your least favourite task first (meaning do your least favourite task first)
• Metaphor: the sun was a ball of fire (meaning the sun was very hot)

If you must include jargon familiar to your target audience, be sure to:

• explain it using clear, easy-to-understand words or give an example to help non-specialists understand
• never use jargon to explain jargon

Examples of statements that avoid the use of jargon

Write: You have to file your income tax return (T1) by April 30.
Instead of: You have to file your T1 return by April 30.

Write: Learn about savings plans that can help you save enough money to retire.
Instead of: Learn about different types of savings plans that will let you build up your retirement nest egg.

Identify keywords your audience is using to find your content

Keywords are the words your audience uses to find your content. They are the most common terms used to talk about, or search for, a specific topic.

If you have access to primary sources (interviews, usability research, support tickets, emails, call centre transcripts, etc.) use these sources to identify your keywords.

You can also use online keyword research tools. Tools you can use to find popular search terms include:

• Ahrefs Free SEO Tools (no account required)
• Bing Keyword Research (need Microsoft account to access)
• Google Trends (no login required)
• Google Keyword Planner (need Google AdWords account to access)
• Hoth Free Google Keyword Planner (no account required)
• Moz Keyword Explorer

You can also use hashtag research tools to help identify trending keywords.

Refer to your analytics to find out which search terms your audience uses to find related content.

See how this rule applies in French:

• 2.5 Éviter le jargon et les expressions familières ou imagées

2.6 Use short sentences and paragraphs

Use simple sentence and paragraph structure. Avoid complexity.

Be direct. Start sentences with the subject and verb. This structure helps people know immediately who is doing what.

Be brief. Use as few words as possible to express an idea. Being concise helps everyone, including specialists, complete their task.

Write easy-to-scan content. Keep sentences and paragraphs short. This makes them easier to scan and understand by everyone, on any screen size. Keep some paragraphs to one sentence when it makes the content easier to scan.

Use the following strategies to write clear, easy-to-scan content:

• break up long sentences (optimal is under 15 to 20 words)
• avoid sentences with lots of commas
• keep sentences to one idea each
• remove unnecessary words (modifiers, adverbs, adjectives, words that add no meaning)
• keep paragraphs to one main idea and no more than 3 sentences
• present a series of 2 or more ideas or words as a vertical list

Examples of shortened sentences

Write: We approved your request for funding.
Instead of: We received your request for funding, which we've thoroughly reviewed and approved in a timely manner.

Write: We'll consider any type of investment.
Instead of: Any type of investment will be taken into consideration.

Examples of concise and simple sentence structure

Write: Learn about Canada's transportation system. Find information about using paved roads, bike trails, airports and ports across the country.
Instead of: Learn all about Canada's vast transportation system, including information, tools and resources about using paved roads, bike trails, airports and ports all across the country, from coast to coast to coast.

Examples of a direct statement

Write: You have until April 30 to file your tax return.
Instead of: The period of time that you have to file your tax return ends on April 30.

See how this rule applies in French:

• 2.6 Utiliser des phrases et paragraphes simples et concis

2.7 Explain references to legislation

When explaining a requirement that comes from an act or regulation, avoid mentioning the act or regulation by name. Include only the information people need to complete the task.

If you must include the name of the act or regulation, always give a plain-language description. First, explain what your audience needs to know and why they need to know more about the act or regulation. Then, you may add a reference to the act or regulation.

Examples of references to legislation

Write: You can apply for your child to become a Canadian citizen after they arrive in Canada as a permanent resident.

Related links

• Citizenship Act, section 5.1

Instead of: After your child arrives in Canada as a permanent resident, you can apply for citizenship on the child's behalf under section 5.1 of the Citizenship Act.

For later mentions, you can refer to it as “the Act” or “the Legislation”. Alternatively, include an abbreviated form in parentheses after the first mention. For additional guidance and examples see:

• Section 4.4 abbreviations and acronyms

See how this rule applies in French:

• 2.7 Expliquer les références aux lois

2.8 Additional resources on plain language and clear communication

The following resources offer trustworthy information to help you write clearly in plain language:

Relevant Writing Tips Plus articles on clear communication

• choose positive over negative phrasing
• coherence
• overview of the writing process and techniques
• polish your paragraphs
• reduce redundancy
• responsibilities of writers, editors and decision makers
• simplify your sentences
• transition words
• turn nouns into verbs
• use clear words and expressions
• use the active voice
• write clear and effective briefing notes
• write relevant and effective emails

External resources:

• Content Design London | Readability Guidelines
• ISO 24495-1:2023 Plain language
• Plain Language - International Plain Language Federation
• PlainLanguage.gov | Plain language guidelines (US government)
• Province of British Columbia:
  • Writing web content - Province of British Columbia
  • Government of British Columbia Plain language checklist
• WebAIM Writing Clearly and Simply Guide (external link)

See how this section applies in French:

• 2.8 Liens vers des ressources externes sur le langage clair

3.0 Tone

The tone of the government's web content should be:

• direct
• informative
• conversational
• professional

Write as if you were talking to your audience in person, but with the authority of an institution that provides information as part of its mandate.

See how this rule applies in French:

• 3.1 Écrire directement à la personne

3.2 Use "we" to refer to the Government of Canada

We generally provide information to people from the perspective of the government as a whole rather than from a specific institution.

Use "we" and "our" when writing on behalf of the Government of Canada.

Examples of statements that use "we" or "our" to refer to the Government of Canada

Write: If you started a new claim within the last 52 weeks and there are still weeks payable on that claim, we will automatically renew your existing claim.
Instead of: If you started a new claim within the last 52 weeks and there are still weeks payable on that claim, Service Canada will automatically renew your existing claim.

Use "Government of Canada" when:

• describing Canada's stance on a topic relative to another named jurisdiction (country, province, territory city, etc.)
• explaining Canada's role with respect to a topic or issue

Use the name of a specific institution in situations when the:

• institution will be contacting the person
• person needs to contact the institution by phone, mail or online process
• role of the institution in a process is relevant to the task

Examples of statements that refer to specific institutions

• The Canada Revenue Agency will inform you if you have to repay benefits.
• The Canadian Food Inspection Agency gives permits for some meat products.
• All restricted or controlled drugs need an import permit from Health Canada.

Don't include references to your website on your website.

Example of a statement that doesn't refer to Canada.ca on the Canada.ca site

Write: Determine whether you're eligible.
Instead of: Get more information about eligibility on the Canada.ca website.

See how this rule applies in French:

• 3.2 Utiliser le pronom « nous » pour désigner le gouvernement du Canada

3.3 Expressing an obligation or a recommendation

As a government organization, we often publish rules, information and instructions that are set out in law. We also provide advice on how to follow them.

See how this rule applies in French:

• 3.3 Exprimer une obligation ou une recommandation

4.0 Style

On the web, less is more. Keep style and punctuation simple. Formatting (such as bold, italics and underlining) and complex punctuation can be distracting and make reading difficult for many people.

4.1 Capitalization and punctuation

Use these styles for capitalization and punctuation of content in text, links and applications.

Capitalize the main words of:

• titles of official publications (such as reports, frameworks, strategies and plans)
• institution names
• program names
• titles of policy instruments
• titles of legislation (in other words, acts and regulations)
• Government of Canada

Lowercase the short form of proper names.

Example of proper names and their short forms

Full names: Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Canada Pension Plan, the Public Service of Canada
Short form: the department, the plan, the public service

All caps

Don't capitalize all the letters in a word.

Exceptions

• Abbreviations (although avoid them unless they're necessary)
• Military exercise or operation names (for example, Operation PROVISION)

Titles, headings and subheadings

• Capitalize the first letter of the first word (sentence case) of all page titles, headings, subheadings, table captions and table headers
• Capitalize proper nouns in page titles, headings and subheadings
• Don't use punctuation at the end of page titles, headings and subheadings

Exceptions

• You may use punctuation at the end of page titles, headings and subheadings for campaign slogans
• Only use question marks when asking for information in a form, wizard, survey or quiz

Example of question marks being used in forms, wizards, surveys or quizzes

Figure 3 - Text version

A web page containing a heading with a question mark.

• Title of page
  • Find out if you need to charge GST/HST
• Plain language summary of page
  • Answer a few questions to find out if you need to charge or collect the tax and register to get a GST/HST account number. Businesses with lower revenue and those that deal in certain goods and services might not need to charge tax.
• Heading
  • Do you or your organization already have a GST/HST account?
• 2 clickable options
  • Yes
  • No
• Action button to continue process
  • Next

Lists

• Avoid having more than 1 sentence in a single list item
• Don't end the list items with any punctuation

When list items are grammatically independent of each other or follow a heading, capitalize the first letter of each list item.

Example of punctuation in independent list items

Most requested

• Financing your new business
• Financing for innovation
• Find a loan for your small business
• Canada job grants for employers

When the meaning of list items depends on a lead-in phrase, don't capitalize the first letter of each unless it's a proper name.

Example of punctuation in interdependent list items preceded by a colon

Representatives can be:

• citizenship or immigration consultants
• lawyers
• other representatives

Links

Use lower case for a link in a sentence, unless the link contains a proper name.

Commas

Remove unnecessary commas to make web content easier to read:

• avoid multiple commas in a sentence by breaking it up into a few shorter sentences
• place a comma before "and" and "or" only if it will help people understand a list of items in a sentence

Hyphen and dashes

Hyphens and dashes have different uses. They aren't interchangeable. Avoid using dashes:

• use a hyphen (-) to join words together
• use "to" instead of the en dash (–) in a span or range of numbers, dates or time
• use a comma (,) to emphasize or frame an idea instead of an em dash (—)
• simplify your sentence instead of using em dashes

See how this rule applies in French:

• 4.1 Majuscules et ponctuation

4.2 Underlining, bold and italics

Formatting must support the most important information on the page.

Don't combine styles, like underlining and bold formatting, unless it's part of the hyperlinked text found on a topic page.

Underlining

Use underlining for links only.

Bold

Use bold for emphasis, but use it sparingly: the more you use it, the less effective it is.

Italics

People with dyslexia or other reading disorders may find it difficult to read italicized text.

Don't use italics:

• for design or decorative purposes
• to emphasize a word or phrase (use bold sparingly instead)
• for long passages of text, such as quotations
• in page titles

Follow Writing Tips Plus rules for applying italics for the following:

• italics: French and foreign words
• italics: legal references
• italics: mathematical and scientific material
• italics: titles of works
• Latin terms and abbreviations

See how this rule applies in French:

• 4.2 Soulignement, caractères gras et italique

4.3 Symbols

Some symbols make web content more difficult to read while others improve readability. Research whether they're understood by a wide audience before using them.

Ampersand

• Spell out the word "and" instead of using an ampersand (&)
• Use the ampersand only for proper names when it's part of a company name and in certain abbreviations, including:
  • R&D (research and development)
  • O&M (operating and maintenance)

Percent

• 20% (not 20 percent)
• A quarter or one quarter (not ¼)
• Half (not ½)

Currency

• $100 per month

See how this rule applies in French:

• 4.3 Symboles

4.4 Abbreviations and acronyms

Abbreviations are shortened forms of full terms. Both acronyms and initialisms are types of abbreviations. They are formed from the first letters of a group of words, without spaces.

Write out the long form of the term with the abbreviated form in parentheses at first mention. For example:

• Canadian Space Agency (CSA)
• Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART)
• Ontario (Ont.)

Use the abbreviation without its long form once it’s been introduced.

Research common keywords

Check your analytics to find out what keywords your audiences are using to find your content.

If you have to use a multi-word term more than once on a web page, use the full term the first time you use it. For any further uses of the term use a short form such as "the program" or "the plan," in lower case instead of repeating the full term or using an abbreviation.

Example of statements that avoid the use of abbreviations and acronyms

Write: There are 15 client contact centres across Canada.
Instead of: There are 15 CCCs across Canada.

Write: The act strengthens the Government of Canada's commitment to…
Instead of: The EEA strengthens the Government of Canada's commitment to…

Include abbreviations that your audience uses in your metadata (for example, in the description field) to help search engines find your page more easily.

Avoid abbreviations and acronyms by rethinking the content

If your content contains a lot of abbreviations and acronyms, rethink its structure. Consider placing related content under distinct headings and sections.

For example, when introducing legal requirements, use the title of the act once, if necessary, and then talk about what people "must" do. The context will make it clear that the things they "must" do are requirements under the act. Don't use the abbreviation for the act, because it makes the text harder to follow.

Close the topic before referring to other obligations under different legislation.

See how this rule applies in French:

• 4.4 Abréviations, acronymes et référence

4.5 Contractions

Use contractions that people use when they speak. They're easier to scan than the full form.

Use most positive contractions of auxiliary verbs. For example:

• you've (you have), you're (you are), you'll (you will) or you'd (you would)
• we've (we have), we're (we are), we'll (we will) or we'd (we would)

Use some negative contractions of auxiliary verbs. For example:

• can't (cannot)
• don't (do not) or didn't (did not)
• won't (will not)
• isn't (is not)
• weren't (were not) or wasn't (was not)
• aren't (are not)

Use, but don't confuse:

• its (possessive) and it's (it is)
• they're (they are) and their (possessive)

Uncommon or more complex contractions can be harder for people with low literacy skills to understand.

Don't use:

• should've (should have) or could've (could have)
• shouldn't (should not), couldn't (could not) or wouldn't (would not)
• mightn't (might not)
• mustn't (must not)
• it'll (it will)

Negative contractions: exceptions

Don't use contractions when there is a critical difference between two things, for example, between doing and not doing something.

Example of statements showing differences that are critical and not critical

Critical: Do not drive while taking this medicine.
Not critical: Most people don't have reactions to the flu vaccine.

See how this rule applies in French:

• 4.5 Forme contractée

4.6 Numbers

General

• Write numbers as numerals (0, 1, 2, 3, etc.), except in:
  • proper names (First Baptist Church)
  • titles (Three Men in a Boat)
  • figurative expressions (one day, things will be better)
• Keep Roman numerals when used in proper names (Canada Gazette, Part II)
• Place a non-breaking space (Ctrl+Shift+Spacebar) between all numeral and word combinations ($5 million, 20 years)
• Write first, second, third, and so on, up to and including ninth
• Use the ordinal indicator in the same text size (not in superscript) for numbers 10 and above (10th, 50th, 150th)
• Use "to" instead of an en dash in number ranges (for example, $4,000 to $10,000, 4 to 10 years)

Ages

• Adults aged 30 or more
• People 30 to 65 years old
• A 10-year-old child

See how this rule applies in French:

• 4.6 Nombres

4.7 Dates

• Write dates without an ordinal indicator ("st," "nd," "rd," "th")

Write: July 31, 2016, or just July 31 if the year is already clear
Instead of: July 31st, 2016, or July 31st

• Use non-breaking spaces between the month and the day
• Use the numeric date format only when space is limited (for example, in a table)
  • write yyyy-mm-dd
  • explain the format in surrounding text (for example, notes, legends)
• Capitalize the first letter of the month (for example, January, February, March)
• Abbreviate month names when space is limited (for example, Jan, Feb, Mar)

Date ranges

• Use "to" instead of an en dash in date ranges. For example:
  • calendar year 2014
  • Monday to Friday
  • March 29 to April 4
  • fiscal year 2015 to 2016
  • January to March 2016 (instead of Q1, Q2, Q3 or Q4)
• For date ranges like fiscal years, explain what period the range covers in surrounding text. For example:
  • This report covers the 2015 to 2016 fiscal year. A fiscal year runs from April 1 to March 31.

See how this rule applies in French:

• 4.7 Dates

4.8 Times

• 4:30 pm
• 9 am to 5 pm

See how this rule applies in French:

• 4.8 Heures

4.9 Phone numbers

Use non-breaking hyphens (Ctrl+Shift+Hyphen) in phone numbers. For example:

• if you need help, call 1-800-622-6232
• 613-999-9900 ext. 123

See how this rule applies in French:

• 4.9 Numéros de téléphone

4.10 Addresses

See how this rule applies in French:

• 4.10 Adresses

4.11 Words and expressions in transition

Words and expressions in transition are those written commonly in 2 or more different ways. Reduce confusion by using the following spellings:

• website (not "web site")
• web page (not "webpage")
• web (not "Web")
• email (not "e-mail")
• online (not "on line")

See how this rule applies in French:

This rule doesn't apply to content in French.

5.0 Content structure

The structure and layout of content components help people find what they need quickly. Content components include:

• page title  
• headings
• lists
• tables

On a web page

Make sure you:

• divide the page into logical sections to give an overview of the information it contains
• focus on the task and show only the information people need to complete the task

Structure the content components efficiently to make your page:

• more visible to search engines and easier to find
• easier to view on mobile devices

Across multiple web pages

Think about how a person will journey through the content. If:

• your web page content covers too many topics, you might need to divide it into several pages
• several web pages contain pieces of content that relate to the same subject, consider combining them into a single page

6.0 Images and videos

You can use images and videos to:

• enhance key messages
• help people complete their task
• make complicated information easier to understand
• reflect Canada's diverse population as much as possible (including seniors, youth, Indigenous peoples, and people from a wide variety of ethnic origins)

When planning your content, weigh the benefits of using videos with the impact on people who will try to view them using mobile devices. Data plans and reliable network access vary.

Obtain permission to publish

Make sure that you have the appropriate permissions to publish images, audio files and videos online. You'll need to have the written proof of those rights. Refer to the Procedures for Publishing or contact your institution's authoring team for more details.

Help with images, audio files or videos on Canada.ca

For specific information about consent forms or licensing requirements related to Canada.ca, contact the Principal Publisher: na-web_support-soutien_du_web-gd@servicecanada.gc.ca.

6.1 Understand the purpose of images online

Images can distract people. They can also make the page take longer to load. Make sure your images add value to your content.

There are 2 main types of images:

• functional images
• decorative images

Functional images

Functional images:

• illustrate information or data to help people understand it
• explain a complex concept
• illustrate concrete things (such as a valid passport, species at risk, standard symbols)
• convey branding (such as approved logos and campaign graphics)

Functional images add value to the content because they provide more information than can be provided through text alone. Examples of functional images:

• infographics
• illustration
• diagram
• image map

Include the appropriate alternative text to describe the image for people who are unable to view it.

Example of functional images

Figure 4 - Text version

City	Condition	Temperature
Calgary	Mainly sunny	0°C
Charlottetown	Drifting snow	-11°C
Edmonton	(no data)	0°C
Fredericton	Sunny	-12°C
Halifax	Mainly sunny	-7°C
Iqaluit	Drifting snow	-22°C
Montréal	Sunny	-16°C
Ottawa (Kanata - Orléans)	Mainly sunny	-15°C
Prince George	Partly cloudy	2°C
Québec	Partly cloudy	-19°C
Regina	Cloudy	-4°C
Saskatoon	Mist	-8°C
St. John's	Mist	2°C
Thunder Bay	Partly cloudy	-14°C
Toronto	Light snow	-6°C
Vancouver	Mostly cloudy	9°C
Victoria	Light rain	8°C
Whitehorse	Partly cloudy	-19°C
Winnipeg	Sunny	-18°C
Yellowknife	Mainly sunny	-28°C

Figure 5 - Text version

The chart asks you yes or no questions. If you answer "no", it gives you recommendations of other accessibility projects.

Question 1: Is the entrance to your building barrier-free?

• If your answer is “Yes”, go to question 2
• If your answer is “No”:
  • ramps, accessible doors, reserved parking, and leveling the ground can improve the accessibility of your building

Question 2: Are the hallways wide enough for persons with assistive devices, such as electric wheelchairs, to get through?

• If your answer is “Yes”, go to question 3
• If your answer is “No”:
  • making halls and doorways wider, installing automatic door operators, elevators or lifts can all help reduce accessibility barriers in your building

Question 3: Are persons with disabilities able to access all necessary floors, levels and sections of your building?

• If your answer is “Yes”, go to question 4
• If your answer is “No”:
  • making halls and doorways wider,  installing automatic door operators, elevators or lifts can all help reduce accessibility barriers in your building

Question 4: Can persons with reduced mobility use the washroom in your building?

• If your answer is “Yes”, go to question 5
• If your answer is “No”:
  • accessible washrooms or barrier-free stalls should be available in all facilities.

Question 5: Are there automatic door openers to the washrooms? Is the washroom entrance wide enough to accommodate assistive devices?

• If your answer is “Yes”:
  • congratulations! Here are some examples of other accessibility projects that EAF funds: safety and security items, such as visual fire alarms; multi-sensory rooms; hearing loops; and more!
• If your answer is “No”:
  • making halls and doorways wider, installing automatic door operators, elevators or lifts can all help reduce accessibility barriers in your building

See how this rule applies in French:

• 6.1 Comprendre le but des images sur le Web

6.2 Include alternative text for images

Alternative text (or alt text) is text that describes an image. It makes it possible for people using assistive technologies to access the information conveyed by an image. It also helps search engines better understand the purpose of the image.

When you're writing alternative text for a functional image:

• describe the image as if you were describing it to someone over the phone
• use as few words as possible
• limit the text to around 140 characters (including spaces)
• use the text that is embedded in the image only if it provides enough context; otherwise, write different text that includes more information
• use the null indicator as the alternative text (alt="") if the image doesn't provide any more information than what is already provided in the text on the page
• don't use "image of..." or "graphic of..." to describe the image; screen readers do this already

Decorative images don't require additional information to make them accessible or visible to search engines. Use the null indicator as the alternative text (alt="").

See how this rule applies in French:

• 6.2 Ajouter un texte alternatif aux images

6.3 Include long descriptions for complex images

Long descriptions explain information that is presented in complex infographics or images. You must provide a long description if you can't describe the content and function of the image in less than 140 characters. If you can describe the image in less than 140 characters, use alternative text instead.

If a detailed and equivalent explanation of the image appears in the text immediately before or after a complex image, you don't have to provide a long description.

If you provide a long description for an image, you must also provide alternative text for the long description.

Figure 1 illustrates a number of concepts. It requires a long description.

Example: Long description for the balanced scorecard

Alternative text

You could write the following alternative text for the image shown in Figure 1:

A balanced scorecard showing how business activities align with an organization's vision and strategy to monitor key performance indicators. Text version below.

Long description

You could write the following long description for the image shown in Figure 1:

A balanced scorecard is a strategic planning and management system used worldwide to align business activities with an organization's vision and strategy.

Business activities are grouped into 4 perspectives, all of which are interdependent and come from the vision and strategy. These are learning and growth, internal business processes, financial, and customer. Each has a question associated with it.

• Learning and growth

To achieve our vision, how will we sustain our ability to change and improve?

• Internal business processes

To satisfy our shareholders and customers, what business processes must we excel at?

• Financial

To succeed financially, how should we appear to our shareholders?

• Customer

To achieve our vision, how should we appear to our customers?

Each perspective can be monitored using the following 4 components:

• objectives
• messages
• targets
• initiatives

Figure 2 is a bar chart. The information in it came from a data table. You could therefore use the table as the long description for this image.

Example: Long description for the bar chart illustrating the proportion of men and women in the public service for selected years from 1983 to 2010

Source: Office of the Chief Human Resources Officer, Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat
Note: Includes all tenures. Figures do not include employees on leave without pay.

Alternative text

You could write the following alternative text:

Comparison of the ratio of women and men in the civil service between 1983 and 2010. Text version below.

Long description

You could write the following long description text:

Figure 2: proportion of men and women in the public service for selected years 1983 to 2010

Gender (by percentage)	1983	1988	1993	1998	2003	2008	2010
Men	58.2	55.7	52.9	49.6	46.7	45.1	44.8
Women	41.8	44.3	47.1	50.4	53.3	54.9	55.2
Source: Office of the Chief Human Resources Officer, Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat Note: Includes all tenures. Figures do not include employees on leave without pay.

Work with your web team to determine the best way to include the long description information. They'll guide you on how to make sure the image is accessible to people using assistive technology. They'll also ensure that your image meets the Canada.ca Specifications.

See how this rule applies in French:

• 6.3 Ajouter une description longue pour expliquer les images complexes

6.4 Include transcripts to describe audio and video files

A transcript is the text equivalent of an audio or video file. They make it easier for people who need to access information in audio or visual media but can't hear or see the content because:

• they have a disability
• don't have equipment such as speakers or headphones
• don't want to download a large file

Make sure the transcript describes all pre-recorded information and action, including:

• on-screen text
• dialogue and narration
• important sounds (such as an explosion)
• important action (for example, people running away from an explosion or characters wearing disguises)

See how this rule applies in French:

• 6.4 Ajouter une transcription pour décrire les fichiers audio et vidéo

7.0 Links

A link (or hyperlink) is a word, phrase or image on a web page that people click on to move to another part of the same content or to access an entirely different web resource (such as a web page, video or downloadable file).

People who use assistive technology can navigate web content using links. For example, screen readers list all links on a page without the contextual content.

Your links should be descriptive and able to stand alone so that it's clear what people can expect if they click on them.

See how this rule applies in French:

• 7.1 Utiliser les liens de façon stratégique

7.2 Write descriptive links

A link must describe the content a person will find once they click on it. It's easier to complete a task when a link's destination matches a person's expectations.

Tips for providing useful links:

• use the first words of the target page or its entire title if it's descriptive enough
• start with keywords that accurately describe the target page if the page title isn't enough
• make sure that all links on the same page use unique descriptive text if they link to different target pages
• when more than one link on a web page links to the same destination page, use the same words for the hyperlink
• describe any content that must be downloaded
• write email addresses in full, in lower case and as active links (contact helpdesk@canada.ca)

Don't use:

• the same link text to point to 2 different pages
• vague statements such as "click here" or "read more"
• promotional messaging that might confuse someone who is deciding whether to go to the page that is being linked to

See how this rule applies in French:

• 7.2 Rédiger des liens descriptifs

7.3 Make sure that links work

Make sure that your links work and point to the correct information. Broken or outdated links are frustrating. They can cause people to lose confidence in your content.

You should check your links and update them as part of your regular content maintenance schedule:

• fix broken links (those that lead to a 404 "Page not found" message, for example)
• make sure that link destinations are correct and have relevant, up-to-date information
• evaluate your URL redirects:
  • make sure they are current, redirecting people to the correct page
  • update your site links so they to point to current links, not to the URLs that are being redirected
• verify that links point to the appropriate official language

See how this rule applies in French:

• 7.3 Vérifier que les liens fonctionnent

7.4 Linking to internal-to-government content

In most cases, public-facing content should not link to content that is accessible only through internal government networks. Occasionally, the audience for content that is accessible to the public may be primarily internal.

When a link leads to content available only on internal government networks, write "(accessible only on the Government of Canada network)."

See how this rule applies in French:

• 7.4 Créer des liens vers du contenu interne

Web content makeovers

Case study A: improve plain language and content structure

Before

The Employment Insurance (EI) program offers temporary financial assistance to Canadians and individuals who are legally entitled to work in Canada, have a valid Social Insurance Number and remain in Canada during their benefit period. One type of benefits that the EI program offers is regular benefits. EI regular benefits are offered to people who have lost their employment through no fault of their own (for example, because of a shortage of work or because they were employed in seasonal work) and who are ready, willing, and capable of working each day but unable to find work.

After

The Employment Insurance (EI) program could give you temporary financial help if you lost your job.

To qualify for regular benefits, you must:

• be Canadian or legally able to work in Canada
• have a valid social insurance number
• have lost your job through no fault of your own
• be ready, willing and able to work each day but still can't find work
• stay in Canada while you're getting EI help

What we did

To improve this content, we:

• created a list out of the items in the text 
• replaced complex nouns with verbs and complex verbs with simpler forms

Case study B: improve and simplify tables

Before

After

What we did

To create these tables, we:

• divided a complex table into several simple tables that are more accessible and can be viewed easily on mobile devices
• applied the inverted pyramid approach to provide the summary or conclusion first, followed by increasingly detailed information
• created a clear title for each table
• updated titles to reflect capitalization requirements
• used existing subheadings embedded in the original example to create table headers
• made sure that the last 3 column headers reflect the unit value of the information in each column
• added zeros to provide relevant information in otherwise empty cells
• removed empty cells, rows and irrelevant information (underlining) and subheadings (such as those that were not aligned with the column headers)

Resources

• Addressing Guidelines, Canada Post
• Clear Writing, Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs of Ontario
• Communicating with Seniors: Advice, Techniques and Tips, Health Canada
• Good Fonts for Dyslexia, Luz Rello, NLP & Web Research Groups, et Ricardo Baeza-Yates, Yahoo! Labs & Web Research Group, UPF
• How Users Read on the Web, Nielsen Norman Group
• Introduction to Administrative Justice and To Plain Language (PDF), Council of Canadian Administrative Tribunals
• Introduction to content design, Government Digital Service, GOV.UK
• Language Portal of Canada, Government of Canada
• Literacy and Access to Administrative Justice in Canada (PDF), Council of Canadian Administrative Tribunals
• Literacy and Numeracy in Canada, ABC Life Literacy Canada
• Lower-Literacy Users: Writing for a Broad Consumer Audience, Jakob Nielsen, Nielsen Norman Group
• Minimize Cognitive Load to Maximize Usability, Kathryn Whitenton, Nielsen Norman Group
• Mobile User Experience: Limitations and Strengths, Raluca Budio, Nielsen Norman Group
• Negative contraction, Richard Nordquist
• Plain Language Clear and Simple, Public Works and Government Services Canada (reprinted 2003)
• Plain Language Association International
• Plain Language, Please! Here's Why to Avoid "Marketese" Only, Sarah Bauer
• Reaching Out: A Guide to Communicating With Aboriginal Seniors, Health Canada
• Resources of the Language Portal of Canada, Government of Canada
• Skills in Canada: First Results from the Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies, Statistics Canada
• Study: Literacy and numeracy among off-reserve First Nations people and Métis, 2012, Statistics Canada
• Study: University graduates with lower levels of literacy and numeracy skills, 2012, Statistics Canada
• TERMIUM Plus®, Translation Bureau
• The Magical Number Seven, Plus or Minus Two: Some Limits on Our Capacity for Processing, George A. Miller
• Use pair writing to collaborate with subject matter experts, Jonathan Kahn, GatherContent
• Watch Your Punctuation Online, Search Engine People
• Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0, World Wide Web Consortium (W3C)
• Why Don't Screen Readers Always Read What's on the Screen?, The Deque Blog
• Writing for the web, Nielsen Norman Group
• Writing for the Web: Principles and Guidelines, University of Ottawa
• Writing Tips Plus, Resource of the Language Portal of Canada, Government of Canada