What to change
Ask your supplier to give compact or abbreviated controls clear spoken names that match their visible purpose and remain consistent across the site.
A worked example
Illustrative example
A compact information control is announced as Information about contact preferences, rather than an isolated letter with no explanation of its purpose.
Why this matters to your practice
Short labels can save space but leave their meaning uncertain. An isolated letter, abbreviation or symbol may sound very different when spoken by assistive software. Ask your supplier to demonstrate those controls in context. If the practice uses internal shorthand, replace it with words visitors recognise wherever possible. Where a compact label remains necessary, its fuller spoken name should describe the same action and stay consistent across pages, so people do not have to learn a new term for each screen.
How to check the result
Accept when the spoken control name is understandable, consistent and connected to the visible label or symbol.
A mistake to avoid
Expanding abbreviations in unrelated body text will not fix a control whose own accessible name remains unclear.
Turn reading into a next step
Your action checklist
Work through these checks with your team or supplier. Tick the ones you have resolved and leave unknowns open.
Record what you know, what is still missing and the answer you need from your team or supplier.
Use project decisions only, without personal, patient or confidential details. Entries stay in this page and are not submitted to Kay & Co. Copy or download before leaving; this page does not save your notes.
Further reading
These sources provide background for the topic. The practice examples and checklist are illustrative planning suggestions from Kay & Co.
Related guides
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