WCAG reference → 3.1.5
3.1.5 Reading Level (level AAA)
Provide a simpler alternative where text requires reading ability beyond lower secondary level.
How it shows up in Confluence
Level AAA, and rarely claimed. It is still a useful lens on documentation: paragraphs the length of a screen, blocks of capitals, and sentences carrying four clauses are harder for everyone and disproportionately harder for readers with cognitive disabilities.
What to do about it
Break long paragraphs, turn embedded steps into lists, and use sentence case rather than capitals for emphasis.
What Clearwren checks for this criterion
- Long run of capital letters — Some screen readers spell out all-caps words letter by letter, and blocks of capitals are slower for everyone to read.
- Very long paragraph — A screen reader reads a paragraph as one unbroken block, and long blocks are hard to follow or re-find.