Let's Talk Menus

This menu show poor contrast with a hard to read font colour on a black background.

A menu with clean black font with a clear white background is easiest to read.

A wall mounted menu with white and coloured text on a black background attracts attention while being more accessible.

Picture yourself sitting in a restaurant. The waiter or waitress hands you a menu..  They point to the specials that are written on a board hanging on a wall at the far side of the restaurant.  You start trying to read the menu, squinting ever tighter at the small, scripted font, placed on a poorly contrasting background.  The menu has weird pictures and stripes of colour in the background, hampering your view. Add some dim lighting for mood.  And now the server is back, waiting for you to order, when you have little idea about what is on offer. Why are they making it so difficult?
 
Now for almost anyone this situation seems problematic and all too common place.  Layer on a visual limitation and you have a very frustrating situation and unhelpful environment that can quickly translate into lost business for the restaurant.     
 
That is the situation with hand held menus, what about those ubiquitous hanging menus?  The kind you find at fast food restaurants.  Suspended behind the counter at a distance, usually in small fonts, shrinking ever more to accommodate pictures.
 
Are you relating to any of these experience?  Luckily there are solutions.  The first is easy, design for the reader.  Understand that these are communication tools first and works of art second.  Choose appropriate font styles, sizes and contrasts:

• 12 pt font or more
• Printed typefaces such as Ariel or Times New Roman
• Clear and simple background
• High contrast print and background. 

Solutions

If you are seated in an establishment where you are having difficulty don't be afraid to speak.  There are a few approaches you could consider:

• If you are dining with someone you could ask your dining companion to walk through the menu with you.  Alternatively, you could ask the waiter or waitress to review the menu with you, along with any other options that are not within visual range.   A person with visual limitations should not feel obliged to divulge these in order to receive assistance, just note the quality of the menu.
• Speak to the waiter, waitress or manager about the quality of the menu directly.  They may not be aware of the problem and if they hear feedback changes are more likely to happen. 
• Use a smart phone as a magnifier or dictation assistant.  A plain old magnifier will also work.  These options may be limited if the menu is very poorly constructed with contrasts and background
• If you are being served in Ontario remember that you have added rights to accessible services under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA).
  

This menu has black text on a clean white background. The font could be larger however would be easy to read with a magnifier or text dictation app.

What about those hanging menus at takeaway locations, how can they be improved?  Here are a few considerations:

• Ensure they are written in clear fonts at a reasonable size relative to the distance from the reader.  Keep them uncluttered. 
• Hang the menus on accessible walls rather then at distances overhead where possible.  This enables people to get closer in order to read what is available. 
• Provide a hand held option.  Ensure a full version of the menu is available to the customer.  This version should also be written in clear fonts at a reasonable size, clear of detailed backgrounds and uncluttered.  Consider also providing a Braille version.
• If you aren’t able to access the menu yourself:
  • Ask the person behind the counter to guide you through the options. 
  • Use your smart phone as a magnifier.  Taking a quick photo with you smart phone camera can also provide a quick hand held version of the menu.
• If you are on the other side of the counter assisting customers be prepared to provide guidance to the customer, also consider constructing a menu that provides a flow of the options to building an order such as step one - select main, step two, select sides etc. 

Example of a wall mounted menu that is approachable to read with large fonts and good colour contrast.

 A Few Words About Etiquette

In many instances that best way to assist someone in need of visual accommodation is a personal touch.  Here are a few points for servers, owners or just friends and companions on when and how to offer assistance:
 

• Observe to see if the person appears to be in need of assistance.  People generally give off a need for assistance through body language.  Be patient as they may have their own tools at hand to meet their needs. 
• Politely offer assistance.  Perhaps highlight a few interesting options from your perspective. If they indicate a food preference highlight those options. 
• Be prepared to offer assistance.  In many cases a person with a visual need will directly ask for support. 
• If you are with a friend or family member, determine ahead of time how best to approach this situation.