Menu Design
Accessible Chinese Restaurant Menu Design
An accessible Chinese menu is readable, navigable, searchable, printable, and usable by diners who do not interact with menus in the same way.
Accessibility checklist
| Area | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Text | Use real text, not only menu images or PDFs. |
| Font size | Use readable type sizes on phones and paper. |
| Contrast | Avoid low-contrast gray text, red on black, or patterned backgrounds. |
| Structure | Use headings for sections and consistent item formatting. |
| Photos | Add alt text when photos communicate dish identity. |
| QR menus | Provide a print option and a non-QR backup. |
| Allergen language | Use clear text labels rather than icons alone. |
On long menu pages, WCAG expects a way to bypass repeated blocks such as navigation, which is why skip links and clear main-content landmarks matter. ADA guidance treats accessible digital communication as part of serving the public effectively, not just as a design preference. WCAG expects link purpose to be clear from the link text or surrounding context, so labels like "Lunch menu PDF" are stronger than "click here." WCAG 2.2 sets a 4.5:1 contrast minimum for normal text and 3:1 for large text.
Chinese text accessibility
Chinese characters should be large enough to read and should not be treated as decoration. If pinyin is used, it should sit near the Chinese name and remain readable on mobile.