Follow-up: Thank You to Dr William Perry and the FSBI

Recently, I published a post highlighting a common accessibility issue in scientific social media: the use of Mathematical Alphanumeric Symbols (stylised Unicode characters) that render content inaccessible to screen reader users.

Stop using stylised italics (Mathematical Alphanumeric Symbols) in scientific social media posts. - Annotated by B. Prendergast

Decorative characters make content inaccessible to those using assistive technology.

Italicised text serves an important purpose in academic writing—it provides semantic emphasis, distinguishes taxonomic names, and follows established scholarly conventions. However, on social media platforms like LinkedIn, Bluesky, and Twitter, which lack text formatting, attempting to replicate italics using Unicode characters creates a significant barrier for anyone relying on assistive technology.

My original post included a feed of examples of publishers using these characters, not to shame, but to raise awareness of an issue many simply don't realise exists.

Inaccessible Science ♿️ by @renderg.host

Tracking scientific posts that use decorative Unicode characters for species names and emphasis which are unreadable by screen readers, preventing visually impaired researchers and enthusiasts from accessing scientific content on social media.

Why This Follow-Up Matters

Shortly after publishing, I received a response from Dr Will Perry, a publicity officer and editor for the Fisheries Society of the British Isles (FSBI) who frequently used stylised Unicode characters in their posts.

Not defensively. Not dismissively. But with immediate action.

Dr Perry acknowledged the issue, thanked me for raising it, and confirmed the FSBI would stop using these stylised characters in their social media content going forward.

And true to their word, they made that change!

This is what commitment to accessibility looks like. The FSBI didn't need lengthy justification or multiple complaints. They simply recognised that accessibility matters more than aesthetics, and they updated their practice.

To Dr Perry and the FSBI: thank you for listening, for acting quickly, and for demonstrating that accessibility advocacy can create real, immediate change. Your response shows that when we point out barriers, the goal isn't conflict—it's collaboration towards a more inclusive scientific community.

Help make science more-accessible

For anyone else still using Mathematical Alphanumeric Symbols in social media posts: there's no shame in not knowing. But now you do. Plain text is the accessible choice. Follow the FSBI's lead.

I'm looking at you Pensoft and Royal Society of Chemistry!