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Trump administration reverses font change meant to aid readers with disabilities
The State Department's reversal restores Times New Roman for all documents, ending a 2023 accessibility-driven Calibri adoption seen as informal by Secretary Rubio.
- On Tuesday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio ordered the State Department to revert from Calibri to Times New Roman via a memo titled 'Return to Tradition: Times New Roman 14-Point Font Required for All Department Paper,' citing professionalism. Rubio described Calibri as 'informal,' while advocates note sans-serif fonts aid accessibility and reading challenges.'
- Former Secretary of State Antony Blinken switched the department to Calibri in 2023 following recommendations from internal diversity and disability groups to improve accessibility.
- Rubio described Calibri as 'informal' and said it clashes with the department's official letterhead, arguing that switching to it "achieved nothing except the degradation of the department’s official correspondence."
- Accessibility advocates warned the reversal could undermine gains for readers with dyslexia, as Calibri’s sans-serif style and wider spacing aid screen readers and people with dyslexia.
- The switch to Times New Roman fits a pattern of the new administration rolling back DEIA-related policies, with the typeface change representing one of its early shifts as it takes office.
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The State Department reinstates an old font, in a typeface about-face
The State Department has reversed a Biden-era font change that aimed to make its paperwork more accessible to readers with disabilities.Secretary of State Marco Rubio directed diplomats around the world to switch from Calibri to Times New Roman 14-point font in all official documents, starting on Wednesday, the State Department said in a statement to NPR. The difference between the two fonts comes down to a few finishing strokes.“Whether for int…
·Portland, United States
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The Trump administration in the United States is distancing itself from the previous administration on yet another point. The US State Department is returning to using the Times New Roman font in diplomatic correspondence...
·Aarhus, Denmark
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Total News Sources37
Leaning Left7Leaning Right1Center8Last UpdatedBias Distribution50% Center
Bias Distribution
- 50% of the sources are Center
50% Center
L 44%
C 50%
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