Biden State Dept Bars Use of Times New Roman Font, Citing ‘Disability Inclusion’

According to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, popular fonts can lead to ‘visual recognition problems for individuals with learning disabilities’.

On Tuesday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken instructed employees to abandon Times New Roman in official communications. He stated that the popular font is a breach of department’s commitment to transparency. “disability inclusion.”

In a department-wide memo titled “The Times (New Roman) are a-Changin,” Blinken advised employees to use Calibri font instead. The secretary stated that Calibri font is easier to read for people with reading disabilities. Washington Post reported. Serif fonts such as Times New Roman—which has decorative tails and feet—can cause “visual recognition issues for individuals with learning disabilities,” According to Blinken.

Calibri was recommended by the Secretary’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion as an alternative font to Microsoft products. “accessibility best practice,” According to the memo.

Blinken’s memo on font-change comes as Secretary of State prepares for a February visit China amid tensions between Washington and Beijing. Families of American hostages held in China have been notified pressured Blinken To bring the prisoners home. Katherine Swidan, whose son is wrongfully in prison, stated “enough is enough.”

“My message for Blinken is: say their names,” Swidan spoke to Reuters. “They’re American citizens. They’ve been wrongfully detained.”

In January 2004, the department switched fonts to Times New Roman over Courier New 12