Date and time formats 

Dates and times must be given clearly, and in a consistent format.  

A screen reader would read SAT 05/09, 09:10 as “S A T zero five zero nine nine ten”. That’s why it’s important to write it as Saturday 5 September 9.10am.

Correct date and time formats

Dates

• Use Day Month Year – Wednesday 4 August 2017.
• Don’t use commas.
• Write 4 August not 4th August.

Times

• Use the 12-hour clock.
• Put a full stop, not a colon, between the numbers – 9.30am not 9:30am.
• Don’t use spaces, capitals or full stops. Only use a full stop between numbers.

Please note people with cognitive disabilities can find inconsistencies in how dates are displayed difficult to process. If you have space, it’s a good idea to say whether the time is in the “morning”, “afternoon” or “evening”.