There's nothing particular inaccessible about small caps. Some would argue they are harder to read for long blocks of text JUST AS READING IN ALL CAPS CAN GET ANNOYING but it's not technically inaccessible in any way.
- Are all capital letters accessible?
- When should small caps be used?
- Why are informative and short headings important for digital accessibility?
- Can screen readers read capital letters?
Are all capital letters accessible?
Avoid using all caps.
Readability is reduced with all caps because all words have a uniform rectangular shape, meaning readers can't identify words by their shape.
When should small caps be used?
Small caps are used in running text as a form of emphasis that is less dominant than all uppercase text, and as a method of emphasis or distinctiveness for text alongside or instead of italics, or when boldface is inappropriate. For example, the text "Text in small caps" appears as Text in small caps in small caps.
Why are informative and short headings important for digital accessibility?
Example: Headings and Subheadings
For documents longer than three or four paragraphs, headings and subheadings are important for usability and accessibility. They help readers to determine the overall outline of a document and to navigate to specific information of interest.
Can screen readers read capital letters?
Screen readers may interpret capital letters as acronyms, and read them out letter-by-letter. Some developers brush this off as par for the course of using a screen reader. They say that it's a minor annoyance people who use screen readers are used to, just as we're used to our GPS mispronouncing street names.