Keep essential information ordinary
Email addresses, links, navigation, instructions, and important names belong in regular text. A decorative character can look like a familiar letter while being interpreted differently by search, translation, or assistive technology.
Understand the screen-reader tradeoff
A screen reader may announce a character by its mathematical or symbol name, spell it separately, or skip it. Behavior varies by software and settings. A visual preview alone cannot confirm accessibility.
Use less, and provide context
If you choose decorative text, keep it short and repeat important meaning in ordinary text nearby. Avoid long glitch strings or a whole paragraph of script. Read the page without the decorative line: the essential message should still be clear.
Choose the right format for text art
ASCII art depends on fixed-width characters and preserved spaces. Put it inside a code block where possible. Add a plain-language description when the art communicates information, and avoid using it as the only version of a message.