The old Sans vs Serif chestnut

Hi All

Interesting that there has been a discussion on the list about research recently as the old Sans v Serif argument has reared its head for me with a client. 

We are working on a rebrand of a clients identity and as part of that work we are specifying the typeface for all document formats, website, Office templates etc. We are specifying a serif throughout and this is causing some arguments from people within the client's organisation. 

These arguments are stemming from a report they produced as guidance for other charity organisations. I quote the latest from the client below:

"In choosing the serif font, we need to be aware that people with visual and/or learning difficulties may experience difficulties/complain.  Our Special Initiative highlighted the need to avoid serif font:  the preferred font for accessibility in the disability sector is sans serif."

A while ago I asked about the research behind their report. I was told they 'just asked people their views'! There was no statistical analysis at all. They are basing their decision making on this report, and not our skills as designers to offer the best advice.

This is proving to be a bit of an issue so...

What would people say is the de-facto research that I can wave at them? My understanding has always been that there is not a definitive answer either way and it depends on context (screen vs print, size etc etc).

Tanks
Matt


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