Accessibility Tips: For a more universally designed digital world

1. Use a descriptive and meaningful title

The title is the first thing a screen reader will encounter when pulling up a web page or document.

2. Add alternative text to images

When adding images to webpages, documents, or presentations, please make sure to add an alternative text description. Most products have a place for you to add alt text. Describe the image within the context of the page or document. If there is text in an image, it must be included in the alt text.

3. Use meaningful language for Hyperlinks

Hyperlinks need to let the user know where the link will take them. There can be language added via code to help accomplish this without changing the visual appearance of the page. Generic text, such as,  “Click here”, “Read more”, and “Register” do not define where the user will go.

4. Use headings correctly

Headings are not only for visual affect, but also to create accessible navigation. Make sure to follow hierarchal order (H1, H2, H3, etc.). Treat it like an outline.

5. Provide captions with videos

Videos must include captions. They are important for many people and situations. Hearing is not the only reason to add captions; they can also help with attention and focus.

6. Ensure elements have sufficient color contrast.

Per the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) normal sized text elements must have a contrast ratio of 4.5:1 or greater. Large text and non-text elements must have a contrast ratio of 3:1 or greater.

7. Do not use color alone to convey meaning

Color blindness can cause someone to miss information that is only represented with color. Add another method to help signify important items.

8. Do not use images of text

Images of text are not available to screen reader users unless they are also added to alt text. Remember, if there is text in an image, it must be entered into the alt text.

9. Use skip navigation links

Screen reader users and keyboard only users benefit from the ability to move around pages in as few keystrokes as possible. Skip links provide a way for user to go from one point in a page to another. The most common is to go from the first tab point in the page to the main content, thereby bypassing repeated blocks of items within a page.

10. Use simple language

Use of complex sentence structure can be difficult to make sense of its meaning. English may not be the readers first language, or they may have a learning disability that affects their ability to understand what is written. By using simple language, you increase your audiences ability to interpret the meaning of what you have written.