The information found in this section is a quick reference that can be helpful when creating online materials. This quick reference does not provide tips, examples, or additional readings. Please review the available tabs for detailed information about each guideline.
Text Alternatives:
Any image included in your online content should include Alternative Text or a Null Tag.
- Alt Text is a text-based description of the image. Information presented in the Alt Text is dependent upon the image; however, in general, it should be concise but specific. An easy idea to remember is - think about how you would describe the image to someone over the phone.
- A Null Tag (or Empty Tag) is used when the image is purely decorative - meaning that the image is used for page decoration or spacing. It also means that a user would not miss anything if the image were not included.
Captions & Transcripts:
Any audio, video, or audio-video content included must include Captions (and possibly a Transcript).
- Captions provide a text version of media that is synchronized with the audio or video track. Adding captions will meet minimum accessibility guidelines.
- Note: Some programs, like YouTube, have the ability to automatically add captions. However, because these auto-generated captions often contain errors that alter the meaning of the content, they will not meet minimum accessibility standards. Instead, use these captions as a starting point and then edit them for spelling, grammar, and content.
- Transcripts do not have to be synced with an audio or video track. Instead, they can be downloaded and viewed as a separate file. Adding transcripts is not necessary for minimum guideline requirements, but they are useful to users that use screen readers or Braille displays.
Distinguishable:
Users must be able to separate the foreground from the background of your content, this is accomplished through careful usage of color. Also, because users may need to increase the size and contrast of the page, the text should not be presented as an image.
- The usage of color cannot be the only way of visually conveying information. For instance, in a form, a required field cannot only be highlighted in red. It must also contain some form of text also indicating it is required, like "Required" or an Asterisk (*).
- The foreground and background colors on your site must meet contrast minimums with text and images. A great website that allows you to check if your site meets contrast requirements is WebAIM's Contrast Checker.
- Images of text should not be used if the same information could be conveyed through formatted text alone.
Navigation:
Use proper Content Markup so that users can navigate your site (or document).
- Content Markup items are the tags used to style your online content. One of the most useful items is the Heading tag. Using this tag will allow users to easily navigate through the various sections of your content.
- Although all of these criteria are useful when creating documents in programs such as Word, Docs, or Acrobat, remember to use headings is often overlooked. Use the Styles options in Word and Docs (or Bookmarks in Acrobat) to create accessible documents that allow users to jump through an outline of the paper. Not only does this make the document more accessible, but it also enhances the usability for everyone!
- Another important item to note in this category is the Hyperlink tag. Hyperlink tags (and coding found within the tag) are separate from what users will see on the page; however, the link text that is found between the tags (<a>...</a>) should provide information about the destination whenever possible. Avoid ambiguous link text such as “Click Here”, “More”, “Link”, etc.