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Some simple steps will make your content more accessible for everyone. General guidance is presented below, along with links to more in-depth advice for specific types of content.
General considerations
Clean and structured
- Whatever the format, use in-built formatting tools,听and clean and structured content. This helps with accessibility and ensures accessibility tools can be used effectively.听
- When applicable, provide the original, editable content rather than converting to PDF. Users can then make their own adjustments.听
Check your content
- Check your content using accessibility checking tools within your software听 e.g.听,听and other tools such as听WebAIM's 听(colours)听or the听听(濒补苍驳耻补驳别).
- Check your content with a 3rd party, i.e. actual听users, or colleagues (who can provide a fresh eye and perspective).
Contact and feedback options
- Include details of how to contact you to obtain the content in an alternative format (e.g. Braille) if required.
Text and data
Structure
Always use Styles (Heading 1, Heading 2, Normal etc.) to help people navigate your content and make sure your main headings are larger than subheadings.听In PowerPoint use the 鈥楾itle鈥� box听for slide titles and make sure these are unique. Also use the notes field in PowerPoint to provide the key information relating to each slide.听All of this makes things easier for screen-reader users, but will improve readability for everyone.听听
Formatting
Sans serif fonts (Arial, Calibri, Verdana) are easier to read than serif fonts, and Normal or Body text in documents should use a font size of 11-12. If you want to emphasise text use bold rather than underlining or italics.听This is because underlining is often used for hyperlinks and听italics are more difficult to read.听 PowerPoint slides should ideally use at least 24 pt font.
Links
Links are great for navigation but you need to signpost your links to help those using screen readers. Avoid using the URL itself, and don鈥檛 use words like 鈥榗lick here鈥� 鈥� instead use descriptive text as your link text.听 For a more in-depth explanation, see the
Wording
You can鈥檛 always keep language simple, but do consider your writing style and how it might be experienced by those with dyslexia or other learning difficulties.听 The 听is a useful resource for guidance on how to make your writing more accessible.
The 'Using inclusive language in education toolkit'听highlights the significance of听language choice in order to promote inclusivity.
Tables
Tables should have a heading row and no merged or split cells.听 Data in tables should be logically structured and the guidance on use of colour and alt text in Visual Content also applies.
The guidelines above听apply to any written content to ensure readability and clarity.听Further guidance is available specifically听for听websites, wikis and blogs, Moodle and MyPortfolio, word processed听documents, PDFs听and email.听
Visual content
Use of colour
Some colour combinations are problematic for people with colour vision deficiencies - avoid green/red, blue/purple and light green/yellow. You should avoid using colour alone to convey meaning 鈥� for instance use shading or stippling in charts. You should also make sure that images and diagrams have good contrast and avoid using patterned backgrounds.
Labelling (alt text)
If your documents include images you need to include some text explaining what they are showing, this is called 鈥榓lt text鈥� (or alternative text). If your images are purely decoration for your written content听then you can mark them as 鈥楧ecorative鈥� and the screen reader will ignore them. However don鈥檛 be put off using images, diagrams and other visuals 鈥� they can be very helpful for illustrating and explaining concepts.听 Just make sure there is a text version too.听
Alternative text should be kept brief and representative of the core information that a visual user would be able to infer, or read directly, from the image.
Text in images
Text should not be used as part of an image unless it forms part of a logo.听 This is because it cannot be read by a screen reader.听 If听 an image does include any text then the text must be repeated in the alt text for that image.
Audio and video
Including video and other media in your teaching can make it much more accessible, but it can present challenges for some users. You can improve video and audio accessibility by providing captions and transcripts, audio descriptions, and descriptions of video images.听
Acknowledgements
This content has been adapted from a range of guidance produced by other institutions:
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