Creating accessible content doesn’t have to be difficult. If you’re a beginner when it comes to content creation, take comfort in the fact that accessibility isn’t a new concept and loads of resources are just a click away. Technical standards for making web content accessible (known as the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, or WCAG) have been around for more than 20 years, and they’re available online.
At Modern Tribe, we strongly value diversity and inclusion, so we apply accessibility principles to websites and online courses for our clients and ourselves every day. Here’s an overview of the basics so you can start creating accessible content ASAP.
Accessible Content 101
The following is a list of accessibility best practices to keep in mind as you’re crafting on-page content, multimedia, and documents. Go ahead and bookmark this page now. We think you’ll be coming back to it often.
That said, please note that accessibility is a complex subject, and what we’ve compiled isn’t a comprehensive guide. There may be requirements that aren’t included or fully addressed here based on standards for specific industries, states/provinces, countries, or organization types.
On-Page Content Accessibility
Text, images, and links on a web page should be written and organized so they’re easy to use and understand.
Check Your Work
Did you use headings?
Good headings simply and concisely describe the content that follows and should be formatted with HTML headings (H1, H2, etc.). That way, people using assistive technology can tell the difference between headings and body text.
Did you use plain language?
Simple language allows text to be understood and improves the user experience, in the same way that clear headings and labels make website navigation and interaction easier. Obviously, everyone benefits from simple language, but it’s especially helpful for people with cognitive disabilities or low reading literacy, and for those who aren’t familiar with the topic or fluent in the language.
Did you add alt text to images on your page?
Alt text is the copy that appears in place of an image on a webpage if the image doesn’t load. This text helps screen-reading tools describe images to visually impaired readers.
Are your links descriptive?
Descriptive link text makes it clear what will happen when someone clicks a link. This clarity is especially important for people who use screen readers since they often navigate websites by moving from link to link using the tab key.
Keep Learning
- For alt text writing tips: Moz SEO Learning Center – On-Site SEO – Alt Text
- For alt text best practices: Siteimprove – Accessibility: Image Alt text best practices
Multimedia Accessibility
Accessible multimedia that combines audio and video content is critical for people who are hard of hearing, deaf, and/or blind.
Check Your Work
Do your audio and video files have descriptive text transcripts?
Descriptive transcripts include text of speech and non-speech audio information (such as sound effects) as well as text describing the visual information needed to understand the content. Any links to transcripts should be placed immediately after the related audio or video content.
Do your videos have an audio description and captions?
Every video on a web page must have an audio description of the visual information needed to understand it. Every video also needs captions, which are descriptive transcripts that have been divided into chunks, time-coded, and synchronized with the audio.
Did you make sure audio and video files don’t start automatically when the web page is opened?
Autoplay is generally controlled by the publishing platform and can be disabled in the settings.
Keep Learning
- To caption and subtitle any video for free: Amara Editor
- To add closed captions to YouTube videos: YouTube Help – Add your own closed captions
- To use automatic captioning on YouTube: YouTube Help – Use automatic captioning
- To find captioning service vendors in the U.S. and beyond: Captioning Service Vendors
Document Accessibility
Any document you upload to a website should be accessible by assistive technology.
Check Your Work
Can the content be uploaded as a web page instead of a document?
If it’s possible to share the content in the form of an accessible web page, do that instead.
Is the filename unique?
The filename should be unique and reflect the content or purpose of the web page. It should also be in the same language as the page and separated by hyphens.
Did you use headings?
Headings should have fewer than 20 words. Use existing heading styles (Heading 1, Heading 2, etc.) to provide structure and create hierarchy within the text. Don’t tinker with font style, font size, or bolded text to create your own headings.
Did you reformat text that doesn’t have to be written in paragraphs?
Use bulleted lists to emphasize individual points, and numbered lists to present information in a specific order.
Did you use an easy-to-read font?
A sans serif font with a minimum 12-point size is a solid choice.
Keep Learning
- To create accessible PDFs in Adobe Acrobat and verify accessibility: Adobe Acrobat – Create and verify PDF accessibility
- To create accessible PDFs in Microsoft: Microsoft – Create accessible PDFs
- To make a Google document or presentation more accessible: Google – Make your document or presentation more accessible
- To check the accessibility of a PDF: Tingtun PDF Checker
Start Creating Accessible Content
Now that you’ve got the basics for crafting accessible web pages, audio, video, and documents, as well as helpful resources to keep you on track, it’s time to get to work. Good luck!
And remember: What we’ve shared here is just the tip of the iceberg. Accessibility compliance across an entire website requires many content, design, and technology considerations. For a rundown of tools you can use to comprehensively assess a site, check out our must-have tools for evaluating web accessibility.
Looking for an in-depth analysis of your website’s accessibility? Let’s talk about how Modern Tribe can help you meet accessibility requirements.