Elements of Accessible Media

Building Your Course with Accessibility in Mind

Here are some things to keep in mind when building your website, adding information to Blackboard, or presenting media in your class:

    • Do not "trap" text in images. A screen reader will read "image" instead of the content you are trying to convey.
    • Use "alt-text" to describe the image in your document or website. The screen reader will read a description of the image to the user who is blind, rather than say "image 1."
    • Think about contrast/color. Do the images that you place on the page blend in with the background so much that it is difficult for users to see?
    • Limit blinking and animation to under 3 seconds. Longer than three seconds can trigger seizures or agitate the user in other ways.
    • Charts and graphs: provide long descriptions in the alt-text box.
    • Headings: Use built-in styles to identify headings. This provides structure that is used to navigate through the document with a screen reader.
    • Lists: use built-in features for creating bulleted and numbered lists. This provides navigational structure that is used to tab through the document using assertive technology.

Navigation

    • Links (URLs): Avoid using "click here" or extremely long URLS.

Video/Audio

    • Utilize Captions
      • Check videos prior to use to ensure accuracy of captions.
      • If captions are not accurate, work with LARC to send to a professional captioning vendor.
      • When you create your own videos, add captions prior to posting them on the University website.
    • Audio Description

Step-by-step guides

Documents: