Embedded Files
Accessible Staff Websites
Accessible Staff Websites
All SMCPS Staff are accountable for any web content they make publicly available. This includes New Google Sites and any resources hosted on those sites. This page will discuss some techniques to keep your Google Site WCAG compliant.
Only New Google Sites
Only New Google Sites
Staff-created websites should only be New Google Sites.
Classic Google Sites, Wix, Weebly, Square, WordPress, and similar website-building applications will not be supported. If you have a Classic Google Site, you will need to convert it.
The standard guidelines for web accessibility all apply to your New Google Site.
If you would like a template from which to start building, Please contact webmaster@smcps.org, and one will be created for you.
The Footer
The Footer
Include this footer on your New Google Site:
These 3 links provide extremely useful information for your site visitors and address issues like accessibility and equity. Your New Google Site MUST include this footer. The template already includes this footer.
This video explains how to add a footer to your site:
Images
Images
Images need alt text.
Captioning images can add accessibility by further explaining what the function of the image is
Headings
Headings
Only use headings as headings! Do not use headings to simply change the size and style of your font!
Headers are extremely important to screen readers, but are also important for every user.
You can find out more in this video:
Avoid Embedded Elements
Avoid Embedded Elements
Embedded elements are amazing! But most are not web accessible yet. Avoid using the following New Google Sites Inserts whenever possible:
Calendar
Map
Docs
Slides
Sheets
Forms
Charts
Solutions
Solutions
In most cases the content you would be adding can be linked to using a hyperlink. If you do include one of these elements be sure to snap a text box to the top explaining what it is and a second textbox to the bottom explaining what it does and offering accessibility assistance. Something like "If you need a more accessible calendar please contact me."
See the calendar to the right for an example.
Additional Material
Additional Material
In this video, we review embedded content, why we should not use it, and what we should use instead.
Keep It Simple
Keep It Simple
The absolute best advice is to Keep It Simple. The less content you have, the less you need to worry about meeting WCAG standards and accessibility compliance. Only publicly host the absolute, most essential information. Limit PDFs. Limit externals links to sites and resources, unless those sites and resources are known to be accessible. Remember that any content you need a password to access, such as a private google site, does not need to be made accessible at this time.
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