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
Documents: