Creating accessible content

This guide provides information on the new government accessibility regulations to make websites and online resources accessible to all. This guide will also explain how to appropriately:

• format headings
• format lists
• name hyperlinks
• use ALT text for images, video, audio and tables / graphs
• format tables
• export a Word document to be an accessible PDF
• format PowerPoint presentations

How to make content accessible

Appropriately formatting and styling content by following the guidance below will make content easier to read. It will make clear what information is intended to be read as a heading, table, graph, list, hyperlink, or what information an image or video is intending to convey.

It will also enable assistive technologies (such as screen readers) to read content correctly. Content will be easier to customise, reformat and magnify. This will enable users to access content in a format that meets their needs, learning styles, and that’s compatible with their personal devices (mobile phones, tablets etc.)

Format headings appropriately

Make sure headings are formatted / styled as headings (rather than just text in bold, underlined or in a bigger font).

Format text as a heading in a Word document

In a Word document you can format text as a heading from the home tab (also in Office 365 online).

1. Highlight the text
2. Select the home tab
3. Choose a heading style from the styles options from the home tab 

Please click on the following link to access further guidance regarding modifying Word styles; https://support.office.com/en-us/article/customize-or-create-new-styles-in-word-d38d6e47-f6fc-48eb-a607-1eb120dec563

Further good practice is to;

• use bold to emphasis headings rather than underlining or using Italics
• avoid colours that are distracting or clash
• make text easier to read by using the font ‘sans serif’
• make text easier to read by formatting the size to at least 12 points minimum

Format lists appropriately

Lists should be formatted as proper bullet points or numbered lists. It is best not to manually create lists by entering characters such as hyphens instead of bullet points.

Name hyperlinks appropriately

It is best practice to make the text of a hyperlink descriptive. It should explain the website / content it’s linking to. A good example is  ‘Introduction to Medicine: Week One (Slides)’ instead of ‘slides’. It is also best to avoid using ‘here’ or ‘click here’. Such wording can be confusing for end users.  

Edit the text for a link in Blackboard

1. Enter the hyperlink address in the text editor
2. Highlight the text, right click on the mouse and choose link
3. Enter the text for the link in the title field

These steps are similar in other online platforms and Word / Google documents.

For further guidance please access the following help pages;

• Blackboard editor – working with text and adding files, multimedia and weblinks
• Staff guide to creating and managing Blackboard content.

Use ALT text for images, video, audio and tables / graphs

It is good practice to include ALT text as an alternative way to summarise information that images, video, audio and tables / graphs are intending to convey. Screen readers can also read ALT text.  

Add ALT text for an image in a Word document in Office 365

1. Select the content
2. Choose format from the menu bar
3. Choose the ALT-Text icon
4. Enter a brief title and description

Add ALT text for an image in Blackboard

1. Upload an image to the text editor
2. Enter the description in the ALT text field. There is no need to write ‘picture of…’ or ‘photograph of…’ etc.
3. Click submit 

For further guidance please access the following help pages;

• Blackboard editor – working with text and adding files, multimedia and weblinks
• Staff guide to creating and managing Blackboard content.

This process for adding ALT text is similar in most online platforms.

Format tables

Tables should be used only when necessary. They can be difficult for screen readers to read and often don’t display correctly on mobile devices.

If you need to use a table it is best practice to;

• present information to be read from left to right, top to bottom,
• as with formatting headings above, appropriately identify headings and where appropriate use table headers (select make first row a header and / or make first column a header),
• in Excel use table styles and select the format as table button.

Export a Word document to be an accessible PDF

If you have structured a Word document appropriately you can create an accessible PDF from your document with headings that link through the document and a bookmarks pane to aid navigation.

1. Select to save as PDF 
2. Select options
3. Select create bookmarks using headings
4. Check the tick box document structure tags for accessibility

Please access the following link for further information; further guidance for creating accessible PDFs.

Format PowerPoint presentations

Much of the guidance above can be applied to PowerPoint presentations. Further to the above:

• Make sure slide contents can be read in the order that you intend and use built-in slide designs
• Ensure that color is not the only means of conveying information
• Use sufficient contrast for text and background colors
• Give every slide a unique title
• Use a larger font size (18pt or larger), sans serif fonts, and sufficient white space.

Please access the following link for further guidance; further guidance on creating accessible PowerPoint presentations.

Test your content

Try accessing your content via assistive technology, a mobile device or by checking it with an accessibility checker tool.

• Access the following link for useful Microsoft tools; Microsoft Word accessibility tools and resources
• Access the following link for a useful browser extension; Read Aloud extension
• Adobe PDF also has a reader function (select view, then select Read Out Loud).
• NVDA software is also available from the Software Centre on the York University desktop. NVDA (NonVisual Desktop Access) is a free, open-source, portable screen reader for Microsoft Windows. 

Further support and guidance

• Please see the HYMS Digital Accessibility session led by Dr Lee Fallin (Microsoft Certified Educator and Innovative Educator Expert & Trainer, University of Hull). Please access the slides at the following link; Digital Accessibility session slides. Please access the recording at the following link; Digital Accessibility recording. Please note, HYMS log in details required for the slides and recording.
• The University of York run a regular creating accessible documents workshop for staff. Please click on the following link for further information, and also for further information about digital accessibility at York; https://sites.google.com/york.ac.uk/uoyaccessibility/creating-accessible-documents.

• For University of Hull accessibility training, please contact; skills@hull.ac.uk (professional services colleagues) or TeachingExcellenceAcademy@hull.ac.uk (for academic and teaching staff).

Please also access the following links for further support and guidance;

• JISC guidance on Web accessibility
• e-accessibility project wiki (UoY login required).

If you have any questions regarding accessibility and any learning and teaching resources, please contact the Learning Enhancement and Support team; help@hyms.ac.uk.