Today is Global Accessibility Awareness Day, a day to get everyone talking, thinking and learning about digital access and inclusion. So here are the team’s best tips to ensure accessibility.
Accessible every day
- Always include alt text on your pictures and images (unless only decorative). If alt text is not available, write an image description. This includes websites, documents, social media etc
- Provide captioning on all audio. For meetings and virtual presentations, use programs that provide live captioning, like Teams or Zoom. Provide captioning on recordings and videos including social or websites. Remember if using auto-captioning, review them first.
- Make all links meaningful. This helps people using screen readers. It also helps the audience skimming to find information.
Utilise tools
- Microsoft Office programs have a built in “check accessibility” button. Get in the habit of using it all the time. This simple action can identify a range of accessibility issues and how to fix them for your documents, spreadsheets, and emails.
- There are free web-based services that can test colour contrast. Aim to be at least AA WCAG compliant.
- There are tools that scan and report to help you maintain accessibility of things like websites and platforms.
Build for Accessibility
- Utilise the WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) to understand best practice. Build using these guidelines (rather than reviewing after).
- Test accessibility as part of useability testing. Don’t rely only on technical accessibility, have accessibility needs as part of testing. Ensure to include people with disability.
- Build for different ways to engage with your website or interface. People may use a mouse, keyboard, or assistive technology like screen reader or read out loud. Ensure all interactions work seamlessly. Remember the code is what drives the technology.
These tips are important to use all the time. 1 in 5 people in Australia has disability, many of which may be hidden. By including accessible practices into your everyday procedures, you can provide access to all.
Visit our website for more digital accessible resources and tools