Accessibility

Web Accessibility Guidance

Web accessibility compliance is vital to ensure that digital content and applications are inclusive and usable by all individuals, regardless of their abilities or disabilities. The below information will help you to understand how you can ensure your content is accessible and meets the WCAG standards.

Compliance with web accessibility standards is guided by four key principles:

1. Perceivable: Making Content Accessible

• Text Alternatives: Provide text alternatives for all non-text content, such as images, videos, and multimedia. This ensures that individuals who cannot perceive the content visually can still understand its meaning.
• Time-Based Media: Ensure that multimedia content, including audio and video, is accompanied by captions, transcripts, or other alternatives to make it accessible to individuals with hearing impairments.
• Adaptable Content: Create content that can be presented in different ways without losing meaning or functionality. This allows users to customize the presentation to suit their needs.

2. Operable: Navigable and Usable Interfaces

• Keyboard Accessibility: Ensure that all functionality and interactive elements can be operated using a keyboard. Many individuals with disabilities rely on keyboards for navigation and interaction.
• Sufficient Time: Provide users with enough time to read and interact with content. Avoid content that auto-refreshes, and allow users to control time-sensitive actions.
• Navigable and Understandable: Create a logical and consistent navigation structure, with clear and concise headings, labels, and instructions. This helps users easily find and understand content.

3. Understandable: Clear and Intuitive User Interfaces

• Readable and Predictable: Use plain language and ensure that text is easily readable. Avoid jargon, complex language, and unclear instructions. Make user interfaces and actions predictable.
• Input Assistance: Assist users in avoiding and correcting errors when filling out forms or completing actions. Provide clear error messages and guidance.
• Consistency and Compatibility: Ensure that your website or application functions consistently across different devices, browsers, and user agents. Test for compatibility with assistive technologies.

4. Robust: Compatibility and Future-Proofing

• Use Accessible Technologies: Develop content and applications using technologies that are accessible and widely supported. Avoid deprecated or inaccessible technologies that can limit compatibility.
• Testing and Validation: Regularly test your website or application with web accessibility evaluation tools to identify and address potential issues. Manual testing with assistive technologies is also crucial.

Steps to Meet Accessibility Standards

Firstly, ask yourself if you're updating or creating a Word/PDF document, or if you're working with the code of a website or application. This will determine the approach you should follow.

Updating or Creating Code (Website or Application)

1. HTML Structure

   • Use semantic HTML elements (e.g., <nav>, <article>) to structure content.
   • Ensure proper use of headings (H1, H2, H3) for content hierarchy.
   • Add alt text to images and multimedia elements.

2. Keyboard Accessibility

   • Ensure all interactive elements can be accessed and operated using a keyboard.
   • Implement keyboard focus indicators.

3. Colour and Contrast

   • Use high contrast for text and background.
   • Avoid conveying information through colour alone.

4. Form and Input Fields

   • Label form fields properly and associate them with their labels.
   • Provide helpful error messages and instructions for forms.

5. Audio and Video

   • Provide captions and transcripts for multimedia content.
   • Ensure media players are accessible.

6. Testing and Validation

   • Test your code using web accessibility evaluation tools like WAVE, axe, or aXe.
   • Conduct manual testing with screen readers like JAWS, NVDA, or VoiceOver.

For a comprehensive guide on how to meet these principles and achieve compliance with the latest WCAG standards, please refer to the "How to Meet WCAG (Quick Reference)" at this URL: WCAG Quick Reference.

Updating or Creating a Word/PDF Document

For Word Documents

1. Document Structure

   • Use the built-in Heading Styles (e.g., Heading 1, Heading 2) for content organization. These styles help screen readers understand the document's structure.
   • Add alternative text (alt text) to describe images, charts, and other non-text content. In Word, right-click on the image, select "Format Picture," and enter alt text in the "Alt Text" tab.
   • Ensure meaningful link text. Use descriptive text for hyperlinks instead of generic labels like "click here."

2. Colour and Contrast

   • Use high contrast between text and background to improve readability. Word provides a built-in "Check Accessibility" feature that can flag issues with colour contrast.
   • Avoid conveying information solely through colour. Ensure that colour-coded information is also available in text or other non-colour cues.

3. Text and Font

   • Use readable fonts and font sizes. Avoid using overly decorative or complex fonts.
   • Avoid underlining for emphasis, as underlined text can be confused with hyperlinks.

4. Tables and Data

   • Create accessible tables with headers and summary information. Use Word's built-in table features to specify row and column headers.
   • Mark data tables with proper table structure. In Word, you can use the "Table Properties" dialog to set header row properties.

5. Forms and Interactive Elements

   • Ensure form fields are labeled and provide instructions. In Word, you can add form fields and label them accordingly.
   • Validate input fields and provide helpful error messages. Use the built-in form field validation and error message features in Word.

6. Navigation and Readability

   • Test document readability with screen reader software. Use built-in tools like Microsoft Narrator or JAWS to evaluate how a screen reader reads the document.
   • Include a table of contents or bookmarks for longer documents. Word allows you to create a table of contents or add bookmarks to navigate the document easily.

For PDF Documents

1. Document Structure

   • Use accessible PDF authoring tools that support semantic structure tags like headings and lists.
   • Add alt text to describe images, charts, and other non-text content. Most PDF authoring tools offer alt text features for images.
   • Ensure meaningful link text when creating hyperlinks in PDF documents.

2. Colour and Contrast

   • Check and adjust colour contrast using the built-in accessibility checker in your PDF authoring tool.
   • Avoid conveying information solely through colour. Ensure that colour-coded information is also available in text or other non-colour cues.

3. Text and Font

   • Use accessible fonts and font sizes. Avoid decorative or complex fonts.
   • Avoid underlining for emphasis, as underlined text can be confused with hyperlinks.

4. Tables and Data

   • Create accessible tables with headers and summary information. Use the table features in your PDF authoring tool to specify header cells.
   • Mark data tables with proper table structure, typically using "Table" tags.

5. Forms and Interactive Elements

   • Ensure form fields are labeled and provide instructions. Most PDF authoring tools have form field options to add labels and instructions.
   • Validate input fields and provide helpful error messages using the features provided by your PDF authoring tool.

6. Navigation and Readability

   • Test the document's accessibility using a PDF accessibility checker, such as Adobe Acrobat's built-in accessibility checker.
   • Ensure that bookmarks and links are well-structured for easy navigation. In Adobe Acrobat, you can create bookmarks and use the "Make Accessible" feature to enhance navigation.