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titleHow to use words to convey meaning...

When providing a link somewhere within your text, be sure to provide context. Screen readers provide users the opportunity to scroll through links, so links such as "click here" and "more" do not make sense to screen readers. You can see examples below:

Color

Sometimes the text needs to stand out. Ask a question as to how one might do that. Color is not read aloud, so consider also calling attention to important text with words. For instance:

  • Important: Paper due on April 15th. All late papers will be deducted one grade per day late.
  • Note: All applicants must sign on line 11 and line 15 in order to have their pay direct deposited.
  • Urgent: Pay attention to all directions before handing in this form.

When using color, always consider the contrast between the background and the text.   Use WebAIM's Contrast Checker or Lea Verou's Contrast Ratio Checker to ensure all users who have sight can see the information.

Alt-Text, Captions, Image Descriptions, etc.

When someone is accessing material with a screen reader, they may not see an image. They will not know the content of an image unless there is some sort of descriptive text in the form of alternative text (commonly referred to as "alt-text"), a caption, an image description, or other form of text that their screen reader has access to. Providing this is necessary for all users to understand the meaning of the material and why an image is being included.

A best practice is to include a description somewhere in the text so that everyone can see it. This can be very difficult to do.   Below are a few resources we have found to be useful:

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titleUse in-program accessibility checkers to find and fix

Adobe

Google

Install and run Grackle for each program (Docs, Sheets, Slides, etc)

Microsoft Office

Review > Check Accessibility

Moodle

Atto Editor

  1. Expand the editor's menu by clicking the down arrow, which is the first button on the left-hand side and top row of the editor. A screen tip will indicate "Show/hide advanced buttons."

  2. Click on the first item in the sixth section, which looks like a stick figure of a person in a circle.

TinyMCE Editor

Go to Tools>Accessibility Tools → Accessibility Checker in the editor.


Captioning

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