Accessible online content

creating accessible online content

 

Text

• Space out your text and make sure it is large enough to read easily
• Use sans-serif fonts (e.g. Arial, Calibri, Montserrat). They are easier to read than serif fonts (e.g. times new roman, courier New.)
• Avoid all caps, italic or underlined test. This changes the shape of the words. If you want to add emphasis, use bold.
• Go for bullet points and short, simple sentences instead of long paragraphs of text. It also helps to break down your content into sections with clear headings.
• Does your text make sense in greyscale? Do a print preview of your text in black and white. Does it all still make sense without the colour?

Images

• Add a text alternative for all images (e.g. Instagram posts) which describes the content in the image, especially diagrams. This can be read by screen-reading software or copied into a translator app.
• For Instagram you can add alternative text to your posts by using the advanced settings for the post.
• Avoid placing text directly onto a photo or patterned background. Dark text on a plain pastel background is the easiest to read.
• Avoid colour combinations that are affected by colour blindness. There are stimulation tools online www.colour-blindness.com that allows you to test our content before publishing. The most common colour blindness combination is red/green.

Videos

• Add warnings to any videos that contain sudden loud noise or flashing images.
• Add on-screen captions for any spoken words or include a transcript as a text alternative for videos to be used with a screen-reader or translator.
• Avoid using acronyms and complex metaphors. Not everyone will know what you mean.
• It can be helpful to include your preferred pronouns when introducing yourself online.
• Make sure if you are using a GIF that it does not contact strobes or flashes rapidly as it may trigger seizures in people with photosensitive epilepsy.

Presentations

• When doing a presentation, slides are clear and easy to read. Sensible font sizes and good contracts between colours. Minimise the number of slides and the amount of text on slides.
• Participants are warned of sensitive content bu including trigger warnings at the start of the presentation and just before it is going to be talked about.
• PowerPoints are made available after the presentation to participants.
• When you advance a slide, pause to let people read it before saying anything. This will allow people who are deaf and everyone else in the audience to read the slide before you start talking.
• Read the text on the slide to make sure people who are blind in the audience know what is on the slide. Limit the number of visuals on slides.
• Images that are used should be described so that people who are blind in the audience will know what image is being displayed. Graphs and charts should be described and summarised.
• Make sure that videos are captioned and audio described. Sometimes it is good to give a brief description of what is in the video before it is played. This will help audience members who are blind to establish context for what they will hear.
• During Q&A repeat the questions so everyone can hear them.