Accessibility Guidelines by Media Type

Text Document Accessibility Checklist

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Readability

• Content is divided into short paragraphs
• Most paragraphs are no longer than 5 sentences
• (True) Headings are used to organize paragraphs
  • Headings do not skip levels (h2, h3, h4…)
  • H1 is the title style if a short-form document; Title is the title style if a long-form document
• There is minimal use of long sentences
• Language is free of grammatical errors, spelling errors, and typos
• Language is simple and straightforward wherever possible
  • Bonus points: Complex language is defined nearby, linked to a glossary, and/or has sufficient context clues

Legibility

• Text is in a sans serif font
• Text is at least 11 points for small text and 14 point bold or 18 points for large text
• Use of italics and bold are limited
• Links are the only underlined text
• Formatting is consistent throughout the page
• The file name at the very top of the application window accurately describes the file

Color and Contrast

• Color has been used to convey meaning only in combination with other elements
• If color has been used, there is appropriate contrast between foreground, background, and adjacent colors
  • 4.5:1 contrast for small text
  • 3:1 contrast for large text and graphics/objects

Lists

• Strings of items are formatted into (true) lists
• Lists are appropriately ordered or unordered, depending on their content
• Lists are only used for strings of more than one item
• No empty list items are left over

Links

• All hyperlinks are embedded in text that describes their destinations
  • Link text gives enough information to clearly indicate destination without surrounding context
  • “Link to” excluded from link text
  • Sources linked only 1x/page
  • If using formal citations, titles (only) are used as link text
  • Bonus points if you include the source in parentheses, e.g. (YouTube)
• All links work
  • If linking to a piece of media that has required permissions to view or interact with, these permissions have been checked
• If linking to time-based media, see podcast or video checklist for additional considerations

Tables

• Tables are only used to compare data (not for formatting, not when they could be lists instead)
• Tables have (true) header rows and columns
  • Table header rows and columns have visual indicators that they’re headers
• Tables have captions, titles, descriptions, and alt text as available
• Tables do not have merged cells
• Tables do not have empty cells

Images

• Images that convey meaning/contain content have alt text
  • Alt text is:
    • Concise
    • Descriptive
    • Functional
    • Contextual
    • Reader-oriented
  • Non-content images are marked as decorative or alt text area left blank
• Images are formatted as “In line with text”
• There are no images of text (except as a logo)
  • Logos’ text is included in their alt text
• Charts have alt text naming the type of chart and giving a general summary of information conveyed (e.g. Bar chart showing college spending on athletics 2011-2023)
• Complex graphics have text alternatives

Checking Your Work

If working in Microsoft Word, run the built-in accessibility checker and resolve any issues it catches before sharing your document. 

To open the built-in accessibility checker, go to the Review tab and select Check Accessibility. A side panel will open with the categories of errors it checks and any issues it’s found. Click on a named issue element in the side panel to highlight that element in the document.

PDF Accessibility Checklist

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Form & Content

Review the Text Document Accessibility considerations for form and content features to build into your document before exporting as a PDF.

Structure

Review the Text Document Accessibility considerations for structure features to build into your document before exporting as a PDF. If any of the features are unavailable prior to exporting as PDF, make note of those features and add them after exporting.

Once you’ve exported your PDF, ensure the following:

• Metadata has been added, including:
  • Title
  • Language
• Tags exist (and are accurate) for all headings, paragraphs, images, figures, and any other content
  • Headings are tagged as headings, following proper heading order
  • Paragraph breaks happen in expected places
• Logical reading order has been set or reviewed and adjusted
• Text is searchable
• Images have alt text
• Links are interactive
• Form fields are interactive 
  • If creating a form, reach out to your academic technologist about additional support for adding and properly tagging form fields
• Any features from the Text Document Accessibility Checklist that you were unable to add before exporting to PDF have been added using a PDF editor
• The built-in accessibility checker of your chosen PDF editor shows zero issues

Spreadsheet Accessibility Checklist

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Readability

• There are no spelling or grammar issues
• Formatting is consistent throughout the sheet
• Sheet tabs have descriptive, unique names

Legibility

• Text is in a sans serif font
• Text is at least 10 points
• Use of italics and bold are limited
• Links are the only underlined text
• There is sufficient spacing around text (i.e. sufficient cell height and width)
• Images and charts do not overlap content in cells
• The file name at the top of the application window accurately describes the file
• The sheet has a descriptive Title (check in File > Info (Windows) or File > Properties (Mac))

Color and Contrast

• Color has been used to convey meaning only in combination with other elements
• If color has been used, there is appropriate contrast between foreground, background, and adjacent colors
  • 4.5:1 contrast for small text
  • 3:1 contrast for large text and graphics/objects/charts

Links

• All hyperlinks are embedded in text that describes their destinations
  • Link text gives enough information to clearly indicate destination without surrounding context
  • “Link to” excluded from link text
  • Sources linked only 1x/page
  • If using formal citations, titles (only) are used as link text
  • Bonus points if you include the source in parentheses, e.g. (YouTube)
• All links work
  • If linking to a piece of media that has required permissions to view or interact with, these permissions have been checked
• If linking to time-based media, see podcast or video checklist for additional considerations

Tables

• Tables are included as accessible alternatives when charts are created
• Tables are only used to compare data
• Tables have centered captions in the row immediately above the table, with merged cells spanning the width of the table
• Tables have header rows and/or columns
• Cells containing headers or data are not merged or split
• Tables do not have empty cells

Charts

• Charts have 10-pt text or larger (larger is better)
• Charts have sufficient white space around elements and between elements, title, labels, key, etc.
• Charts have alt text naming the type of chart and giving a general summary of information conveyed (e.g. Bar chart showing college spending on athletics 2011-2023)
• Charts are presented with tables as accessible alternatives (table can be to the right of chart or in separate sheet)
  • Link to table is provided below chart if table is not immediately beside chart
    • Link back to chart is provided below table if not immediately beside chart

Images

• Images and other non-text elements that convey meaning/contain content have alt text
  • Alt text is:
    • Concise
    • Descriptive
    • Functional
    • Contextual
    • Reader-oriented
  • Non-content images and non-text elements are marked as decorative or alt text area left blank
• There are no images of text (except as a logo)
  • Logos’ text is included in their alt text
• Complex graphics have text alternatives

Embedded or Linked Media

• Embedded/linked podcasts have transcripts
• Embedded/linked videos have captions

Checking Your Work

If working in Microsoft Excel, run the built-in accessibility checker and resolve any issues it catches before sharing your document. 

To open the built-in accessibility checker, go to the Review tab and select Check Accessibility. A side panel will open with the categories of errors it checks and any issues it’s found. Click on a named issue element in the side panel to highlight that element in the document.

Note: If you have created table captions that span the width of the table (as recommended), you may get a “merged cells” warning from the accessibility checker.

Slide Deck Accessibility Checklist

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General Formatting

• Each slide has a unique, descriptive title
• Text is in a sans serif font
• Text is at least 18 points
• Sufficient contrast exists between foreground, background, and adjacent colors
  • 4.5:1 for small text
  • 3:1 for large text and graphics/objects
• Color is used to convey information only in combination with other elements
• Use of italics and bold are at a minimum
• Links are the only underlined text
• Avoid slide transitions and animations that have a lot of side-to-side or vertical motion

Slide Content

• Content on each slide is minimized; more slides are used rather than more text per slide
• Font type and size are consistent across slides
• Negative space exists around and among elements
• All link text describes link destinations (no naked hyperlinks, no generic link tex)
  • “Link to” excluded from link text
  • Sources linked 1x/page
  • All links work
  • If using formal citations, titles (only) are used as link text
  • If linking to time-based media, see podcast or video checklist for additional considerations
  • Bonus points if you include the source in parentheses, e.g. (YouTube)
• Strings of items/information are formatted as (true) lists
  • Lists are ordered or unordered appropriately, based on content
  • Lists are only used for multi-item strings of information
  • No empty list items have been left behind

Images & Time-Based Media

• All images have alt text
  • Alt text is concise, descriptive, functional, contextual, and reader-oriented
  • Non-content images are marked as decorative or alt text area left blank
• Complex graphics have text alternatives
• Embedded and linked videos have captions
  • Captions are human-generated or auto-generated and reviewed/revised
  • Captions include music, important sounds, etc. in parentheses or brackets
  • Captions are turned on whenever presenting
  • Bonus points if videos also have audio description
• Embedded and linked podcasts have transcripts
  • Transcript is available to participants whenever presenting

Final Suggestions

• If working in PowerPoint, use the build-in accessibility checker to review and remediate accessibility issues before sharing
• Share slides with participants ahead of time so they can review before the presentation and/or follow along on their own devices if needed

Podcast Accessibility Checklist

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• Spoken audio is recorded in a quiet space or edited to reduce background noise
• Contrast in volume exists between speech and background sound, to help listeners parse speech
• Consideration has been given to maximum contrast between softest and loudest sounds
  • Sounds that are suddenly louder have been avoided
  • Sounds that are significantly softer than their surrounding context have been avoided
• If creating an audio-only podcast, a transcript of spoken audio has been created
  • Transcript is posted alongside audio podcast
  • Bonus points if transcript includes mention of important non-spoken sounds
• If creating a video podcast, captions have been created for the podcast video
  • Captions include important non-spoken sounds
  • Bonus points if you also include a transcript

 

Video Accessibility Checklist

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• Video does not flash more than 3x/second
• If creating the video from slides, the slides use appropriate color contrast
  • 4.5:1 for small text
  • 3:1 for large text and graphics
• Spoken audio is recorded in a quiet space or edited to reduce background noise
• Contrast in volume exists between speech and background sound, to help listeners parse speech
• Consideration has been given to maximum contrast between softest and loudest sounds
  • Suddenly louder sounds have been avoided
  • Sounds significantly softer than those around them have been avoided
• Human-created captions or app-generated and human-reviewed/edited captions have been added to the video
  • Captions should include mention of music, important sound effects, etc., in parentheses or brackets
• Whenever possible, audio description has been incorporated into the narration or added as a separate audio file that contains both spoken audio and audio description
  • Audio description does not need to be included in caption
  • If creating a transcript for the video, include description of important visuals in the transcript

 

Google Sites Accessibility Checklist

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Form & Content

• Content is divided into short paragraphs
• Language is free of grammatical errors and typos
• Language is simple and straightforward wherever possible
• Text is in a sans serif font
• Text is at least 11 points for small text and 14 point bold or 18 points for large text
• Use of italics and bold are limited
• Links are the only underlined text
• Color has been used to convey meaning only in combination with other elements
• Where color has been used, there is appropriate contrast between foreground, background, and adjacent colors
  • 4.5:1 for small text
  • 3:1 for large text and graphics/objects

Structure

• (True) Headings are used to title pages and organize paragraphs
  • Headings do not skip levels when ascending (Title, Heading, Sub-Heading)
  • Note: Google Sites names their heading levels by what they are/do in non-technical language (unlike text docs), so the Title style is for the title of the page, the Heading style is for section titles (colloquially called “headings”), etc.
• Strings of items are formatted into (true) lists
  • Lists are appropriately ordered or unordered, depending on their content
  • Lists are only used for strings of more than one item
  • No empty list items are left over
• All link text describes link destinations (no naked hyperlinks, no generic link tex)
  • “Link to” excluded from link text
  • Sources linked 1x/page
  • All links work
  • If using formal citations, titles (only) are used as link text
  • Bonus points if you include the source in parentheses, e.g. (YouTube)
• Tables are only used for comparing data
  • Tables have (true) header rows and columns
  • Tables have captions, titles, descriptions, and alt text as available
  • Tables do not have merged or split cells
• Images that convey content have alt text
  • Alt text is concise, descriptive, functional, contextual, and reader-oriented
• Non-content images are marked as decorative
• There are no images of text (except as a logo)
• Complex graphics have text alternatives

Time-Based Media

• Videos do not flash more than 3 times per second
• Auto-play videos are avoided (or at least include controls for stopping/pausing)
• Videos have human-created or auto-generated-and-human-reviewed captions
  • Captions include relevant non-spoken sounds in parentheses or brackets
  • Even better if videos have audio descriptions
• Podcasts have transcripts available
  • Location of transcript is noted or linked to on the page
• If you’re creating the time-based media yourself, please review the applicable checklist for that media type

Coming soon!

 

For accessibility considerations and support with Pressbooks, check out this Open Educational Resource (OER, coming soon), compiled by our very own Ellie Anderson! You can find a checklist of accessibility considerations within the OER.

StoryMaps Accessibility Checklist

One more resource: GIS Accessibility Guidance: StoryMaps (Mass.gov)

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Form & Content

• Content is divided into short paragraphs
• “Spacious” text spacing has been selected
• Long sentences are used minimally (if at all)
• Language is free of grammatical errors and typos
• Language is simple and straightforward wherever possible
  • Acronyms are spelled out in their first instance, followed by the acronym in ( )
• Text is in a sans serif font and follows typical capitalization rules (no ALL CAPS)
• Text is at least 11 points for small text and 14 point bold or 18 points for large text
• Text is left-aligned (minimal use of centered text okay; avoid justified and right-aligned)
• Use of italics and bold are limited
• Links are the only underlined text
• In-text superscript citations are avoided
• Color has been used to convey meaning only in combination with other elements
• Where color has been used, there is appropriate contrast between foreground, background, and adjacent colors
  • 4.5:1 for small text
  • 3:1 for large text and graphics/objects
  • Note: Some themes have insufficient color contrast for some items (e.g., buttons in Ridgeline), and these colors can’t necessarily be changed

Structure

• Headings are used to title your StoryMap and organize paragraphs
  • Headings do not skip levels (H1, H2, H3)
  • Note: The title is automatically set to be an H1; add section headings (H2s) to organize content throughout the page
• Strings of items are formatted into (true) lists
  • Lists are appropriately ordered or unordered, depending on their content
  • Lists are only used for strings of more than one item
  • No empty list items are left over
• Links are underlined (not dotted line or highlight option)
  • All link text describes link destinations (no naked hyperlinks, no generic link tex)
  • “Link to” excluded from link text
  • Sources linked 1x/StoryMap
  • All links work
  • Links open in the same tab
  • If using formal citations, titles (only) are used as link text
  • Bonus points if you include the source in parentheses, e.g. (YouTube)
• Button text is brief and clearly describes where the link leads
  • Buttons follow link text considerations (above)
  • Note: Button styling is determined by theme. Some themes (like Ridgeway) have inaccessible color contrast. Avoid using a theme that creates inaccessible buttons, if you intend to use buttons in your StoryMap.
• The code object is used only for shorter code blocks
  • Code has comments to help readers understand what each section does
  • Code language has been selected
  • Line numbers are enabled
  • There is a brief description of what the code does in paragraph text
• Tables are only used for comparing data
  • Tables are created using the table element (not a screenshot of a table)
  • Tables have header rows and/or columns
    • Note: Tables automatically provide a header row, and you can add a header column manually using the gear icon
  • Tables have captions and titles

Static Media

• Images that communicate content have captions and alt text
  • Alt text is concise (125 characters max), descriptive, functional, contextual, and reader-oriented
  • Alt text doesn’t repeat caption text
  • Galleries of images have alt text for each image and alt text for the gallery
• Infographics have alt text or text alternatives
• There are no images of text (except as a logo)
  • Alt text for images of text includes image text
• Complex graphics have text alternatives
• Charts and graphs have titles, captions, and source info
  • Charts have appropriate color contrast
  • Each column of the data source has a clear, meaningful heading
  • Chart has an informative chart title, category axis title, and value axis title
  • Chart legend is enabled
  • Note: Source info can include a link. Use source info to link to the data source/text alternative (e.g., table data).

Interactive and Time-Based Media

• Maps have captions and alt text (see alt text best practices, above)
  • When creating maps, best practices in the following guides have been followed:
    • GIS accessibility guidance: web maps
    • GIS accessibility guidance: static maps from ArcGIS Pro
  • Maps include a text alternative of relevant locations (spreadsheet, CSV, etc.), linked nearby
  • A description of the map and/or its purpose exists in a nearby paragraph
  • Map legend is enabled (but not set to open by default)
  • Search option is enabled
  • All map features have appropriate color contrast with basemap
  • If adding text overlays: background color and text meet contrast ratio requirements
• Swipe elements have alt text for each individual map or image and alt text for the swipe element overall
• Swipe elements are described in a nearby paragraph (screen reader users may have trouble accessing the content a sighted user would acquire through use of the swipe element)
• Sidecars do not contain charts or apps (some accessibility features are not available when these elements are added to sidecars, so they should be avoided in this context)
• For map tours, each location has a title and description
  • If adding photos to locations, photos have alt text
    • If any locations don’t have a photo, “Media focused” option is not used
  • If “Start with a feature layer” is selected, alternative text is set to populate from a dynamic attribute field
• Videos do not flash more than 3 times per second
• All videos have controls for starting and stopping, and auto-play videos are avoided
• Videos have human-created or auto-generated-and-human-reviewed captions
  • Captions include relevant non-spoken sounds in parentheses or brackets
  • Even better if videos have audio descriptions
  • Even better if videos have transcripts
• Embedded audio has controls for starting and stopping, and auto-play audio is avoided
• If displaying as card:
  • Custom card details are added: title and description
  • Optional: upload a custom thumbnail
• If displaying as an interactive embed:
  • For large screens: 
    • “Include a button on the embed to open live content in a new tab” is not enabled
    • “Allow readers to directly interact with this content” is not enabled
  • For small screens:
    • Display is set to “Card”
    • Custom card details are added: title and description
• Podcasts and other audio have transcripts available
  • Location of transcript is noted or linked to on the page
• If you’re creating the time-based media yourself, please review the applicable checklist for that media type

Note: The accessibility of StoryMap Apps depends on the tool used to create them and the accessibility features built into the apps themselves. Before adding an app to your StoryMap, learn as much as you can about the accessibility of the app. If you want to use an app in your StoryMap, try to ensure that the app passes WCAG 2.1 AA guidelines.

Coming soon!

LibGuides Accessibility Checklist

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Text/Formatting

• Text uses simple, straightforward language wherever possible
• Text is broken up into short paragraphs
• 1-2 fonts are used throughout
• Sans serif (non-narrow) fonts used throughout
• Font size and styling are consistent throughout
• Limited use of italics
• Limited use of bold
• No underlined text (that isn’t a link)

Headings

• Headings are all true headings
• H3 is first heading level used in rich text editor
• Increasing heading levels are chronological (no skips)

Lists

• Strings of items or phrases are presented as lists
• Lists are all true lists
• Unordered lists are used whenever order doesn’t matter
• Ordered lists are used whenever order is necessary to understanding content
• All lists have more than one list item
• No lists have empty list items

Links

• All hyperlinks are embedded within descriptive text (no naked links)
• Descriptive text matches destination title whenever possible
  • Bonus points: destination source is listed in ( )
• No generic link text
• All links go where you’d expect, based on descriptive link text
• All links work
  • Access is provided for any shared Google or Box media
• Sources are only linked 1x/page
• If formal citations are necessary, only title text is linked

Tables

• Tables are only used for comparing data
• Tables are only used when they are the best format for presenting the data
• Tables are only used when no other representation style is appropriate/feasible
• Tables have structural/functional header rows and columns
• Tables have visually distinct header rows and columns
• Tables have captions
• Tables have descriptions (alt text)
• No merged cells
• No empty cells
• No images within tables
• No lists within tables
• No tables within tables
• No nested header rows

Color & Contrast

• Color is not used to convey meaning or color is only used to convey meaning in combination with other indicators
• Charts have labels for individual segments (more than just a key)
• Normal/body text has 4.5:1 color contrast
• Large text and graphics have 3.5:1 color contrast
  • Multicolored graphics have 3.5:1 contrast between adjacent colors
• Visual busyness (color, pattern, etc.) is reduced

Images

• All images that convey meaning have alt text
• Images that don’t convey meaning are marked as decorative
• Alt text is:
  • Concise
  • Descriptive
  • Functional
  • Contextual
  • Reader-oriented
• No images of text
• No “image of” in alt text (if cartoon, painting, etc., okay to mention, e.g., cartoon:…)

Time-Based Media (Podcasts, Videos, etc.)

• Podcasts have transcripts
• Videos are captioned (more than just auto-captions whenever possible)
  • Captions include content-laden sounds
  • Bonus points: videos have audio descriptions
• If transcripts or captions aren’t in an obvious place, instructions are provided for accessing