IMAGESEach image on your site has a background property called Alternative Text or Alt Text. This text will be what is read by screen readers and other assistive technology programs that help people with disabilities navigate websites.Add alt text to every image you upload, especially those that are integral to the understanding and navigation of your page, e.g., if you use an image as a link to another page. Make your alt text brief but as descriptive as possible. You can locate the alt text by right-clicking on any image in the tempEdit editor and choosing Image Properties. |
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BACKGROUND COLORS & PATTERNSThe best scenario for screen readers and assistive devices is to read black text on a white background. However, any color combination with a good amount of contrast will work. Don’t for example, use blue text on a blue background.Ex: Please do not do this - it is hard for anyone to read! |
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BANNERS, ADS, OR IMAGES WITH TEXTAvoid using images to convey important text or information on your page. For example, the image to the right contains text that is integral to the page but can't be read by assistive devices. If unavoidable, make the alt text as descriptive as possible. |
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UNDERLINED TEXTDo not underline text in your pages. If you need to highlight or add emphasis to a line or a word, you can use an italic or bold font and even a combination of the two. Screen readers can often confuse underlined text for a link, when there isn’t one. |
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VIDEOS You are responsible for any videos that you post on your site, even if they are embedded from an outside source. Many video hosting services like Youtube and Ensemble offer closed captioning options which can help make a videos accessible to people with disabilities.It is best practice to only post a video to your site if it has the appropriate captioning. |
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TITLES TO LINKSOne recommendation from the ADA compliance watchdogs is to use titles on your links. These titles may be read aloud by readers and should describe what you link is. There has been some argument about the usefulness of this feature, with many suggesting it actually slows down the assistive device.An alternative to using link titles is to make sure your link text is descriptive, e.g., instead of your link text reading “click here for Board of Education meeting schedule”. It should read “click here for Board of Education meeting schedule”. Notice that the actual link changes from the nondescript, “click here”, to the more appropriate, “Board of Education meeting schedule”. |
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