Getting Started - Digital Content Checklist
- Sagan Wallace
Design Principles
View these principles as a printable Checklist
Getting started
Digital accessibility doesn’t have to be complicated! There are quick steps you can take to make content more accessible right away.
Remember:
It’s not possible to make universally accessible content.
Imperfection is OK.
By sticking to some basics, your content will be easier to adjust to make it accessible to anyone.
7 Principles of Accessibility, and How to Do It
These principles are modified from the a11y project checklist, and align with WCAG 2.1 AA standards. These principles can be adapted to create accessibility criteria for other projects as needed. For standards specific to document types, see the linked resources. For more information about each principle, see the Deep Dives.
Headings
Basic Principle
Headings ensure your content is arranged in a logical order. By properly formatting headings, people can use their screen reader to get an overall sense of the page content, and can skip to relevant passages as needed. Without headings, the only option is to read the page in a single block.
More Information about Headings
Questions to Ask
h1 per page?
Alternative Text
Basic Principle
Images are by default only perceptible through vision. By providing a text alternative to an image, users can experience the image in an accessible way. Typically the text is spoken via a screen reader, but it could also be converted to refreshable Braille, large text, or translated to a different language.
More Information about Alternative Text
Questions to Ask
alt=""?Links
Basic Principle
URLs are a fundamental part of connection on the internet, but in many cases link destinations can be ambiguous and hard to navigate. Clearly labeling links ensures all users can anticipate the outcome of using a link. In addition, properly constructed links will ensure screen readers announce the destination, rather than reading aloud a potentially incomprehensible URL.
Questions to Ask
Color Contrast
Basic Principle
Contrast refers to the visual difference between two colors when they are place side by side. This can be conveyed as a ratio. Maintaining appropriate contrast ensures readability with low vision, color blindness, migraines, and other visual processing concerns. In addition, it is important to use more than color to convey an idea.
Questions to Ask
Lists
Basic Principle
Lists are an excellent way to improve readability by turning lengthy strings of content into a scannable format. Lists can be unordered (bullet points) or ordered (1, 2, 3). This is identified to the screen reader using code, but that code is automatically input if you use the built-in list maker in your program to create the list. It is important to use an ordered list if the content builds on itself or must be read/followed in a step-by-step pattern.
Questions to Ask
Tables
Basic Principle
Tables are a specific way of displaying data in a relational way, and their accessibility can become complex, particularly for screen reader users. Tables should be kept as simple as possible - ideally, no more than a single header row and column. Consider splitting the data into separate tables to reduce its complexity. You should always use the built-in table generator in your software to create the table, so accessibility features can be applied before exporting to a different format. Finally, tables should never be used to format a document - this may look correct visually, but can be difficult or impossible for a screen reader user to navigate.
Questions to Ask
Video & Audio
Basic Principle
Audiovisual material requires using multiple techniques to make it accessible. Captions, subtitles and transcripts support Deaf and hard of hearing people, while audio description allows people who are blind or low vision to understand the visual components. Other techniques such as avoiding autoplay and ensuring media can be paused make it more accesssible to people with sensory processing and focus needs.
Questions to Ask