Providing accessible websites is a part of campus and college requirements. All university websites are to adhere to Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 international standards. Most web accessibility is handled through the theme and code, but the content you add needs to be accessible as well.

For additional resources on the importance of accessibility on the web visit Digital Accessibility 101.

Headings

Headings are important for structuring a webpage, allowing users to quickly scan the content for information relevant to them. For individuals using screen readers to access a webpage, it is essential that headings are used correctly so they can easily locate information. Each heading should accurately describe the content that follows and must be used semantically. It's important to note that headings should not be used merely for styling text.

Below is an example of the correct use of headings:

This is a Heading 2

Heading 1 will be the page title, all other headings on the page will start with Heading 2

This is a Heading 3

Heading 3 can be used after a Heading 2 to further organize information on your page.

This is a Heading 2

If you need to start a new set of topics, you can start with a Heading 2.

This is a Heading 3

Heading 3 can be used after a Heading 2 or after another Heading 3 to further organize information on your page.

This is a Heading 4

Be sure to use Heading 4 after a Heading 3 to keep the page content in order and allow screen reader users to easily scan the page for information. 

Tables

Tables should only be used to display tabular data, they should not be used to format or style content. Remember to use table headings and avoid merging table cells.

 

This is a table heading Tables need to have at least one row or column set as a heading
This is table data. Avoid merging table cells and table headers to ensure screen reader users can easily understand your table data.
This is table data. This is table data.

 

Alt Text

For users who cannot see images on a website and rely on screen readers, alt text offers important context about the images on a page. Additionally, alt text is indexed by search engines, which helps optimize your web content. Alt text does not need to be lengthy, but should provide a basic description of what is in the image in relation to the content. Avoid using phrases like "image of" or "photo of" in your alt text description as screen readers will automatically announce that this is an image when reading it to users.

student posing while petting therapy dog
The alt text for this image could say something like "student posing while petting therapy dog".
aerial view of main quad
The alt text for an image like this could be "aerial view of main quad".

 

Link Text

For users who rely on screen readers, link text can also offer important context about the content of your page. It is important that link text clearly describes the destination or purpose of the link. Avoid using phrases like “Click here” or “Read more”.

Avoid using link text like this:
Click here for the 2024-25 Student Handbook.

Instead, be descriptive and highlight text that will provide context to where your link is going or what it will do:
Download the 2024-25 Student Handbook.

Documents and PDFs

All documents that are posted to your website need to be accessible by default. To ensure that Word and PDF documents are accessible, utilize built-in tools such as headings, and structure your document content semantically. Use the built-in table styles for tabular data and avoid merging cells or creating complex tables.  

For more information on accessible documents visit the Center for Innovation in Teaching & Learning.