A Checklist for Content Creators

Accessibility Core Concepts

As content creators, you play an important role in ensuring that everything we create for our customers, partners, and colleagues is accessible to everyone.

The following concepts and guidelines will help you create content that is clear and easy to understand. To learn more about each one, explore the related links.

Use Plain Language

When creating content, write clearly, in plain and easy-to-understand language – keep readability in mind. Make your content easier to understand and remember. The goal is to create content that is understandable to a wide audience.

Clear writing makes the content easier to read and understand, particularly by users with cognitive disabilities and those for whom English is not their first language.

Consider the following readability principles:

• Use short, concise sentences, and shorter words when possible.

• Only use all-caps text for acronyms and spell out acronyms at first use.

• Never underline anything that’s not a link.

• Use italics sparingly.

• Avoid ableist language.

Want to learn more?

OCAS Style Guide

WCAG, Writing for Web Accessibility: Keep content clear and concise

WCAG, Understanding Success Criterion 3.1.5: Reading Level

Include Page Titles

When creating new web pages or documents, it’s important to add unique and meaningful titles. Here are some examples from the OCAS website:

• Main page - <title>What Does Tomorrow Look Like | OCAS</title>

• What We Do page - <title>What We Do | OCAS</title>

Titles are announced by screen readers; they are also displayed in the browser tabs and search results.

Page titles that accurately reflect the topic can also improve SEO results.

Want to learn more?

WCAG, Understanding Success Criterion 2.4.2: Page Titled

Use Headings to Create Structure

A good structure can make it easier for assistive technologies, search engines, and users to understand the page hierarchy and quickly scan the content. Headings can also improve search results.

• Use heading styles to create structure in the content.

• Headings and subheadings must be used sequentially; don’t skip heading levels.

• Avoid manually formatting heading font and style.

• Provide a “Skip Navigation” link at the top of each web page so that assistive technologies can skip directly to the main content.

Want to learn more?

WCAG, Understanding Success Criterion 1.3.1: Info and Relationships

WCAG, Understanding Success Criterion 2.4.6: Headings and Labels

WCAG, Understanding Success Criterion 2.4.10: Section Headings

Provide Clear, Meaningful, and Unique Links

Write meaningful link text so that the user can understand the purpose of the link. The text for each link should be short, descriptive, and unique.

• Ensure that the link text makes sense when it’s read out of context.

• Inform the viewer where the link takes them.

• If you are linking to a document, include the document type (PDF, Word, PowerPoint, etc...)

• Avoid terms like “click here”.

• Avoid using the page URL as the link text.

Want to learn more?

WCAG, Understanding Success Criterion 2.4.4: Link Purpose (In Context)

WCAG, Understanding Success Criterion 2.4.9: Link Purpose (Link Only)

Provide Alternative Text for Images

If you include images to enhance or support the content of a web page or document, you must include meaningful text descriptions. The text should accurately reflect the purpose of the image or provide an accurate description.

Here’s an example from the ontariocolleges.ca website:

The alt text for the image is: A hand is holding a mobile phone. The Your Dashboard page of the OCAS mobile app is displayed on the screen.

When you are adding alt text on images:

• Keep the alt text short and concise.

• Do not use the words “graphic” or “image” in the description.

• If the image is a link, describe the link destination in the alt text.

• If images are used for decoration and do not contribute to the information, you can mark them as decorative.

• If you use images that contain text, the alt text must communicate the same information as the text in the image.

• If you use graphs or diagrams, explain the meaning of the image in the accompanying text.

Want to learn more?

Accessibility: Image Alt text best practices (Siteimprove)

How to Design Great Alt Text: An Introduction (Deque)

WCAG, Understanding Success Criterion 1.1.1: Non-Text Content

Provide Captions and Transcripts for all Multimedia Content

For all videos, add captions and audio descriptions (if applicable). Be sure to review any auto-generated closed captions for accuracy. Captions are used by many people, including those who can’t hear. They’re also used by viewers in loud environments, and those who prefer to read.

If the video includes contextual information, such as graphs or charts, they must be described in the video.

For audio files, such as podcasts, provide full transcripts. Transcripts must include all spoken content and relevant descriptions of non-speech audio, as well as speaker names or headings where necessary.

Want to learn more?

Making Audio and Video Media Accessible

WCAG, Understanding Success Criterion 1.2.2: Captions (Prerecorded)

WCAG, Understanding Success Criterion 1.2.3: Audio Descriptions or Media Alternative (Prerecorded)

Identify Languages in the Content

Make sure that you declare the language of your content. Assistive technologies and web browsers can render the content more accurately when the language is identified.

If the content includes multiple languages, ensure that sections not in the primary language are tagged with the correct attribute.

lang=""

Want to learn more?

WCAG, Understanding Success Criterion 3.1.1: Language of Page

WCAG, Understanding Success Criterion 3.1.2: Language of Parts

Use Tables for Data, Not for Layout Purposes

Tables have a specific semantic that is used by screen readers. To present tabular data, use well-structured tables with semantically marked header rows or columns.

• Text in table cells should display on one line. Avoid split, merged, or blank cells, and nested tables.

• Do not use tables to create columns of text.

• Add a caption for each table, so that the user can understand the purpose of the table.

Want to learn more?

W3C Tables Tutorial

WCAG, Understanding Success Criterion 1.3.1: Info and Relationships

Use Bullets and Numbers to Make Lists

When creating bulleted or numbered lists, use semantic HTML list markup on web pages or the built-in styles in your documents.

Avoid using lists for visual effects.

Want to learn more?

WCAG, Understanding Success Criterion 1.3.1: Info and Relationships

Provide a Strong Colour Contrast

Choose colours that provide sufficient contrast.

• Small text must be a minimum of 4.5:1 contrast ratio.

• Large text must be a minimum of 3:1.

Want to learn more?

WCAG, Understanding Success Criterion 1.4.3: Contrast (Minimum)

WCAG, Understanding Success Criterion 1.4.6: Contrast (Enhanced)

WCAG, Understanding Success Criterion 1.4.11: Non-text Contrast

Avoid Using Colour Alone

Do not rely on colour alone to convey meaning. For example, do not use red text to indicate required fields or errors. Use a symbol such as an asterisk (*) or the word “Required.”

Want to learn more?

WCAG, Understanding Success Criterion 1.4.1: Use of Color

Avoid Using Images of Text

Do not use an image of text if that text conveys important information, is used as a heading, or appears in the user interface.

Screen readers cannot announce the text in the image, and low vision users cannot adjust the font type, font colour, or background colour.

Want to learn more?

WCAG, Understanding Success Criterion 1.4.5: Images of Text

WCAG, Understanding Success Criterion 1.4.9: Images of Text (No Exception)

Assistive Technology

Assistive technology (AT) is software or hardware that is designed to perform a specific task. It is an alternative way to communicate and access information. Here are some examples of commonly used AT:

• Screen readers read digital content out loud. They are an essential tool for people who are blind, but are also useful for people with low vision.

• Screen magnifiers increase the size of text and graphics on the screen. They are often used by people with low vision.

• Voice recognition software enables users to interact with their systems and software by speaking to it.

• Keyboard navigation allows people with motor disabilities or visual impairment to navigate the content using only the keyboard.

Want to learn more?

What is AT? (Assistive Technology Industry Association)

How People with Disabilities Use the Web (WAI)