About Web Content Accessibility

• Because we care. At BCIT it is our responsibility to ensure that our services and content are equally accessible to everyone. This commitment is crucial considering that 15-20% of the population lives with permanent disabilities.
• It benefits everyone. Users with disabilities are the primary focus for web accessibility. However, enhancing it is advantageous for individuals facing situational limitations as well. This includes people using mobile phones, smart watches, smart TVs, and other devices that come with small screens and varied input modes or slow internet connections. It is particularly beneficial for older individuals whose abilities may change due to aging, as well as for those with temporary disabilities like a broken arm or lost glasses.
• It’s in alignment with the BCIT Accessibility Plan. BCIT’s Accessibility Plan specifically identifies communication and information technology systems and content as an important category of barriers to address in its implementation.
• It is (or will soon be) the law. BCIT, as a public institution, will need to comply with whatever accessibility standards are defined by provincial legislation. Although standards for web and digital content accessibility have not been fully formalized at either the federal or provincial level, there’s very good reason to believe that they will be closely aligned with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.1).

As content creators at BCIT, we possess the unique ability to make our digital content universally accessible, thus eliminating barriers that make it harder or prevent people from utilizing our services and information.

Images and videos are powerful tools for communication, but without proper accessibility considerations, they can create barriers for users.

Adhering to specific accessibility guidelines ensures that our visual content is inclusive, allowing users with various needs, including those who rely on screen readers or have hearing impairments, to fully engage with content on our website.

Recommended

• Ensure that graphical and auditory elements have a text alternative; short visually descriptive alt text for images, captions and transcripts for video.

Not recommended

• Do not use image files as a way to display formatted text.

More information

• Image Standards in Public Website WordPress
• BCIT Public Website WordPress Standards for Images
• BCIT Public Website WordPress Standards for Videos

Links and buttons are the critical elements of navigation and interaction within a website. By following simple accessibility guidelines when creating those UI elements, we can provide a seamless and inclusive experience, enabling all users, including those with disabilities, to navigate our website effectively and efficiently.

Recommended

• Create a link or button name that is descriptive of its destination. Ideally, names should be the same as the page name linked to.

Not recommended

• Do not create meaningless link and button names like: click here, read more, check it out, more information.
• Don’t use complete URLs as link text. If you are referring to a web address, keep it short, like bcit.ca instead of https://www.bcit.ca.
• Don’t use the full name of a document or program as a link or button name.
• Don’t use special characters in link or button names.
• Don’t format links as headings.

More information

• BCIT Public Website WordPress Standards for Navigation & links
• Adding, Removing, and Editing Links in Public Website WordPress

Formatted lists, both bulleted and numbered, when designed with accessibility in mind, provide a clear roadmap for screen reader users, helping them comprehend the sequence and grouping of content. Moreover, this approach ensures that all users, not only those relying on assistive technologies, can effortlessly navigate through and grasp the layered information on our website.

Recommended

• Use bullet points to organize content and improve readability.

Not recommended

• Don’t fake lists with pseudo formatting.

More information

• Creating Headings, Lists, Tables, and Other Core Content Elements in WordPress
• Writing Style Guide – Bullets and lists

Our website heavily utilizes PDFs, however they are not responsive and display poorly, resulting in a poor user experience for all user, including those relying on screen readers or mobile devices to access our content.

Recommended

• Avoid using PDFs unless absolutely necessary.
• Opt for creating content directly on the website, such as online forms rather than PDF forms, web pages in place of PDF brochures, or transitioning existing PDF documents to an online format.
• If it is absolutely necessary to use a PDF document, make sure that it was created following the BCIT Public Website standards on Preparing PDFs

Please note: If you need help moving your existing PDFs online, do not hesitate to reach out to IT Services for help.

More information

• BCIT Public Website WordPress Standards for PDF
• Preparing PDFs for Use on the BCIT Public Website

Tables effectively organize content and create a clear visual order. However, when tables lack proper header formatting, they become less accessible, especially for screen reader users who might not be able to associate cell data with the correct headers. In addition, complex tables can pose reading challenges for all users.

Recommended

• Use tables to display tabular data only.
• Make sure that content in columns directly relates to the column headers.
• Avoid complex tables and merged cells.

Not recommended

• Do not use table to make your layout more interesting.
• Do not fake table column headers with formatting.
• Do not skip table column headers.

More information

• How to use tables on the web

Titles and in-page headings are fundamental elements of virtually every page on our website. They help to clarify the page’s primary objective on the first seconds of interaction. When users visit a new page, they quickly look at the page title and in-page headings to see if the page will help them. This is also true for screen reader users, who rely on the device to read and navigate. If the title or in-page headings are generic or are poorly formatted, screen readers will not be able to help them understand the page well.

Furthermore, the use of generic titles such as ‘Contact Us,’ repeated across pages of various BCIT departments, presents additional challenges for screen reader users when searching our website.

Recommended

• Create clear descriptive page titles and in-page headings
• Use in-page headings to break up and organize your content
• Use predefined styles (available in the WordPress WYSIWYG Editor) for in-page headings

Not recommended

• Don’t fake headings with custom formatting.
• Never skip heading levels.

More information

• BCIT Public Website WordPress Standards for titles
• BCIT Public Website WordPress Standards for in-page headings