Everyone should be able to access and interact with all our content. By making web content accessible to everyone, we ensure fair access, satisfy our obligation to meet accessibility standards, and improve overall user experience. In addition to pushing us to meet accessibility standards, this principle ensures we also provide an inclusive and welcoming online space for our users.
How to meet this principle
- Format your content (text, images, video and other media) so that users with visual, hearing, motor and cognitive disabilities can access it. This means:
- always using the alt-text field to clearly and meaningfully describe images
- providing a brief description of the contents of a video, as well as access to a transcript or captions
- not using image files as a way to display formatted text
- avoiding PDFs, which can be a barrier for users accessing content using a screen reader. And if you must use them, ensuring PDFs are accessible as possible
- using sufficient contrast to make things easy to see and hear.
- Keep text simple and brief. You can improve readability by:
- keeping content consistent and concise
- using short sentences and paragraphs
- choosing common, everyday words
- aiming for a Grade 8 reading level (ideally, using a readability app to check)
- using visual elements to break up text
- using headings to break up sections
- using bullet points.
- Use Plain Language principles such as:
- reader-centered organization
- “you” and other pronouns (instead of “students” or another third-person reference)
- active voice
- Use inclusive language, imagery, and video.
- In images and video, reflect the diversity of our student and employee population by aiming for a mix of ethnicities, abilities, age, size, and gender expression, as well as people with diverse religious or cultural attire.
- Avoid inadvertently using language that may exclude groups.
- Use gender-neutral language
- Use people-first language
- Review your site to ensure it achieves an AA rating on the set out in the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1. standards on an ongoing basis: