Accessible Text

We’re not just ticking off boxes to meet accessibility standards; we’re taking meaningful steps to create a learning environment that welcomes and supports every student. By focusing on text readability, mindful color use, and accessible PDFs, you’re opening doors to knowledge and learning for all your students. Let’s get started on making your online course a model of accessibility and inclusion!

Text Readability

Let’s talk about making sure the text in your course materials is super easy for everyone to read. After all, we want everyone to feel welcome and get the most out of what you’re teaching. Here’s the scoop on keeping things clear and easy on the eyes:

Picking the Right Font and Size

First things first, choosing a font that’s simple to read and getting the size just right is key. It’s like picking the perfect outfit for your text; it makes a big difference in how easily your students can digest the info.

  1. Think Comfort, Not Just Style: Sure, that fancy script font looks gorgeous, but is it a headache to read? Stick with something that feels like your favorite comfy tee – easy on the eyes for everyone. Fonts like Arial, Calibri, or even good old Times New Roman are like the classic jeans that go with everything; they’re straightforward and never go out of style.
  2. Size Matters: Just like you wouldn’t wear shoes that are too tight, don’t squeeze your text into a size that’s hard to read. A font size of 12-14pt is a good starting point for body text, but feel free to go bigger for headers. It’s all about making sure your readers can stroll through your text without squinting.
  3. Play the Field: Experiment a bit before settling. Type up a sample paragraph in the font and size you’re considering and ask yourself, “Could I read a whole page of this?” Better yet, ask a friend to take a look. Getting a second opinion can help ensure your text is as wearable as your favorite outfit.

Remember, the goal is to make your content as inviting and accessible as possible – because at the end of the day, it’s all about ensuring your message comes across loud and clear, without any fashion faux pas.

Breaking It Down with Headers

Think of your course pages like a well-organized book. Using clear headers to break up sections makes it a breeze for students to find exactly what they need. Plus, making these headers stand out (think bigger, bolder) and setting them up properly in the coding part means everyone, regardless of how they navigate (keyboard warriors, screen reader users, you name it), can zip around your content with no hassle. Here’s what you gotta do:

  • Make sure every page kicks off with a heading. Usually, this matches up with your page title or the main point you’re diving into.
  • If it looks like a heading, mark it as one using the Heading dropdown menu so your page’s structure is crystal clear to all your readers.
  • Stick to a logical order with your headings. Start with a big, bold “Heading 1” for the title, Heading 2 for sections, and don’t skip levels. It’s all about making the flow of info smooth.

Getting the Contrast Right

Ever tried reading light gray text on a white background? Yeah, not fun. That’s where contrast comes in. The idea is to make sure the text stands out against its background, so it’s easy on the eyes. Here’s some tips:

  • Standard text should hit a contrast ratio of at least 7:1. This is a game-changer for readability.
  • Got bigger text? Then a 4.5:1 ratio is your goal. Bigger text can get away with a bit less contrast and still be clear.

But, hey, there are a few exceptions:

  • Incidental Text: This is the stuff that’s just hanging out, like text in a button that’s not active or purely for decoration. No strict contrast rules here.
  • Logotypes: If your text is part of a logo, you’re off the hook for contrast requirements.

Keeping these points in mind makes sure your course is not just accessible to a wider crowd but also more enjoyable and effective for everyone diving in.

Color Usage

When it comes to ensuring that your text is as accessible as possible, it’s important to remember that color shouldn’t be the only tool in your kit for conveying important information. This is especially important when you consider students with color vision deficiencies—a not so small portion of the population that might miss out on key details if color is the sole signal used.

The guidelines set by WCAG 2.1 and the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) provide a framework for enhancing accessibility. They emphasize a crucial principle: reliance solely on color to communicate information, prompt actions, or distinguish visual elements can significantly impede accessibility for individuals with color vision challenges.

Alternative Text Emphasis Techniques

Instead of using color alone to highlight text or indicate actions, incorporating text emphasis techniques such as bolding or italicizing is highly recommended. These methods ensure that the information is accessible to everyone, regardless of their ability to perceive color differences. You may feel inclined to underline text for emphasis and this is strongly discouraged as underlined text can be confused for inactive hyperlinks which causes issues with accessible navigation.

Incorporating Best Practices

To adhere to these guidelines and best practices:

  • Use color judiciously, ensuring it is not the only means of conveying information.
  • Supplement color cues with text descriptors, icons, or patterns that can communicate the intended message without reliance on color perception.

So, keep color in your palette for making things look nice, but when it comes to the really important stuff, make sure you’re also using other visual cues. This way, everyone can follow along, no matter what.

Clear Instructions

When it comes to crafting instructions for assignments, activities, and course navigation, clarity is key. It’s essential to ensure that every student can understand what’s expected of them, especially for those who may find complex or ambiguous instructions challenging. This approach not only supports inclusivity but also enhances the learning experience for everyone involved.

A great way to ensure your instructions hit the mark is by getting a second set of eyes on them before they go live on your course site. Whether it’s a friend, a colleague, or an instructional designer, a fresh perspective can help you catch any unclear parts and refine them. This step is particularly beneficial for students with cognitive disabilities, as clear and straightforward instructions can significantly improve their ability to engage with the content and succeed in their tasks.

Readable PDFs

Navigating the world of PDF accessibility might seem daunting, but it’s all about making sure everyone can access the content they need, exactly how they need it. Let’s dive into how you can create PDFs that play nice with screen readers, ensuring your documents are as inclusive as they are informative.

First off, the golden rule: opt for true text over images of text in your PDFs. This is key because screen readers can’t decipher text locked in an image. But when your PDF contains selectable, searchable text, you’re in the clear. This doesn’t just apply to PDFs, by the way; it’s a good practice for Word documents too. However, try to avoid turning photocopies or scanned texts into PDFs without a little extra love to make them accessible.

Of course, there are exceptions to every rule. Sometimes, an image of text is necessary:

  • Customizable: If users need to tweak the visual presentation of the text to meet their needs, images of text might be the way to go.
  • Essential: When the specific appearance of the text is crucial to the message you’re conveying (think logos or specialized documents), sticking to the original format is perfectly fine.

Meet the Standard

When you’re on the mission to ensure your PDFs are as accessible as can be, there’s a super simple test to see if you’re on the right track: just try to highlight the text with your mouse. If you can highlight it, you’re in the clear because it means your PDF has true text that screen readers can understand. But if your cursor just drags across the page without selecting any text, it’s a sign you’ve got an image of text on your hands.

This is where an Optical Character Recognition (OCR) tool becomes your best friend. Hypothes.is offers a free OCR service that can transform those image-based PDFs into accessible documents with real, highlightable text. It’s a straightforward solution to meet the accessibility standards set by WCAG 2.1 and a quick and easy way to make sure your PDFs aren’t just readable but truly accessible to everyone, including those using screen readers.  

Resources

Select the ‘next’ button to move forward.

Back
Next