A11yAwareness

A11yAwareness, 2 months ago to random

A common question about alt text is whether or not it's appropriate to mention attributes like race or skin tone. A common response is, "It depends." In this post, Tolu Adegbite explains how race can be relevant and important in providing context.

https://ux.shopify.com/the-case-for-describing-race-in-alternative-text-attributes-a093380634f2

A11yAwareness, 2 months ago to random

Intentional misspellings of words for cute memes can confuse people. This includes people with cognitive and reading disabilities, and those learning the language. Depending on how much the word is misspelled, screen readers might not pronounce it like the actual intended word.

A11yAwareness, 2 months ago to random

Alt text must provide context for people who cannot see the image. Describe the image's context and purpose. Do not write alt text for cute or clever jokes based on visual content you expect users can see. This is an abuse of alt text, as it violates the whole point of alt text.

A11yAwareness, 2 months ago to random

For beginners, it can be difficult to know what to put in alt text, as well as when alt text is needed and when it isn't. This decision tree from @w3c helps you determine what to do, based on specific situations.

https://www.w3.org/WAI/tutorials/images/decision-tree/

A11yAwareness, 2 months ago to random

A refreshable Braille display is a device that takes a computer screen's text and generates it in Braille by raising and lowering pins through holes on a flat surface. The display refreshes as the user moves through the screen's content.

https://www.afb.org/node/16207/refreshable-braille-displays

A11yAwareness, 2 months ago to random

When writing alt text, focus on what is actually in the image. Any relevant information that isn't describing the image itself should be in a caption below the image, not in the alt text. This includes photo credits, permissions, and copyright information.

A11yAwareness, 2 months ago to random

You don't necessarily need to say "image of" in your alt text for users to know it's an image. Screen readers will announce that it's an image. But it can help readers to specify if it's a hand-drawn image, Polaroid, infographic, screenshot, chart, map, diagram, or so on.

A11yAwareness, 2 months ago to random

Overlays are widgets or technologies that promise to improve a site's accessibility with third-party source code. More than 700 accessibility advocates and web developers have signed an open letter to explain the limitations and dangers of these products.

https://overlayfactsheet.com/

A11yAwareness, 2 months ago to random

When using Microsoft Word or Google Docs, don't just make text bigger and bolder to make it a heading. That will work for sighted users, but screen reader users will miss that and just hear it as normal paragraph text. Use actual heading styles, like level 1 through 6.

A11yAwareness, 2 months ago to random

Websites about in-person events like conferences or conventions should provide information about the event's accessibility. This includes information on venues, transportation, and how and when to request accessibility needs.

A11yAwareness, 2 months ago to random

Cognitive load refers to how much working memory or short-term memory someone is using at a time. Minimizing the cognitive load it takes to use your site makes it more accessible for people with cognitive disabilities. Limit what you're asking users to remember to use your site.

A11yAwareness, 2 months ago to random

Everyone who works on a website has a role to ensure the site and its content are accessible. This resource from Vox Media breaks down some accessibility tasks by job role, including content creators, designers, developers, project managers, and testers.

https://accessibility.voxmedia.com/

A11yAwareness, 3 months ago to random

If you have an election results chart, the alt text needs to communicate the results. "Election results" is not enough. The same rules apply for alt text for images of weather charts. "Weather chart" doesn't cut it and doesn't convey what the chart is actually saying to users.

A11yAwareness, 3 months ago to random

For audio-only content like podcasts, provide a transcript. For videos with audio, provide both transcripts and captions. In the transcripts and captions, include the spoken information and sounds that are important for understanding the content.

A11yAwareness, 3 months ago to random

People who are new to writing alt text sometimes feel they must describe every detail in every visual, including logos. This is unnecessary and will overwhelm screen reader users. For example, it's OK to write "Google logo" rather than describing the logo in exhausting detail.

A11yAwareness, 3 months ago to random

Avoid emoji icons in alt text. Emoji icons are a visual element, so it's counterintuitive to add them to non-visual content. You'll likely confuse people with messages that don't make sense. In alt text, use plain text, free of symbols, icons, or any weird special characters.

A11yAwareness, 3 months ago to random

The Americans With Disabilities Act does not currently have specific, testable criteria to measure web accessibility. If a vendor or company promises you that they can make your site "ADA-compliant," be skeptical. Ask what standards they use to measure "compliance."

A11yAwareness, 3 months ago to random

Text blocks that are justified are aligned to both left and right margins. The spaces between words can create "rivers of white" running down the page, which can make the text difficult to read for some people. Allow people the option to choose the styles that work for them.

A11yAwareness, 3 months ago to random

In case you missed it: Deque Systems has filed a federal lawsuit against BrowserStack on the grounds of copyright infringement. The case could have significant ramifications for accessibility tools, accessibility efforts, and the accessibility community.
https://www.deque.com/blog/deque-systems-sues-browserstack-for-intellectual-property-theft/

A11yAwareness, 3 months ago to random

You don't necessarily need to say "image of" in your alt text for users to know it's an image. Screen readers will announce that it's an image. But it can help readers to specify if it's a hand-drawn image, Polaroid, infographic, screenshot, chart, map, diagram, or so on.

A11yAwareness, 3 months ago to random

Don’t stuff your alt text with keywords without context. If your alt text is just a collection of keywords, it will just sound like a gibberish string. It won’t describe what’s actually in the image, and won't help a blind user get a context or content of the image.

A11yAwareness, 3 months ago to random

For people just getting introduced to accessibility concepts, the number of resources can be overwhelming for people who don't know where to start. These 10 tips from Lireo Designs can be a good way to introduce your team to the basics.

https://www.lireo.com/10-ways-to-improve-accessibility-on-websites-and-social-media/

A11yAwareness, 3 months ago to random

If you're looking to hire people with accessibility knowledge and experience, the Accessibility Skills Hiring Toolkit created by Teach Access can help you. The toolkit provides language to use when writing job ads, and questions to ask when interviewing.

https://teachaccess.github.io/accessibility-skills-hiring-toolkit/

A11yAwareness, 3 months ago to random

Get in the habit of bringing up accessibility at meetings, in stand-ups, and in demos. Bring up things you've done to address accessibility. Likewise, don't be afraid to ask, "Have we tested this on a keyboard?" or "What's the experience like on a screen reader?"

A11yAwareness, 3 months ago to random

Verbalize what is on the screen in online presentations so as to help those who can't see your screen. Some may be blind or have low vision, and unable to read the screen-share contents using assistive technology. Others may be calling in or have bad internet connections.