Make your site accessible to people of all abilities, including people who use assistive technologies.
This video from the University of Colorado-Boulder demonstrates a Google search and site visit using a screen reader, a common tool for people with visual impairments.
You’ll quickly recognize how accessibility and usability choices make all the difference for visitors to your site.
Assistive technology spotlight: Screen reader demo
Visitors using screen readers “scan” pages by skipping to subheadings and links, as demonstrated in the video. The following guidelines help to make WashU sites more accessibility compliant.
- Links
Make link text unique and descriptive. (Just say no to links that say “click here” or “read more.”) - Subheadings
Use subheadings generously to break up content sections. Prioritize clarity over clever, sale-sy headings and and use your site’s pre-set heading styles (h2, h3, h4), so visitors can reliably use subheadings as de facto bookmarks on a page. - Images, including graphics and photos
Recognize that some visitors to your site will be unable to see images, perhaps because of visual impairment or page-loading issues. With these users in mind, include descriptive alternative text for images. Skip the alt text if the image is decorative rather than informative or if descriptive text would be redundant. - Videos and audio clips
Include captions and/or transcripts. This benefits those with hearing impairments, as well as people who aren’t using speakers or headphones.
More web accessibility and inclusivity resources are available.