Universal Web Accessibility: Not Just a Good Idea-It's the Law
As a public University we have a mandate to serve all of the people of the state of Massachusetts. This includes a wide array of learning styles. People who see, hear, and move in ways which differ from the majority are included in this legal mandate.
Assistive devices navigate through what many take for granted- the internet. We have a responsibility to ensure that these devices can navigate the web pages we generate. In the case of Libguides this job is made easier by the thorough and responsive job which Springshare does in designing the html behind the pages we create. However, universal accessibility is still in our hands.
There a few simple habits to develop when making libguides.
PDF' should be optimized for screen readers. This can be done by sending them to the Accessibility & Accommodations Office.
The law requires that images in websites be embedded to include a textual alternative for the subject of the image so that people using assistive devices can form an idea of the image. Alt text, as this required component of web images is called, should not just be notional; it should describe in as vivid terms as possible what the image depicts.
Colors on the web must be of sufficient contrast to be read with ease by persons of low sight, including those of achromatic vision, (color blindness).
There are websites where color contrast can be checked for this purpose, which include both AA and AAA levels of ADA compliance.
