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Accessibility of Non-HTML Content

It is encouraged to provide all information in HTML format for the web. HTML content will almost always be more accessible than content in any other format. However, there are circumstances when other types of content are better suited to different formats, or are restricted to one format due to time constraints.

 

 

Use of Colour

Colour is an important asset in web design, being used to enhance aesthetic appeal, usability, and accessibility. However, some users perceive colour differently, thus colour should never be the only way of conveying information. Consider people using text-only, limited-color or monochrome displays and browsers will be unable to access information that is presented only in color.

Graphs and charts should always include accompanying data (numbers, text) that adequately convey what the visual represents.

 

 

Colour Contrast

It’s important to ensure all colours used have adequate contrast between the foreground and background to ensure text is distinguishable.

is a great tool for determining the accessibility of various foreground/background colour combinations.

 

 

Heading Hierarchy

Headings were once primarily used as a stylistic choice. However, their use in creating accessible documents (Google Docs, Microsoft Word, PDFs) has shifted to be one of function. Headings must now operate primarily as a structural tool, and help create a perfect table of contents when used correctly. These are especially important for those using screen readers.

Focus should be on logical hierarchy:

  • The title of the document should be the only heading using Heading 1.
  • Ensure all subsequent headings follow a proper parent/child relationship.
  • Avoid skipping heading ranks as it can make the content confusing in terms of navigation. Different levels of subheadings should be underneath main headings, for example a H3 would be nested under a H2.

 

 

Alternative Text

Providing text alternatives (alt text) for any non-text content is imperative. All images must have text alternatives that describe the information or function represented by them. 

  • Alternative text should be concise and meaningful.
  • Limited to 80 characters or less.
  • Use punctuation and sentence structure.
  • Avoid beginning descriptions with "image of…" or "graphic of…" 
  • Contextually appropriate with surrounding information.

For more information on proper use of alternative text concepts, please visit . For program-specific tutorials (Google Docs, Microsoft Word, etc.) for adding alt text to images, please refer to the sections below on Accessibility in G Suite and Accessibility in Microsoft Office.

 

 

Self-describing Links

Ensure hyperlinks are self-describing and make sense out of context. While popular practice, links like “click here” or "learn more" do not provide any useful information to someone using a screen reader. For best practice, hyperlinks should be descriptive and link to nouns that are context-specific.

 

Good Links

Learn more about

Learn more about the  

Download the Accessibility Plan (PDF)

 

Bad Links

to Register

about Equity, Diversity and Human Rights

Accessibility in G Suite

黑料吃瓜不打烊 encourages staff and faculty to take full advantage of G Suite by Google, including Google Docs, Google Slides, and Google Sheets. 

Learn more about how to .

Google Forms are generally deemed to be technically accessible but, as with any online content, rely on the creator to write clear instructions, use alternative (alt) text for images, and layout the form content in a logical manner.

Unfortunately, Google Sheets lacks some features that enable accessible office document authoring, including the ability to indicate changes in natural language, programmatically determined named styles, and a separate document title field.

While there is currently no accessibility checking feature built into Google Sheets, you can install a third-party add-on called , a Google Cloud Partner. Grackle is a third-party plug-in that includes an accessibility checker along with other features that enhance accessibility. Due to the nature of Google Sheets, some accessibility features, such as tables, are only fully accessible when exporting the document to another format, like an HTML file.

 

Saving to PDF in G Suite

Currently, there is no feature to export Google Docs and Slides as an accessible PDF. We recommend sharing the original document with view-only permissions, allowing users to download the document in different formats with the view-only link.

If you must save your Google Doc as PDF, it's recommended to download the Google Doc as a Microsoft Word file. Review the document to ensure it retained the heading structure and any alt text you added, then save as a PDF and check “Best for electronic distribution and accessibility” when prompted. 

Accessibility in Microsoft Office

Microsoft offers a built-in accessibility checker tool on Word, Excel, Outlook, OneNote, and PowerPoint on Windows, Office Online, or Mac, and Visio on Windows. Learn more and . 

Although the Accessibility Checker catches most types of accessibility issues, there are some issues it's not able to detect. That's why it's important to always review your work visually to find the issues hiding from the Accessibility Checker. Learn more about the .

When saving documents to PDF, Microsoft Word saves documents with preserved accessibility features. Make sure to check “Best for electronic distribution and accessibility” when prompted.

Tutorials

While Microsoft includes an accessibility checker, it’s important to follow basic accessibility guidelines in the creation of your documents. This information may change with new updates and iterations to the software, so we suggest reviewing the detailed tutorials Microsoft has created to ensure best practices are followed.

Video Tutorials

In addition to the built-in Accessibility Checker, Microsoft has created video tutorials to further assist users in ensuring the documents they create are accessible.

 

PDF Accessibility

Saved to PDF and want to verify accessibility standards are met? Adobe Acrobat Professional is the most commonly-used program to evaluate, repair, and enhance the accessibility of existing PDF files.


If you do not have access to the original working file used to create the PDF, we encourage you to , created by ICT-Accessibility Lab of the Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW) and the Swiss Federation of the Blind and Visually Impaired. This program allows you to upload a PDF file for review and can be edited for key missing accessibility features within the program. While a great first step, it can have difficulties with fillable forms and other components. Be sure to run the revised PDF through a checker to verify accessibility.