by Jessica Porter, Office of Educational Technology (eTech) This post answers some of the most frequently asked questions about online course accessibility. To learn more about the accessibility of specific instructional technologies, visit accessibility.ua.edu or consult the official documentation for that technology. What does making a course accessible actually mean? Accessibility means all students can
Category: Accessibility Guide
How to Write Alt Text
Alternative text, or alt text, is the descriptive word or phrase read by screen readers in the place of an image, allowing its content and function to be conveyed to those with visual impairments. It also replaces an image when a browser doesn’t load, and it can help search engines identify an image’s content. In
How to Write Meaningful Link Text
Screen readers can be used to skim a document or website by reading a list of linked text. Links should, therefore, be descriptive enough to make sense out of context. Here’s how that works: Avoid ambiguous phrases Try to avoid ambiguous phrases that won’t make much sense in a general list. These include, but aren’t limited to, phrases
How to Format a Heading
According to WebAIM’s screen reader survey, most screen reader users prefer to navigate web pages and documents by headings, meaning it’s important to style them correctly. Although bolded, all-caps text can mimic a heading, it doesn’t include the markup necessary for screen readers to recognize it as such. The same is true for colored and
How to Handle Maps, Charts, and Weird Characters
Because much of the content in STEM disciplines is conveyed via complex visuals — charts, handwritten equations, maps, etc. — making those materials accessible may seem like an impossible feat. However, with a little creativity, we can still offer students an equivalent experience using resources already available at UA. Rachel Thompson, director of emerging technology