For Content Creators
In the digital age, content creators play a pivotal role in shaping how information is disseminated and consumed. But as our world becomes increasingly digital, it's imperative that we create content that's accessible to everyone, including those with disabilities. This guide outlines essential considerations for content creators to ensure their work is inclusive and reaches the widest possible audience.
Titles and Headings
- Clear Hierarchy: Use a logical heading structure (H1, H2, H3, etc.) to organize your content. This helps screen reader users navigate your content and understand its structure.
- Descriptive Language: Make sure your titles and headings accurately describe the content that follows. Avoid vague or overly creative titles that might confuse users.
Readability
- Simple Language: Use clear and concise language that's easy to understand. Avoid jargon and technical terms unless they're absolutely necessary.
- Short Sentences and Paragraphs: Break up your content into manageable chunks. This improves readability for everyone, especially those with cognitive disabilities or who are reading on a small screen.
- Font Choice: Choose a font that's easy to read. Sans-serif fonts like Arial or Verdana are generally good choices. Avoid decorative or script fonts that can be difficult to decipher.
Links
- Descriptive Link Text: Make sure your link text clearly describes where the link will take the user. Avoid generic phrases like "click here" or "learn more."
- Unique Link Text: Avoid using the same link text for multiple links that go to different destinations. This can confuse screen reader users.
- Meaningful Context: Provide context for your links so users know what to expect when they click on them.
Color
- Sufficient Contrast: Make sure there's enough contrast between the text and the background so it's easy to read. Use online contrast checkers to ensure you meet WCAG guidelines.
- Color Blindness Considerations: Avoid using color as the sole means of conveying information. Use patterns or textures in addition to color to make your content accessible to people with color blindness.
Alternative Text (ALT Text)
- Accurate Descriptions: Provide concise and accurate descriptions for all images. Alt text should convey the meaning and purpose of the image, not just a literal description.
- Functional Images: If an image is purely decorative, leave the alt text blank or use null alt text (alt="").
- Complex Images: For complex images like charts or graphs, provide a longer description in the surrounding text or link to a separate page with a full explanation.
Multimedia
- Captions & Transcripts: Provide captions for all videos and transcripts for all audio content. This makes your multimedia accessible to people who are deaf or hard of hearing.
- Audio Descriptions: For videos with important visual elements, provide audio descriptions to describe what's happening on screen for people who are blind or have a vision impairment.
- Keyboard Accessibility: Make sure all multimedia controls can be operated with a keyboard.
By following these essential guidelines, content creators can ensure that their work is accessible to the widest possible audience. Remember, accessible content isn't just about compliance – it's about creating a more inclusive and equitable digital world for everyone.
Accessibility is an ongoing process. As technology evolves, so too will the best practices for creating accessible content. Stay informed and committed to creating digital experiences that everyone can enjoy.