Digital Accessibility Overview

Starting with a few general best practices—like using clear structure and avoiding reliance on color alone—can make a big difference. 

• Color is sufficiently contrasted and does not convey meaning
  • How to check color contrast
• Navigation is simple and consistent
  • Best practices for navigation in CarmenCanvas
• All third-party tools used within the course have been vetted for Digital Accessibility
• All files are clearly labeled

Text is the backbone of most digital content, so it’s important that it’s easy to read and understand. Accessible text includes readable fonts, sufficient contrast, and meaningful link descriptions. These practices help all users navigate your content with confidence.

• All text appears in a font size of at least 12pt, San Serif fonts were used, formatting (shape, color, styling) is not used exclusively to convey information; text is not underlined unless it is a hyperlink
• Headings and subheadings are used to show structure and follow a logical order (e.g H2 is used after H1 but before H3)
• Appropriate formatting for text has been used (e.g. listed items are formatted as lists)
• Descriptive hyperlinks are used rather than URL's and avoid using link text that would be ambiguous with no context (e.g. "click here")
• External links open in a new tab; Links to other content within the same course open in the same tab (ex. If linking to another page within the course, it opens in the same tab).

Multimedia can enrich learning, but it must be accessible to be effective for everyone. Adding alt text to images, captions to videos, and transcripts to audio ensures that all learners can still access the full content. These simple additions make your materials more inclusive and engaging.

• All non-decorative images have Alt Text or Image Descriptions. Long alt text appears in a .txt or accessible Word file. The alt text says: "long alt text posted directly below image."
• All videos have accurate closed captioning. Youtube videos have the edited transcripts posted and the disclaimer language inserted: This video is hosted on YouTube.com and is owned by an individual or organization not affiliated with The Ohio State University. As such, closed captioning cannot be edited for the video, but an accurate transcription file has been provided here: [insert transcript]
• Transcripts are available for audio/video - Accessible Word docs or txt files
  • Descriptive transcripts are included for videos that include visual information that is needed to understand the content. If a descriptive transcript is needed, you do not need to provide a separate basic transcript.
• Accessible alternatives have been provided where necessary (e.g., data tables). Alt text includes a note that says "find accessible alt text posted directly below image."
• Ensured there is no flashing content

Documents like PDFs, Word files, and presentations should be formatted so that assistive technologies can read them properly. This includes using headings, readable fonts, and descriptive titles. Accessible documents help all learners, especially those who rely on screen readers, stay organized and informed.

• Microsoft Word files have been verified for accessibility
• PowerPoint files have been verified for accessibility
• PowerPoint files associated with videos are posted on the course site
• PDF files have been verified for accessibility; Scanned PDF's are not used

Tables are useful for organizing data, but they must be structured correctly to be accessible. This means using headers, avoiding merged cells, and keeping layouts simple. Properly formatted tables allow screen readers to interpret the information accurately, making data accessible to all users.

• Tables are only used for data, not for layout purposes; Complex tables have been broken down into smaller, simpler tables
• Tables include properly identified column and/or row headings
• Each table includes a caption, making it clear what information is being presented
• All tables are actual tables and not images