Webpage Accessibility - Title IX and Equity

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Accessibility Resources at UNCG
Make Content Accessible | How-To Guides

General Accessibility Rules

Each electronic file (Web page, PowerPoint, Word doc, PDF, etc.) will have unique accessibility challenges. The following items are general rules of accessibility, but you may need to utilize the specific resource for your document type.

Here are some general rules to familiarize yourself with.

Text:
- Ensure text is readable (12-point font, larger in presentations)
- Use real, typed text rather than images of text.
- If you use acronyms or abbreviations, ensure that there is an explanation for them.
Color: use sufficient color contrast and test with color contrast checkers.
- Don't use color alone to convey meaning.
- Ensure that your content has good color contrast. 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text.
Headings:
- Structured headings will be announced by screen reader technology. This helps users understand the structure of a document.
- In Word, use the Styles option to indicate headers.
- Don't create headings manually through font styling. Don't manually increase font size, bold text, underline text, or italicize text.
- You can modify the different headings within the Styles tab to achieve the look you need.
Hyperlinks:
- Rather than using long URLs, write meaningful link text instead.
  - Don't do: "Learn more about the web accessibility ruling here: https://www.ada.gov/resources/2024-03-08-web-rule/
  - Do: "Learn more about the web accessibility ruling through the ADA fact sheet."
Alt Text:
- Add alt text to images
- Be aware of AI-generated alt text - it is often not accurate
- If an image is purely decorative, mark it as such
- For complex images, you may need to include a description
Tables:
- Don't use merged or split cells
- Create a header row and a title
- Don't leave cells blank if you can avoid it
- Don't purely use tables for visual structure
Accessibility Checkers:
- Microsoft Suites has Accessibility Checkers installed in various programs (PowerPoint, Word, Excel, etc.)
Titles:
- Make sure that your file has a title in the properties of the document
  - File > Properties > Add a title

How to Make Accessible Resources

Making PDFs accessible

View Northwest's making accessible documents guide.

You can use Adobe to run accessibility checks on your PDFs. View Adobe's help guide to Creating Accessible PDFs.

Making Word/PPT accessible

View Northwest's making accessible documents guide.

From Microsoft:

Make Word and PowerPoint documents accessible by using built-in templates, adding alt text to images, and running the built-in Accessibility Checker. Key steps include using unique slide titles, ensuring high contrast, setting logical reading orders, and using descriptive text for hyperlinks.

Canvas pages

To view these resources, sign into Canvas.

ADA Simple Page created by Dr. Elise Hepworth
Digital Accessibility course
ADA Compliance and Accessibility from the Learning and Teaching Center

FAQ

Are my web pages accessible?

Are the web pages you are responsible for updated and accessible on the Northwest website?

Yes. The Web Team uses Siteimprove to help with accessibility on the web. Siteimprove’s web accessibility tools enable you and our office to easily follow and adhere to international Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) across all conformance levels (Northwest has a goal to maintain AA conformance).

Find out what else the Web Team can help with to improve accessibility on the web.

What do I need to do to make my social media accessible?

The social media team has a guide to help you make more accessible content on social media.

What is the law requiring digital accessibility?

The Department of Justice published the final rule updating Title II regulations of the Americans with Disabilities Act on April 24, 2024. This final rule is what houses the specific requirements about how to ensure web content and mobile apps are accessible to people with disabilities.

This ADA fact sheet provides valuable information on more of the specifics related to this ruling.

Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973

Northwest Missouri State University is committed to ensuring that its websites are accessible to students, prospective students, employees and visitors with disabilities.

Section 508 applies to all Northwest web pages, on-line courses/course enhancements, and other kinds of course-related technologies.

Section 508 requires that Federal agencies' electronic and information technology is accessible to people with disabilities, including employees and members of the public. Section 508 establishes requirements for any electronic and information technology developed, maintained, procured, or used by the Federal government.

All state agencies are required to comply with the federal Section 508 guidelines per Missouri statute: RSMo, Section 191.863.

Read more detailed information on section 508.

Northwest is striving toward compliance with Level AA of the World Wide Web Consortium’s (W3C) Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.2 (WCAG 2.2). All new pages are made accessible according to WCAG 2.2 Guidelines before publishing to the web. The University is working to update existing pages to comply with WCAG 2.0.