a11yawareness.bsky.social - Profile | ThreadSky | a Reddit-style client for Bluesky

First and foremost, alt text must always be informative and descriptive of the content in the image. It can have character and humor, but it still needs to be informative and descriptive. Alt text is not a place to add easter eggs or jokes for sighted users.

submitted 4 hours ago • 2 comments

Avoid jargon and buzzwords whenever possible. When you have to use terms that might not be commonly known or used among your audience, explain what these terms mean. If you can't avoid a lot of specific terms, include a glossary of terms that users can refer to when needed.

submitted 16 hours ago • 1 comment

Do not cram alt text with keywords just to improve search engine optimization. This will hinder alt text’s true purpose: improving accessibility. Focus on describing the photo's content. Search engine optimization should not be the goal for writing good alt text.

submitted 3 days ago • 1 comment

Screen readers are an assistive technology that interprets the information on a screen and translates it to either synthesized speech or Braille output. This helps blind people, people with low vision, and people with cognitive or learning disabilities. www.afb.org/blindness-an...

submitted 3 days ago • 0 comments

On this Friday the 13th, you can avoid this! Bluesky has a setting that will remind you to add alt text before posting any images. Go to "Settings," then "Accessibility." Select the checkbox for "Require alt text before posting."

submitted 3 days ago • 1 comment

PDF tags provide a hidden, structured representation of PDF content that is presented to screen readers. Not all applications support good PDF tag structure, but InDesign, Word, and PowerPoint can. WebAIM has more information on preserving these tags. webaim.org/techniques/a...

submitted 4 days ago • 0 comments

Chartability is a resource to help make data visualizations and charts more accessible. It's organized into principles with testable criteria aimed at making sure people with disabilities are able to access data. chartability.fizz.studio

submitted 4 days ago • 0 comments

People who want to make the web accessible need to understand the many different ways that people with disabilities use the web. This W3C resource offers a good introduction to how disabled people navigate the web, and barriers they commonly encounter. www.w3.org/WAI/people-u...

submitted 5 days ago • 2 comments

Many struggle with writing alt text for charts and other other data visualizations. Amy Cesal's "Writing Alt Text for Data Visualization" hammers home the importance of explaining the chart type, the type of data, and the reason for the chart. medium.com/nightingale/...

submitted 6 days ago • 1 comment

Some people need to change the way text is displayed in order to read it. This includes changing size, spacing, font, color, and other properties. When people customize text, the text should re-flow so they don’t have to scroll horizontally to read. www.w3.org/WAI/perspect...

submitted 7 days ago • 0 comments

A transcript is the only way to make video or audio content accessible to someone who is both deaf and blind. Transcripts can be converted into braille, to be read on a refreshable braille output device.

submitted 9 days ago • 0 comments

Everyone who works on a website has a role to ensure the site and its content are accessible. This resource from Vox Media breaks down some accessibility tasks by job role, including content creators, designers, developers, project managers, and testers. accessibility.voxmedia.com

submitted 10 days ago • 0 comments

Sharing a screenshot of a social media post? Some ways you could write the alt text: "Screenshot of Bluesky post from Luke Skywalker, on June 6, saying: 'The force be with you, always.'" "Threads post from Fox Mulder, on June 6th. The post says: 'The truth is out there.'"

submitted 10 days ago • 2 comments

An accessibility statement lets your users know you're committed to web accessibility. These statements usually include the accessibility standard applied, such as WCAG 2.1 AA or 2.2 AA. They also include contact information in case users encounter problems. www.w3.org/WAI/planning...

submitted 11 days ago • 0 comments

Looking for information on accessibility laws? Lainey Feingold has a resource on digital accessibility laws and policies that she's updated over the years. Though not exhaustive, it has great insight, histories, explanations, and links. www.lflegal.com/global-law-a...

submitted 11 days ago • 0 comments

Beware of companies promising to make sites completely accessible, compliant, and immune from lawsuits with just a few lines of code. This just isn't possible. Disabled users have long said these tools don't actually help them, and can often make things worse.

submitted 12 days ago • 0 comments

Periodic reminder for those who forget or struggle with remembering to add alt text: Bluesky has a setting that will remind you to add alt text before posting any images. Go to "Settings," then "Accessibility." Select the checkbox for "Require alt text before posting."

submitted 12 days ago • 5 comments

Basic transcripts are a text version of speech and non-speech audio information needed to understand content. Descriptive transcripts also describe the visual information needed to understand the content, helping people who are both Deaf and blind. www.w3.org/WAI/media/av...

submitted 12 days ago • 1 comment

People often ask what accessibility considerations to keep in mind when creating data visualizations. For guidance and advice, check out Sarah L. Fossheim's list of 10 things to do (or not do) when designing accessible data visualizations. fossheim.io/writing/post...

submitted 13 days ago • 0 comments

"An Introduction to Accessibility and Inclusive Design" is a course offered by The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign through Coursera. This course introduces some fundamental principles, including assistive technology and adaptive strategies. www.coursera.org/learn/access...

submitted 13 days ago • 0 comments

Capitalization affects how people read hashtags or how people hear them on screen readers. Use #camelCase or #PascalCase in hashtags instead of lowercase. You could have #DoctorWhoRewatch ("Doctor Who Rewatch") or #doctorwhorewatch ("doctor whore watch.")

submitted 13 days ago • 3 comments

Headings serve as landmarks for users and help them understand how different pieces of information relate to each other. For example, a section with a level 3 headings probably provides information in support of information provided in the previous level 2 heading, and so on.

submitted 13 days ago • 0 comments

The BBC's Accessibility Guide has several resources, including step-by-step instructions to using assistive technologies. The resource includes insight into several assistive technologies, including VoiceOver, JAWS, NVDA, TalkBack, ClaroRead, and Dragon. bbc.github.io/accessibilit...

submitted 14 days ago • 2 comments

Use labels or instructions whenever user input is required. Clear and unambiguous directions and labels help all users, but especially those with cognitive, language, and learning disabilities. Clear labels prevents users from making incomplete or incorrect form submissions.

submitted 14 days ago • 1 comment

When considering rainbow text, don't forget to consider readability and legibility. Text filled with rainbows can be difficult to read. Same with complex rainbow backgrounds. Putting each word or letter in a different color of the rainbow could force readers to work harder.

submitted 14 days ago • 3 comments

When writing alt text, ask yourself if you would picture an approximation of the image if it was described to you over the phone using the alt text you've written. Doing that exercise can be a good way to determine if you're on the right track.

submitted 16 days ago • 3 comments

Overlays are widgets or technologies that promise to improve a site's accessibility with third-party source code. More than 900 accessibility advocates and web developers have signed an open letter to explain the limitations and dangers of these products. overlayfactsheet.com

submitted 16 days ago • 0 comments

Your site's users need enough time to interact with content and fill out forms. People with disabilities such as blindness, low vision, dexterity impairments, and cognitive disabilities might need more time for things such as forms. Allow users to turn off or extend time limits.

submitted 17 days ago • 1 comment

Consistent layout makes websites easier to navigate and understand as it helps users learn what elements to expect and in what order. This is especially helpful to low vision users or blind users using a screen reader. It also helps those with cognitive and learning disabilities.

submitted 17 days ago • 0 comments

Cognitive load refers to how much working memory or short-term memory someone is using at a time. Minimizing the cognitive load it takes to use your site makes it more accessible for people with cognitive disabilities. Limit what you're asking users to remember to use your site.

submitted 17 days ago • 1 comment

Sighted users often use bold or large fonts to create the appearance of headings in documents. People using screen readers have no way of understanding these visual cues. Use heading styles from the styles menu to correctly format headings.

submitted 18 days ago • 0 comments

Instructions for forms should appear at the beginning of the form. Some users may not notice instructions if they appear at the end of the form. If a form field requires data in a certain format (for instance, a date field that requires “day/month/year"), provide examples.

submitted 18 days ago • 0 comments

If you pair light colors (yellow text on white background) or dark colors (dark blue text on black background), users will struggle to read your content. Understanding color contrast will help you better serve all users, especially those with low vision. webaim.org/articles/con...

submitted 18 days ago • 0 comments

Avoid forcing users to memorize information. For example, use field labels instead of placeholder text. Placeholder text disappears when users begin typing. This forces them to memorize placeholder text or delete information so they can see placeholders again.

submitted 18 days ago • 1 comment

Meryl Evans' "Why and How to Create Accessible Social Media and Website Content" introduces content creators to basic accessibility considerations for links, hashtags, emojis, alt text, transcripts, and more. meryl.net/digital-cont...

submitted 19 days ago • 0 comments

For beginners, it can be difficult to know what to put in alt text, as well as when alt text is needed and when it isn't. This decision tree from W3C helps you determine what to do, based on specific situations. www.w3.org/WAI/tutorial...

submitted 19 days ago • 1 comment

Some will publish podcasts but wait up to 24 hours before adding transcripts instead of publishing them together. The end goal should be to have the transcript ready at the same time as the podcast. This will require multiple teams working together toward that goal.

submitted 19 days ago • 0 comments

Some people have disabilities that are directly based on the way they understand and interpret numbers. In this post, Ricky Onsman explains some of these disabilities, who is affects and how, and what web creators can do about it. www.tpgi.com/making-numbe...

submitted 19 days ago • 0 comments

For people just getting introduced to accessibility concepts, the number of resources can be overwhelming for people who don't know where to start. These 10 tips from Lireo Designs can be a good way to introduce your team to the basics. www.lireo.com/10-ways-to-i...

submitted 19 days ago • 0 comments

Get in the habit of bringing up accessibility at meetings, in stand-ups, and in demos. Bring up things you've done to address accessibility. Likewise, don't be afraid to ask, "Have we tested this on a keyboard?" or "What's the experience like on a screen reader?"

submitted 20 days ago • 3 comments

Plain language is communication that your audience or readers can understand the first time they hear or read it. The terminology you use will vary depending on the audience. Always aim to avoid jargon or buzzwords when possible, especially when you have a broad general audience.

submitted 20 days ago • 0 comments

When creating PDFs, avoid using "Print to PDF." A screen reader user may still be able to access the text of PDFs created this way, but heading structure, alternative text, and any other tag structure will be lost. Using "Save As" or "Export" can preserve these tags.

submitted 20 days ago • 1 comment