As campus efforts continue to meet Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act compliance, the digital accessibility team is providing weekly articles on creating accessible content.
This week focuses on accessibility in Drupal, the university’s web content-management system.
Creating accessible websites in Drupal
Campus websites are a primary source of information for students, employees and the public. Ensuring Drupal content is accessible allows everyone, including individuals using screen readers, Braille displays or other assistive technology, to access and understand the information provided.
Accessible websites rely on proper content structure, meaningful descriptions, embedded links, clear language and accessible multimedia.
Identifying content types: Users browse content using headings, links and lists. Some people rely on visual cues, while others rely on auditory or tactile cues provided by assistive technology. Assistive technology recognizes properly applied heading levels and list formats, not visual appearance alone. Therefore simply making text bold or increasing the font size does not identify it as a heading. Use the built-in formatting tools in Drupal to apply heading levels and lists.
Adding alt text: All images and non-text elements, including photos, charts, graphs and shapes, must include alternative text (alt text). Alt text provides a brief description so that users who cannot see the image still understand its purpose. Alt text can be added when uploading a new image or by editing an existing one. After making updates, be sure to save the web page so changes are published.
Embedding links: Hyperlinks are another key way readers skim content. When a full website address is written out, assistive technology reads every character. Instead, embed links within meaningful text that clearly describes the destination. Clear link text helps all users understand where the link will take them.
Choosing clear wording and language: Using plain, clear and concise language helps readers understand information the first time they encounter it. This supports individuals with learning or intellectual disabilities, those under cognitive load and readers whose primary language is not English. Plain language does not mean oversimplifying academic content. It ensures general web content such as summaries and instructions are easy to follow and well-organized. Write in a straightforward manner, use simple sentence structures, begin with the most important information and limit jargon whenever possible.
Video captions and transcripts: All non-text content on a website must have a text equivalent. While alt text describes images, captions and transcripts provide access to video and audio content. Captions display synchronized text for spoken words and meaningful sounds and must be reviewed for accuracy, even if auto-generated. Transcripts should be provided for all audio content and include what is said and relevant sounds or visuals. Together, captions and transcripts ensure multimedia content is accessible and searchable for all users.
Professional development and support
To further assist the campus community, the following list includes various professional development :
- A second Digital Accessibility Summit is being planned for March. More details to be announced in the coming weeks.
- The Digital Accessibility team is available to visit departments, offices or student groups for training or discussion.
Additional learning opportunities include:
- Accessibility tutorials on creating and checking accessible documents
- The asynchronous “Access: A Quest Toward Inclusion” course
- SUNY Access for All webinar series
- Winter breakout workshop recordings through CELT
- Digital Accessibility website resources
Staying informed
Additional updates on campus accessibility efforts and Title II implementation will continue to be shared through Oswego Today and occasional campus emails.
Creating an inclusive digital environment is a shared responsibility. Thank you for your attention to this important initiative and for helping ensure that SUNY Oswego remains a welcoming, accessible community for all.
–- Submitted by members of the Digital Accessibility Steering Committee and the Workgroup on Accessibility Practices who can be reached at accessibilitypractices@oswego.edu.