Best Practices

Below are some common best practices to follow when creating and presenting multimedia content. 

  • Closed captions (sometimes abbreviated as “CC”) are optional transcripts that are synchronized with audio/video content, and should always be provided to the user. The spoken word, as well as relevant sounds, are displayed as text on the screen. Conversely, subtitles are captions presented in a language other than the one that is being spoken on a video; open captions are captions that cannot be turned off (i.e., they are burned into the video). 
  • Color contrast refers to the difference in color tone between text and its background. For example, yellow text on a white background is difficult to read for even an individual with excellent vision. When presenting text on both solid backgrounds and images, try to ensure a stark difference in color. An easy way to check this is by using a program such as TPGi Colour Contrast Analyser (https://www.tpgi.com/color-contrast-checker/). 
  • Alternative Text (also abbreviated as alt text), is text read aloud by screen readers which concisely describes image. Most software will provide a way to provide alternative text when inserting an image. When doing so, provide a succinct description of the image so that anyone would have a general understanding of its purpose if they could not see it. 

Accessibility Testing Tools

Instructions may be written for older or newer versions of the applications. Check with your IT support staff regarding the availability of these applications and tools. 

More Resources

Below are additional resources you can utilize to further your understanding of Digital Accessibility.