Accessibility and Inclusivity

What is accessibility?

All documents and web content must be accessible to everyone. PDFs, by and large, are less accessible documents: Difficult for screen reading software to use and difficult to navigate. They also are harder to search and index on search engines like Google. Web accessibility refers to websites, tools, and technologies designed for use by people with disabilities.

Why is accessibility important to this project?

Our goal should always be to make our content as accessible and inclusive to all readers as possible. According to W3C Web Accessibility Initiative, web accessibility is the websites, tools, and technologies designed and developed so that people with disabilities can use them. Specifically, so people can:

• perceive, understand, navigate, and interact with the Web
• contribute to the web

This includes color contrast ratios in design, captions or transcriptions for video and audio files, the ability to use a keyboard to navigate a website, and much more. 

Standards

As of October 2023, The DX Platform websites are designed to be easily usable for everyone, meeting these specific accessibility standards:

• WCAG 2.1 Level A/AA
• WAI-ARIA 1.2
• ATAG 2.0.
• Revised Section 508

Part of accessibility is making certain your content is written at the 8th grade level in plain language. 

Using the State of Iowa Voice, Tone, and Style Guide is a great reference to writing for accessible content. Learn more about the plain language in government initiative. 

As you write, ask yourself these questions:

• Would someone be able to easily translate it to their preferred language? 
• If someone was using a screen reader to narrate what’s on the screen, would the order and cadence make sense?
• Can someone on a small device, such as a smartphone, quickly and easily scan the page to understand it at a high level?

Learn more about writing for all people as part of our style guide.

Run Acquia Optimize Scans for Accessibility

Acquia Optimize (formerly known as Monsido) scan helps agency managers identify and address accessibility issues that lower this score, such as broken links, missing alt text, and non-descriptive link text. Acquia Optimize provides an accessibility chrome extension to add to your web browser which will help you quickly identify and fix issues on your website page. 

Correcting these issues ensures compliance with accessibility standards and improves user experience for all visitors.

• During weekly routine accessibility audits to ensure all pages remain compliant.
• After making updates to the website that may impact accessibility (e.g., adding new images, changing navigation).
• When specific issues are flagged, like broken links or images missing alt text, which impact the accessibility score.
• To conduct a thorough, periodic check of the entire site, helping catch any issues that may affect usability for people using assistive technologies.

Understanding what Negatively Impacts your Site's Accessibility

The accessibility score measures how accessible and inclusive a website is for all users, including those with disabilities. 

• Broken Links: This issue can prevent users from accessing important content, especially those relying on screen readers that may skip over or misinterpret broken links.

When you are reviewing the broken links from your Acquia Optimize scan report make sure after you've fixed the broken link on your page you also go to your broken link report page and within the action button you "Mark as Fixed" so that it will clear itself from the report.

Learn more on how to properly create internal and external link

• Image Alt Text: Alt text helps screen readers describe images to users with visual impairments. Missing or vague alt text leaves users unaware of image content, affecting accessibility and usability. Add clear, descriptive alt text to images. For purely decorative images, consider marking them as “decorative” if supported.

Learn how to use the media library

• Nondescriptive Link Text: Links that use phrases like "click here" or "read more" are unclear when read out of context, which can confuse users relying on assistive technology. Update link text to be specific, like "Read more about accessibility best practices," to convey purpose without needing surrounding text for context.

Learn more how to run an accessibility and policy scan for your site

Document Naming Conventions for Accessibility

Naming conventions might seem like a small detail, but they play a crucial role in digital accessibility. When files are named clearly and consistently, it makes them easier to find, organize, and understand, especially for people with disabilities.

Here's why naming conventions matter for accessibility:

• Screen Reader Compatibility: Screen readers rely on file names to provide context to users. Clear and descriptive names help screen readers accurately interpret and announce file content.
• Organization and Findability: Consistent naming conventions make it easier to organize and find files. This is particularly important for people with cognitive disabilities who may struggle with information overload.
• SEO: Search engines use file names to index and rank content. Descriptive file names can improve your website's search engine optimization (SEO).

Best Practices for Naming Files:

• Use Descriptive Names: Clearly describe the content of the file.
• Avoid Abbreviations and Acronyms: Use full words to make the file name understandable.
• Use Hyphens or Underscores: Separate words in file names for better readability.
• Maintain Consistency: Use a consistent naming convention across your website or project.
• Prioritize Important Information: Place the most important keywords at the beginning of the file name.
• Date: Use a format like YYYYMMDD to keep files in chronological order. To add a timestamp, use YYYYMMDDThhmm

Example of a good document naming convention:

• Project Name_Document Type_Date: (e.g., "CohortPlan_Schedule_Jan2024")

PDF Editorial Guidance

• Always properly remediate your PDF's when uploading them onto the platform
• Only use PDFs where needed or if you have lengthy information that needs to be shared