L2E e-learning notes

Evaluating digital content for accessibility

#How to spot accessibility barriers on websites

One important part of learning about digital accessibility is to learn how to spot potential barriers in digital content.

When we know what the barriers are we can fix them.

Tools to find barriers 

The are lots of tools that can help to find accessibility barriers. Some tools are for finding issues in websites and there are others that can find issues in documents.

Automated tools for website designers 

People who create and check websites for accessibility use many automated tools, including some free browser plugins-in tools like:

  • Wave
  • Silktide
  • Axe

These tools find out if a website is coded and styled properly for accessibility by using the WCAG criteria. They help to find around 50% of the accessibility issues a website may have.

Manual checks on websites 

To find the other 50%, web designers also do some manual checks on websites to check they are usable for people on assistive technologies.

In the WCAG guidelines there are over 60 individual checks that web designers have to do. We will only focus on a few of the more common accessibility criteria in this course content.

Below is information about two of the more simple checks that can be done.

  • Keyboard accessibility
  • Magnifying content using zoom on a browser
DIVIDER

Keyboard accessibility 

Some people can’t use a mouse, so they rely on a keyboard to get round a website. 

Using the following simple keyword shortcuts there is an easy to test a website.

(Dropdown of keyboard shortcuts)

  • Tab to navigate through all interactive features
  • Shift and tab to navigate backwards or to go back
  • Enter to click
  • Arrow keys to navigate menus or form selection
  • Spacebar to select a checkbox
  • Esc to close a modal/pop-up box
  • Alt and left arrow to go back a page

When using this method you need to check if there is:

  • A clear way to tab through the content and use all of the interactive features (WCAG)
  • When you tab there is a keyboard focus, that means the item you are on changes colour or appearance 
  • You don’t fall into a keyboard trap
  • You can skip chunks of content such as a menu so you don’t have to tab through lots of unnecessary content every time you visit the page 

Watch this video to see examples of the keyboard accessibility list above.

Video

DIVIDER

Zooming in and magnifying content 

Another check is for those who have visual impairments and my need to make the content bigger.

You can zoom into a website using your browser. Web designers check websites at up to 400% zoom.

How to zoom into a website:

  • Edge
  • Chrome

When zoomed in you can check things like:

  • Does content resize (is it responsive)
  • Does content overlap
  • Does content get hidden

You can also check if a website is responsive by seeing if it works well on a mobile phone.

Watch this video to find out how to zoom in on a website 

Video

DIVIDER

Have a go at testing a website yourself 

  • Check the NHS website yourself 
  • Check your school website 
Use this document to note what you find using a keyword and zoom. 

Then combine both techniques, can you still navigate the websites easily using only a keyboard when it is zoomed in by 400%?

Doc download - put WCAG numbers in as a reference

DIVIDER

#How to spot accessibility barriers in documents 

There are many tools for checking and fixing documents. For example, Microsoft Office 365 have built in accessibility checkers in many of their products, such as:

  • Microsoft Word
  • Microsoft PowerPoint 
  • Microsoft Excel 

How does the Microsoft accessibility checkers work?

Similar to tools for websites, the Microsoft checkers don’t account for all accessibility issues, but do help you identify and fix some common barriers.

In Microsoft Word the main accessibility checker can identify issues like:

  • Colour contrast
  • Alt text
  • Bad table design
  • Items that are not inline that will make reading order difficult 

But doesn’t check for the following items as these are manual checks you would need to do:

  • Links
  • Clear language and layouts 
  • Headings (they can be found in a different part of the accessibility checker options)

Watch this video that demonstrates how to check a document for accessibility. In this video the check is being performed in an up to date version of Microsoft Office 356.

Video

If you have an older version of Microsoft Office the list would look a bit different, but it would still list the same items as demonstrated below.

Checking a document for headings

You can also check for headings using the navigation pane. The navigation pane can be found as an option under checking for accessibility.

Image

Watch this video to see how headings can be checked.

Video

Download the following documents, which one has headings applied properly?

  • Document 1
  • Document 2

Try the Microsoft Word accessibility checker for yourself

  • Download the ‘test for yourself’ document below
  • Run the accessibility checker
  • See the issues listed
  • Check for the issues the checker may not list

Answer the following questions about the issues the document has. Some will be listed on the accessibility checker, others will need a manual check.

Download document - list issues as a checklist

Question- which issues does the document have? 

List all items, but don’t do tables.

__

INTRO TO NEXT SECTION - skills

Now you have had a go at identifying barriers, this section provides some guidance to help you fix them.

You will be shown tips for the following accessibility principles:

  • Colours and colour contrast 
  • Alt text and decorative items
  • Headings and links
  • Captions and transcripts 


SUMMARY SECTION

Throughout this learning material you have found out about:

  • The four main types of disability and examples of assistive technology 
  • The need for universal and inclusive design to create content for everyone 
  • Laws and guidelines for accessible digital content 
  • How to check digital content for accessibility 
  • How to fix or prevent barriers in digital content 

With this new knowledge you can play your part in making accessible digital content which will help to make our future digital society more inclusive.

Remember, digital accessibility is essential for some people, but it’s useful for all.


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