Introduction
The Government's Public Sector Bodies Accessibility Regulations (PSBAR), to be implemented before 23rd September 2020, require all content posted online to be accessible. This online guide has been produced to support content creators in understanding what they need to do to comply with these national regulations.
- The Government Central Digital and Data Office (CDDO) has used the web-standard WCAG 2.1 AA as their benchmark for accessibility (WCAG 2.2 AA from October 2024).
- The University Digital Accessibility Policy can be read here: Digital Accessibility Policy
To comply with these, the University is asking that:
- Documents should be built using Microsoft 365 applications and checked using the inbuilt accessibility checker
- Avoid using PDF format where possible
- Moodle pages must comply with Moodle Minimum Requirements
- All visual information (images/graphs etc) need to have descriptions
- Video and audio need text/captions
- Make sure documents and links are named helpfully
1. Documents should be built using Microsoft 365 applications
- Microsoft 365 applications have built-in templates which help with accessibility
- Use the Check Accessibility function before sharing your document (same as you would with spellcheck). This will highlight any issues and give guidance on correcting. This function is also available in Outlook for when you are formatting emails.
- Those accessing the document will be able to change font, text size, spacing and document colours to suit their own requirements. They will also be able to take full advantage of Microsoft's accessibility tools, such as the Immersive Reader
- When building content in Microsoft 365 applications or Moodle, use headings to structure the content, which will help screen-readers to navigate the information
- Avoid using unsupported platforms, such as Prezi (presentations) and Issuu (document viewer), which are not supported and do not comply with the accessibility regulations
- If using tables, make sure you use a simple table structure with column headers, making sure that the tables don't contain split cells, merged cells, or nested tables. Badly created tables can cause difficulties for screen readers or for those tabbing through information on a web page or a document.
2. Avoid using PDF format where possible
- Viewers are unable to change the font or colour formatting of PDF documents
- If you zoom into a PDF, the text will not flow to the screen size, meaning that the viewer will need to scroll left/right as well as up/down
- Owners can convert PDF documents by opening them up in Microsoft Word and saving as .docx, or via Sensus Access
3. Moodle pages must comply with Moodle Minimum Requirements
- Module coordinators to read our guidance on minimum requirements for Moodle module pages
- Moodle pages to have a consistent layout to others in the programme. Important information should be displayed in the same places across all pages.
- If using tables, make sure you use a simple table structure with column headers, making sure that the tables don't contain split cells, merged cells, or nested tables. Badly created tables can cause difficulties for screen readers or for those tabbing through information on a web page or a document.
4. All visual information (images/graphs etc) need to have descriptions
- Images and graphs that convey information must be set with ALT text which will describe them for those who rely on screen-readers
- Images that do not convey information should be set with ALT text labelled 'Decoration Only'
- Avoid using images of text (for example, an image of a poster) as screen-readers will not be able to read the text
- Avoid just using icons or colour to convey meaning
5. Video and audio need text/captions for those users who are deaf or hard of hearing
- Teams meetings will generate captions automatically. Live captions and transcripts can be enabled in Teams by the viewer
- Recordings can have captions/transcripts manually generated using Microsoft Stream. Captions should be checked and edited for accuracy.
- Most Planet eStream recordings will have subtitles. If you find one without subtitles, please ask your librarian to see if an alternative is available
- When adding audio resources, consider whether a transcript is required
6. Make sure documents and links are named helpfully
- When adding documents and activities onto your Moodle page, make sure the name describes it accurately. You can add descriptions and guidance for what you expect the student to do with it
- When creating Hyperlinks, avoid linking terms such as "click here". Instead, use a descriptive name. For example: "Click here to access lecture 3 slides", and not "Click here to access lecture 3 slides".
How to create accessible content?
The Skills Team have produced a number of accessibility guides depending on the type of content you are creating. Please follow the links below to access the specific support materials
- Creating accessible content for Moodle
- Creating accessible Word documents
- Creating accessible PowerPoint documents
- Creating accessible Excel documents
- Creating accessible videos and audio content
- Creating accessible images using ALT text
- Sending accessible emails and calendar appointments
Specific support
If you know that you are working with a student or colleague with a specific requirement, here are some general tips
- Working with someone with a visual impairment
- Working with someone who is deaf or hard of hearing
- Working with someone with dyslexia
- Working with someone with physical or motor disabilities
- Working with someone on the autistic spectrum
- Working with someone with anxiety
Other useful resources:
- Sensus Access: to change the format of documents, for example; text to audio mp3, scanned PDF to Word.
- Contrast colour checker: to check the contrast of text colour and background colour
- Writing well for your audience: GOV.UK guidelines on how to write for web, writing for specialists, knowing your audience, etc.
- Creating clear print and large print documents: RNIB guidelines
- use a clear, sans serif font such as Arial;
- adequate spacing - 1.5 rather than single spacing;
- if printing materials, check the required font size and print on non glossy paper;
- use left alignment (for Word documents).
Further support
For more information, please contact Roz Hall (Learning Technologies & Skills Development manager)