Organize content using semantic structure so assistive technologies, search engines, and website visitors understand the page hierarchy.
Provide a “Skip Navigation” link at the top of pages to allow assistive technologies to skip directly to the page’s main content.
Focus on readability and usability. Accessible websites improve the experience for ALL users.
Write page titles that accurately reflect the topic on the page for better SEO results and improved visitor experience
To allow assistive technologies to correctly read web pages, use proper headings to organize your information.
Avoid instructions based solely on location on the page. For example, instead of “in the box to the right,” combine location and text: “in the box to the right, titled ‘Related Links and Publications.’”
If language changes within the text, highlight text and select the corresponding language.
Ensure that link text makes sense when read out of context.
Avoid links like “read more” or “click here.”
Be specific about where links will lead.
Keep link text to 100 characters or less. Avoid using the page URL as linking text.
Use alternative (alt) text on images to accurately reflect the purpose of the image and/or provide an accurate description.
If the image is linked, describe the link destination in the alt text.
Be careful using images with text in them.
Be sure image alt text communicates the same information as the text in the image.
When using graphs or diagrams, include accompanying text to explain the meaning
Use built-in editing features to create bulleted or numbered lists.
Understand the differences between ordered, unordered, and definition lists—and use them properly.
Avoid using lists for visual effect
Provide captioning and audio descriptions for video.
Review any auto-generated closed captions for accuracy. Provide a transcript of audio content.
Use short concise sentences. If you need to use long sentences, try to limit it to one per paragraph.
Use headings to split up content. Headings provide structure and meaning to your content and give readers an easy way to scan.