Digital Accessibility Resources and Guidelines for Staff

We discourage the use of PDFs on the website because most are not ADA compliant. PDFs must be formatted in a certain manner to be read with a screen reader. Please place content directly onto the website, and not a PDF, to ensure ADA compliance and language-translation compliance.

If a PDF document, such as a letter or a report, must be posted on the website, it should be formatted properly with headings so it can be read with a screen reader. Tables containing data are often not formatted properly.

People with limited vision cannot read the text if there is not enough contrast between the text and the background. (For example, light gray text on a light-colored background.)

A fool-proof way to ensure compliance is to use black text on a white background (like a Word Doc.) Read the WCAG color contrast standards or use the Web AIM Contrast Checker.

Key instructions for accessible headers in Google Docs

• Use the correct tool: Never use bolding, increasing font size, or other manual formatting to create the appearance of a header. This is a visual cue only and will not be identified as a heading by a screen reader.
• Access the Styles menu: To apply a heading, select the text, then click the Format menu > Paragraph styles. You can also find the Styles dropdown menu in the main toolbar.
• Follow a logical order: Structure your headings like a document outline. Headings should be properly nested, and you should not skip heading levels.
  • Heading 1: Use once per document for the main title.
  • Heading 2: Use for the major sections of your document.
  • Heading 3, 4, etc.: Use for subsections within a Heading 2, and so on.
• Don't use the "Title" style: The "Title" and "Subtitle" styles can be inconsistent and may not be recognized reliably by assistive technologies. Instead, always use Heading 1 for the main title.
• Test your document structure: Use the Document Outline to verify your heading structure. Click the "Show Document Outline" icon on the left side of the toolbar (it looks like a bulleted list with indentations). This will show a nested view of your headings.
• Customize styles: If you prefer a different look for your headings, modify the existing style instead of manually reformatting. After changing the font, size, or color of a heading, re-open the Styles menu, hover over the heading level you want to change, and select "Update 'Heading' to match". 

Other ADA compliance tips for Google Docs

• Add descriptive alt text for images: Provide concise, meaningful descriptions for all informative images. Right-click the image and select Alt text. Leave the "Title" field blank, and enter the description in the "Description" field.
• Use descriptive link text: Instead of generic phrases like "click here," write meaningful link text that describes the destination. Highlight the text you want to hyperlink, and press Ctrl+K (or Cmd+K on Mac).
• Ensure sufficient color contrast: Check that the contrast between text and background colors is high enough for readability. Avoid using color as the only way to convey meaning.
• Install an accessibility checker: The third-party add-on Grackle Docs can scan your document for accessibility issues, including missing headings, and provide guidance on how to fix them.

Click here to learn more about accessibility in Google Docs

When you upload an image to a website or social media, you must write “alternative text” or “alt text” that briefly describes the photo for people who are visually impaired and/or using screen readers. Click here to view best practices and examples of alt text. (CMS4Schools will require you to input alt text when uploading an image onto the website. You can also input alt text into images on Google Slides, Microsoft Powerpoints, Word Docs, etc.)

A screen reader cannot read information in a table when it has nested tables, split cells, or merged cells. Generally, tables are best used for numerical data. Tables must have a header row (formatted top row), and often but not always require a header column (formatted first column on left). 

Why? A screen reader audibly reads the data from left to right. The top row (header) has to be formatted so the screen reader knows to read the information in that row first before reading the information below it.

If the header is formatted properly, the screen reader will read each row by first reading the title found in the header, at the top of the column, so you can tell what type of data is being described. 

If you are creating a table on the website, click "header row" and if needed click "header column".

When linking to a web page or an email address, the link should be descriptive so a person with a screen reader can understand the link they are clicking on. It should not say “click here” or “view more.” Instead, it should say, “View the latest School Board Meeting Agenda.” or "View the Community Education Summer Catalog!"

Readability is reduced with all caps (all capital letters) because all words have a uniform rectangular shape, meaning readers can't identify words by their shape. Also, use of all caps is considered yelling.