tips-and-tricks

							                                      TIPS AND TRICKS

Accessibility guidelines for editors
Why is web accessibility important?
Most visitors to Leicestershire Villages will use Internet Explorer, on their Windows
computer, to read pages on the site. They will read the text, look at the pictures and use a
mouse to click on links between pages.

Some people, however, will use other means. This includes people who have visual
impairments or reduced mobility, who will use assistive technology to access web pages. It
is important that everyone who visits Leicestershire Villages can access everything on
there, and that people with disabilities aren’t prevented from making the most of the site.
There is also a legal obligation to make sure that public services, including websites, are
fully accessible.

Nearly all web accessibility guidelines are also good practice in general; following these
simple tips will have benefits for all users and can help with search engine indexing.

Many of the important aspects of web accessibility have already been taken into
consideration in the way the website has been designed and programmed; in this way
many of the accepted accessibility guidelines have been met. However some elements of
the way content is added to the site also have an impact, which is where you come in.

Links - WHY YOU SHOULDN’T CLICK HERE
When creating a weblink, the link text you use should properly describe what the user will
find if they follow that link. Avoid using ‘click here’ - this does not describe what the link
points to, and means nothing to someone who is using a screen reader to access the
content.

      Example: instead of “Click here to see local events” use “Find out what’s happening
       in the Events Guide”

Pictures
Don’t use a picture to convey information where you can do the same thing using text.
Screen readers can’t read images, so someone using a screen reader will get nothing from
an image.

      Example: instead of
       using this picture, add
       the information using a
       table.




When you do add pictures, use the ‘Title’ and ‘Alternative text’ fields to add descriptions of
the pictures. ‘Title’ is what will appear in a ‘tooltip’ when a user moves their mouse over the
picture. Alternative text will be shown when the picture is not visible to the user. If you
leave the ‘Alternative text’ field blank, the text in the ‘Title’ field will be used for this as well.
‘Alternative text’ is important because it is what will be
presented to users who can’t see the picture, for
instance people using a screen reader. ‘Alternative text’
should contain a
brief description of the picture, so visitors who can’t see
it at least understand what it is
that they can’t see. If anything in the picture is
especially important in the context, mention
this.

      Example: for this picture, the ‘Alternative text’
       might be “Woman looking through window at a
       boat.”




Headings
Use headings consistently, and maintain the correct hierarchy of heading levels. Some
assistive devices will infer a document structure from heading levels in a web page. Use
‘title’ once in a page , then ‘headings’ and ‘subheadings’.

Correct example:
      • Title
              ◦ Heading
              ◦ Heading
                    ▪ Sub-heading
                    ▪ Sub-heading
              ◦ Heading
                    ▪ Sub-heading
                    ▪ Sub-heading
              ◦ Heading
              ◦ Heading

Incorrect example:
              ◦ Heading
      • Title
                    ▪ Sub-heading
              ◦ Heading
      • Title
              ◦ Heading
      • Title
                    ▪ Subheading
      • Title

Spelling, grammar and language

Always use the clearest and simplest language appropriate for the site and for its
audience. You don’t have to ‘dumb down’ what you write, but make sure you’re not using
language that is overly complicated when simpler language will do just as well.

Always check what you write for spelling and grammar. A simple spelling mistake may well
go unnoticed by a sighted visitor, but this could trip up a screen reader and make a whole
sentence hard to understand.