Websites

All UMKC website content must align with the general accessible content best practices. 

Headings

Clear and descriptive headings help users identify the main topics on the page. They also allow users of screen readers to quickly scan a page to determine the relevancy of the content in different sections.

Headings are used in descending order, without skipping a level:

• H1 - Primary heading, not included in main content area
• H2 - First heading in main content area
• H3-H6 - Subheadings in main content area

You can also use bulleted and numbered lists to organize your content in the main content area, making scanning and locating specific information quicker and more accessible.

Accessible Website Images

• Provide alternative (alt) text on non-text content that conveys meaning, such as images
• Keep the alt text concise (about 125 characters)
• Hide images from screen readers that do have meaning or are for decoration
  • Use an empty alt value (alt=””)
• Avoid images with text when possible. If necessary, add alt text
• Try out the alt Decision Tree

Alternative text resources

• Write alt text for the visually impaired
• Making images accessible
• WebAIM’s alternative text tutorial
• W3C’s images concepts tutorial
• Alt text guide by Ohio State University

Keyboard Accessibility

Ensure all content on the website is usable with the keyboard.

• Design for keyboard accessibility
• Keyboard Do’s and don’ts
• Keyboard Accessibility by WebAIM
• Accessible media player controls

Additional Resources

• WebAIM’s Introduction to ARIA: Accessible Rich Internet Applications
• ARIA Authoring Practices (APG)
• U.S. Web Design System (USWDS)