How to Create and Maintain Accessible Media
Why does media need to be accessible?
Media needs to be accessible for a variety of reasons:
- To ensure equal opportunities for people with disabilities
- Comply with legal requirements
- Uphold ethical standards
- Reach a diverse audience
- Improve user experiences
- Enhance search engine visibility
Who needs access to accessible media?
Accessible media is essential for individuals with disabilities, including those with visual, auditory, cognitive, or motor impairments.
Although beyond these categories it benefits a broader audience:
- The elderly
- People with temporary disabilities
- Non-native speakers
- Those using different devices or environments for accessing content
How can I ensure my media is accessible?
Ensuring your media is accessible requires taking an extra step. And although this sounds like a lot of work, it’s important to remember that people in your audience might require your media to be accessible in order to take it in.
Here are some of the best practices for creating accessible media, and staying on top of your content.
Understand Accessibility Guidelines
Familiarise yourself with accessibility guidelines, such as the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG).
Use Accessible Design Principles
This includes using clear headings, descriptive alt text for images, providing transcripts for multimedia content, and ensuring a logical and easy-to-navigate structure.
Choose Accessible Formats
Use accessible file formats and technologies. For example, use HTML for web content, which is inherently accessible, and ensure that documents are saved in formats that can be easily accessed by screen readers and other assistive technologies.
Provide Alternative Text
Add alternative text to images and multimedia content. This text should describe the content and purpose of the image, ensuring that people with visual impairments can understand it.
Caption and Transcribe Multimedia
This benefits those with hearing impairments and those who prefer to read or search for specific information in the content.
Test with Assistive Technologies
Test your media with various assistive technologies, such as screen readers and voice recognition software.
Offer Keyboard Navigation
Ensure that your media and websites can be navigated using a keyboard alone.
Provide Text Alternatives for Non-Text Content
Any non-text content, such as charts or graphs, should have text alternatives or descriptions to convey the information to those who cannot see the visual representation.
Regularly Update and Maintain your Content
Accessibility is an ongoing process. Continuously review and update your content to ensure it remains accessible as technologies and guidelines evolve.
Educate and Train Staff
If you’re working as part of a team, ensure that you are all educated on accessibility.
Seek User Feedback
Gather feedback from users, including those with disabilities, to identify any accessibility issues and make improvements.