Accessibility Guidelines

There are some key things that admin staff within the library can do – as they are working with content on the site – to help maintain accessibility standards. They include the following:

  1. When adding a new topic or piece of information to a page, be sure to complete the “Title” field. The “Subtitle” field is also helpful, but not required. The “Title” field will automatically include some html tags that are used by screen readers to help sight-impaired users navigate the web page.
  2. When creating a hyperlink on the page, don’t just show the URL. Instead, type in some text that briefly explains where the link leads. Then highlight that text, and create the link. Here’s a few examples of what NOT to do: “Click here”. https://blissfieldlibrary.org/hours. In the first case, “Click here” gives no information about what the user will find when they follow the link. In the second case, a sight-impaired person will have to listen as their screen reader reads off every single letter of the text. Here’s an example of the RIGHT way to create a link: More information about our hours and location here…
  3. Videos: In general, it’s best to stay away from videos on your site unless you are able to provide a transcript and / or full description of the video that could be consume by sight-impaired visitors
  4. Color and contrast: Use colored text and / or colored text backgrounds sparingly. Anything less than black text on white backgrounds – or something with similar distinct contrasts – can be difficult for users with color blindness or other sight issues.
  5. Image “alt” text. Always complete the alternative text field when adding an image to your content. This is what screen readers use to explain / describe the image to sight-impaired users.