Accessibility can be an issue for course content, emails, or newsletters.  Here are some tips to help make your content accessible by all.

1. Images -
   • Use alt tags (it's the text screen readers use to provide a description of the image) for all images.
   • Try to use descriptive alt tags so that sight-impaired students or staff will know exactly what the image is displaying. For ex., a graph showing the population growth in San  Antonio from 100,000 in 1910 to 1.4 million in 2013 should be titled  just like; a tag that is too generic (for ex., "a graph" or "population  growth") will not be helpful.
   • Text on images should follow good color contrast guidelines.
   • Images should be legible when enlarged.
2. Audio/Video -
   • If you use video and/or audio  files in your content, you will need to provide synchronized captions for  videos while a text transcript is needed for audio-only files.
   • Check with your campus IIC/IT to caption your course videos.
   • Avoid autoplay.
   • Audio and video players should be keyboard accessible on the pause, stop, and mute/adjust volume functions.
3. Hyperlinks -
   • Use descriptive text descriptions for hyperlinks (for ex., Please watch this video of mitosis—how a cell divides (Links to an external site) before taking the quiz on mitosis).
   • Link text should make sense when read out of context.
   • Describe the destination of the link. Identify if the link sending the audience to an external web site or to document?
   • Avoid using the full/long URL within the text.
4. Color -
   • Check the background to text contrast ratio for readability on all screens and computers.
   • Do not use color as the sole method to convey content and navigation  (for ex., all items in blue are assignments, the yellow items will need three responses instead of two,...).
5. In General -
   • Avoid using blinking, animated text, and images.
   • Avoid using "Click here" or "click below".
   • Use clear descriptions in  instructions (for ex., rather than "What would you call this style of  architecture?" describe the building and ask "What style of architecture would you call a large building with a rounded portico, massive  columns, and turret windows?").
   • If you have activities in your  course that require use of a mouse, webcam, stylus, or other tool,  consider how you might alter those if you have a movement-disabled  student.
   • Use your Concourse syllabus since it contains the updated, legal accessibility statement for your students.
   • Create accessible PDFs and documents. Both Adobe and Microsoft have built-in accessibility checkers.
   • Faculty has access to the UDOIT accessibility auditing tool that makes recommended corrections to make your content accessible.
6. Create document structure -
   • By using document styles with headers and paragraph tags.
   • Do not rely on font size, bolding, indents, etc. only for layout.
   • Divide large blocks of text into smaller chunks. Use white space appropriately.
7. Charts and graphs -
   • Include detailed descriptions for charts and data tables; use descriptive titles, a key, and x/y axis labels.