Accessibility Workshop for Guttman Community College: Create Accessible LibGuides

Page Title

• Page titles should be brief, clear, informative, and unique.
• When adding new pages in LibGuides, the "Page Name" field is equivalent to the "Title" field.

Headings

• Headings help in organizing a web page.
• When creating headings in LibGuides make sure to use the actual heading option and don't just make them visually look different.

Alt-Text for Images (Alternative text)

• Making images and graphics "visible" to all users is one of the first principles of accessibility. 
• The way you make your image visible to everyone is by adding "alternative text" or "alt-text".
• Adding alt-text to your images is an accessibility best practice.
• Adding alternative text ("alt text") to an image, will make images and graphics "visible".
• For people using screen readers or browsing speech-enabled websites alt-text can be read aloud or rendered as Braille.
• Alt-text gives the speech input software users the ability to put focus onto a button or linked image with a single voice command. 
• Alt-text allows mobile users to turn images off to help with download speeds or limit data-roaming charges.
• In LibGuides there are several ways to add alt-text to images.
• You can add "default" alt-text to an image by using the "Image Manager" to upload the image.
  • Each time you reuse an image its default alt-text will be attached.
  • This greatly increases the odds alt-text won't be overlooked (especially for images in your shared library.)
• You can also add /change alt-text when you add an image in a Rich Text/HTML.

How to add default alt-text to an image via the Image Manager:

1. Go to Content in top menu bar
2. Click on Image Manager in drop down menu

3. In the Image Manager window, upload a new image, then click on the thumbnail and/or click on the thumbnail of image already uploaded to add default alt-text. (Make sure to click on the actual image and not link icon.)

4. In the Edit Image Properties window, enter your alt-text into the Alternative Text field.
5. Click the Save button.

How to add alt-text to an image you add via the Rich Text/HTML box:

• Select "Add Rich Text/ HTML"

• Select "Image" icon

• In the "Image Properties" window type in the alt-text in the "Alternative Text" field.

How to create Lists and Tables

• Do not create lists or tables manually, use the built in formatting.
• Do not use tables for layout.
• When creating tables make sure to add table row headings.