The UNLV Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Accessibility Policy requires that all UNLV digital content must be accessible to individuals with disabilities as required by federal laws. This policy applies to all faculty, staff, and content creators whose work impacts students, employees, or the public.
UNLV defines accessibility as enabling individuals with disabilities to independently acquire the same information, engage in the same interactions, and enjoy the same services within the same timeframe as individuals without disabilities, with substantially equivalent ease of use.
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Note: This article uses screenshots to demonstrate instructions. There may be occasional differences in the menu options between software versions and/or Windows and Mac versions.
Basic Elements of Accessibility
Use this guide to understand and apply accessibility elements to your digital content. Examples include:
- Headings that reflect structure, not just emphasis
- Alt text for images
- Descriptive link text
- High color contrast
- Tagged PDFs, not scanned images
- Accurate captions and transcripts for videos
Structured Headings
Headings are structural elements within a document that provide structure cues to assistive technologies. Screen readers use this structural information to help users navigate quickly from section to section. Many people rely on headings to skim content, jump between topics, and understand how ideas are organized.
Why Headings Matter
Proper headings:
- Improve navigation for screen reader users
- Create a clear outline for all readers
- Support comprehension and organization
- Make long documents easier to scan
Using structured headings is one of the most important and simplest accessibility practices. It provides immediate benefit with minimal effort and establishes the foundation for an accessible document.
How to Set a Heading
Headings must be applied using the built-in heading tools in your software. Using the built-in heading options ensures the document stores structural information rather than just visual formatting.
In Word or Google Docs:
- Highlight the text that serves as the section title
- Use the format bar or styles menu
- Select Heading 1, Heading 2, or another appropriate level
What a Heading Is Not
Changing font size, weight, or color only changes appearance; it does not create structure. Assistive technologies cannot interpret visual styling as hierarchy. A heading is not:
- Text that is simply larger
- Text that is bold
- Text that is underlined
- Text that looks like a title but was manually formatted
If you manually enlarge text instead of applying a heading style, screen reader users will not be able to identify or navigate that section properly.
Header Set Correctly
Header Set Incorrectly
Alternative Text for Images
Alternative text, commonly called alt text, is a brief written description added to an image. It allows individuals who cannot see the image to understand its purpose and meaning through assistive technologies such as screen readers.
When a screen reader encounters an image, it reads the alt text aloud. If no alt text is provided, the user may only hear "image" or the file name, which does not communicate useful information.
Image alt text: A cartoon illustration of an aardvark mascot wearing a red t-shirt and shoes, waving at the viewer.
What Good Alt Text Does
Alt text should describe the image's most important elements, as if you are describing the image aloud to someone who cannot see it. Focus on the key elements that convey meaning. You do not need to describe colors, background details, or minor visual features unless they are essential to understanding the image.
Writing broad alt text, such as "screenshot" or "uploaded image," may be approved by accessibility software but does not meet accessibility requirements. Alt text should be concise, clear, and relevant.
Consider Whether the Image Is Necessary
Intentional use of images improves clarity and reduces cognitive load. Before adding an image, consider:
- Does this image support learning or understanding?
- Is the information already explained in the nearby text?
- Is the image decorative rather than instructional?
If an image is purely decorative, it should be marked as decorative rather than described. This prevents screen reader users from hearing unnecessary information.
Using AI to Generate Alt Text
AI tools can generate alt text suggestions and provide a helpful starting point, especially for documents with many images.
- Open your preferred AI tool (such as Google Gemini).
- Upload images or the document file.
- Prompt the AI tool to create alt text suggestions.
- Review and edit the suggestions to ensure accuracy.
AI-generated descriptions should always be reviewed and edited to ensure they accurately reflect the instructional purpose of the image. You are responsible for confirming that alt text communicates the intended meaning.
How to Set Alt Text
Alt text is added directly to an image within your document software.
In Word, PowerPoint, or Google Docs:
- Right-click the image.
- Select Edit Alt Text, Format Picture, or Alt Text.
- Enter a concise description in the field.
- Mark as decorative if appropriate.
Descriptive Hyperlinks for Link Text
Hyperlinks should clearly describe where they lead, using text that makes sense on its own. Screen readers often allow users to navigate by pulling up a list of all links on a page. When every link uses the same text, such as "click here," the links become meaningless.
Good link text:
- Clearly identifies the destination or call to action.
- Makes sense out of context.
- Avoids unnecessary wording.
Avoid:
- Generic phrases such as "click here" or "read more."
- Pasting full URLs into the body text.
- Repeating the same vague link text multiple times.
Color Choices and Contrast
Color plays an important role in readability. Accessibility requires that text and important visual elements have sufficient contrast against their background.
Why Contrast Matters
When the difference in brightness is too low, text can blend into the background for individuals with low vision, color blindness, or those viewing screens in bright environments.
Tips for strong contrast:
- Use built-in themes when possible.
- Avoid light gray text on white backgrounds.
- Label data clearly in charts and use patterns in addition to color.
Do Not Rely on Color Alone
Color should not be the only way to communicate information. Do not rely only on green for correct or red for incorrect. Instead, combine color with labels, symbols, or text descriptions (e.g., ✅ Correct!).
How to Check Contrast
Use built-in accessibility checkers or online tools to test color values:
Tagged PDFs Instead of Scanned Images
PDFs shared digitally must contain the same accessible elements as any other digital document. A scanned PDF is not accessible because assistive technology cannot interpret image-based text.
Why PDFs Can Be Problematic
Common issues include missing structural tags, incorrect reading order, and images without alt text. Even if a document looks clear visually, it may be unreadable to a screen reader if it is just an image of text.
What Makes a PDF Accessible
An accessible PDF is a tagged PDF. Tags are structural data embedded in the file that identify headings, paragraphs, and lists. Accessibility elements must be built into the original source document (like Word) before the PDF is generated.
When to Consider Alternatives
Consider alternatives to PDFs if the content will be frequently updated or if the content can be posted directly on a web page or in Canvas. This often provides better usability and flexibility.
Accurate Captions and Transcripts for Videos
Video and audio content must be accessible to individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing. Federal laws like the ADA require equal access through captions and transcripts.
What Captions Do
Captions display spoken content and relevant sounds (like speaker identification or sound effects) as text. They must be accurate, synchronized, and complete. Automatically generated captions must be reviewed and corrected before sharing.
Closed Captions and Open Captions
Closed captions can be turned on or off by the viewer and are typically preferred in educational settings. Open captions are permanently displayed on the video. Both meet requirements if they are accurate.
What Is a Transcript
A transcript is a written version of all spoken content. They are required for audio-only content like podcasts. For videos, a transcript alone is not sufficient; captions are also required.
In Summary
Accessible content is built on structure, clarity, and intentional design. When these elements are built in from the start, content becomes more usable, professional, and compliant with accessibility requirements.
- Headings create organized information that assistive technologies can interpret.
- Alt text ensures images communicate meaning.
- Descriptive links provide context.
- Strong color contrast improves readability.
- Properly structured tables support data interpretation.
- Tagged PDFs preserve accessibility.
- Accurate captions and transcripts make media usable. Logical reading order ensures information is presented clearly.
- When these elements are built in from the start, content becomes more usable, more professional, and compliant with accessibility requirements.
What to Do Next
The next step is applying these foundational elements in the tools you use every day.
Now that you understand the foundational elements, the next step is applying them in the tools you use every day.
- Download the content accessibility checklist to use as you create and publish content.
- Visit the UNLV Accessibility Training page to register for practical, step-by-step guidance.