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Digital Accessibility and Website Design

First Steps in Creating an Accessible Website

We’ve compiled a top-five list of items for you when creating an accessible webpage or editing existing web pages. These are the items that everyone can follow to make their websites more accessible.

Welcome to the journey of crafting an inclusive library website and other digital spaces! In this learning path, you’ll explore the significance of web accessibility and how to work to ensure that your library’s online resources are accessible to all users. As we delve into this journey, you’ll also discover the vital practice of accessibility testing, engaging individuals with disabilities to guarantee that your website serves their needs effectively.

Let’s embark on this journey together and create a library website that truly caters to everyone’s needs!

Overview

The total time to complete this learning path is approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes.

By the end of this learning path, you will know what websites require to be accessible and what to advocate for to ensure that your library website is accessible.

Learning Path

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Step 1: Creating Accessible Website

We’ve created resources that you can refer to to ensure that your library websites are accessible. Additionally, you can also use these resources to inform yourself to advocate for accessibility in your digital spaces.

It will take approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes to complete this section.

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Step 2: Going Further

Now that you’ve familiarized yourself with website accessibility, let’s explore resources that provide further details about digital accessibility!

It will take about 1 hour and 45 minutes to complete this section.

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Step 3: Explore Supporting Resources

There are many resources on the web about digital accessibility and website design. We’ve brought together excellent website accessibility and accessibility testing resources for you.

The total time to complete this section is up to you!

Creating Accessible Websites

We’ve created resources that you can refer to to ensure that your library websites are accessible. Additionally, you can also use these resources to inform yourself to advocate for accessibility in your digital spaces.

The total time to complete this section is approximately 1 hour and 20 minutes.

  • First Steps in Creating Accessible Websites: We’ve compiled a top-five list of items for you when creating an accessible webpage or editing existing web pages. These are the items that everyone can follow to make their websites more accessible. (10 minutes)
  • Website Accessibility Checklist: Creating an accessible website is crucial to ensure all users can access your website effectively. To simplify the process of familiarizing with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, we compiled a checklist which provides recommendations for making web content accessible, regardless of navigation method (10 minutes).
  • Accessible Websites Webinar: Watch the Accessible Website webinar, which includes video demonstrations, to learn about common accessibility barriers. The information covered in this webinar includes inaccessible forms, keyboard navigation, the readability of your site, considering contrast and much more (1 hour).
  • Accessibility Overlays and Accessibility: Websites often use accessibility overlays as a solution for accessibility when, in fact, accessibility overlays create segregation and result in more exclusion for people with disabilities (10 minutes).

Going Further

Now that you’ve familiarized yourself with website accessibility, let’s dive into resources that have further details about digital accessibility!

The approximate time to complete this section is 1 hour and 45 minutes.

  • Creating and editing accessibility metadata MARC tags for library staff: The descriptive metadata in bibliographic records allows patrons to find a resource in the online catalogue by searching by author, title, keyword, or subject. Other criteria, such as the search by accessibility feature, can be used to narrow down the search further (15 minutes).
  • Adding Alt Text and Long Descriptions Checklist: This is a great resource with examples that provide information on how to create alternative text and long descriptions for images, including complex content such as infographics, charts, and maps. (20 minutes)
  • Checklist: Creating Accessible Documents: This checklist is an excellent resource to consult when creating accessible digital documents, especially if you have documents on your website that users can download (35 minutes).
  • Assistive Technology Demonstrations: Assistive technology refers to products, equipment, and systems that enhance reading, learning, working, and daily living for people with disabilities. In this resource, we provide assistive technology demonstrations (35 minutes).

Explore Supporting Resources

There are many resources across the web on the subject of digital accessibility and website design. We’ve brought together excellent website accessibility and accessibility testing resources for you. We hope you enjoy exploring the supporting resources.

The total time to complete this section is up to you!

Accessible Websites

Website accessibility is an important topic and there are terrific resources across the web focused on the subject. We’ve brought together some of the best for you to explore.

Accessibility Testing

Accessibility testing by experts with lived experiences is the best way to ensure that your digital spaces and websites are accessible. Read about accessibility testing and the National Network for Equitable Library Service (NNELS) testing reports for more information about the process and the barriers they find.