July 26, 2023 - Today, on the 33rd Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) being signed into law on July 26, 1990, we acknowledge the continued need to focus on accessible communications.
The way we communicate as a society since 1990 has gone through many changes, including becoming more digitally focused, with social media, email, webpages, mobile technology, and much more. For MAPC towns and cities, staying up to date on digital communications best practices that are constantly advancing and changing can be overwhelming. However, you must be able to communicate and engage with every resident within your community.
To commemorate this ADA Anniversary, below you will find thirty-three simple and straightforward ways to make your own digital communications more accessible. It’s not an exhaustive list – there is always more to learn and do – but implementing these practices is a step in the right direction!
1. Capitalize the first letter of every word in a hashtag. More information.
2. Capitalize the first letter in the first word for URLs. More information.
3. Disable or try not to use pop-ups on your website, but if you do, make them accessible. More information.
4. Include alt text for all non-decorative images on your website, social media posts, emails, and all digital communications. More information.
5. Left-align text whenever possible. More information.
6. Use color contrasts (text, background) that meet the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) standard. You can use this free tool to always check! More information.
7. For all events and meetings, inform the public way in advance of what accessible tools and resources will be available. More information.
8. Keep the design and layout of emails in platforms such as Constant Contact, MailChimp and others simple and straightforward. More information.
9. Write out your contact information in your email signature line. More information.
10. If you use an image in your email signature (like your logo), include alt text for it. More information.
11. Provide space around your content. More information.
12. Only underline words that are hyperlinked. More information.
13. Try to not use “all caps” for words. More information.
14. Only use straight-forward typography. More information.
15. Make your PDF documents accessible using the Microsoft PDF Accessibility Checker. More information.
16. Always use people-first language. More information.
17. Create documents in more than one format and language if possible. More information.
18. In Microsoft Word, use the available types of text in the “Styles” box for your document. More information.
19. Always speak to the person you are communicating with rather than their interpreter if one is with them. More information.
20. Text and copy should always be visually clean without clutter. More information.
21. Include accommodations language on your website, event invitations, job postings, and more. More information.
22. In writing your alt text for an image that includes people, don’t include their gender or race in your alt text descriptions. More information.
23. When saving a file, use a descriptive name as the file’s name to make it easier to find. More information.
24. When using bullet points in a document, use the “built in” bullet points instead of attempting to create your own. More information.
25. Align any text boxes with the in-line text to make it readable. More information.
26. Use headings both in documents and for webpages on your website to help provide straightforward navigation of content. More information.
27. On your website, include the default language in the HTML code (or have your web developer do so). More information.
28. Stay away from using text smaller than size 14. Using font size 16 is better. More information.
29. Use the pre-set slide templates in PowerPoint. More information.
30. If using text boxes in a PowerPoint slide, place them in a reading order that is logical. More information.
31. Don’t use transitions and animations in a PowerPoint slide deck. More information.
32. Avoid using data tables that are not simple and straight-forward. More information.
33. Continue educating yourself on ways and opportunities to make your digital communications as accessible as possible to all audiences!
What accessibility best practices do you incorporate into your digital communications work that were not included in the list above? Share them with [email protected].