Digital accessibility ensures that Kenyon websites, web applications and digital content can be used by everyone. Digital content should be designed with accessibility in mind to ensure access to people who have a diverse range of hearing, movement, sight or cognitive abilities. This type of design promotes an improved user experience for everyone. For example, research shows that captioned media increases literacy skills, comprehension and retention for everyone.

Digital content should adhere to the World Wide Web Consortium’s Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2, level AA standards.

Web Content

Please contact Emily Lindo, associate director of web strategy, at lindoe@kenyon.edu if you need assistance with webpage updates including adding images, charts, tables or other items that might require alternate text or other complicated information.

If your document can exist as a webpage, the content management system should provide the accessibility features needed. If you need to create digital materials, the information below will help you create accessible documents and multimedia files.

© 1999-2017 WebAIM (Web Accessibility in Mind). All rights reserved.

Creating Accessible Documents and Multimedia Files

Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) are developed through the W3C process in cooperation with individuals and organizations around the world, with a goal of providing a single shared standard for web content accessibility that meets the needs of individuals, organizations, and governments internationally. W3C Web Accessibility Initiative

W3C Understanding Conformance provides detailed information about the specified standards for web accessibility.

Checklist to Evaluate Digital Content

  • If possible, create and share documents in HTML. It is the most accessible, multi-purpose digital format. 
  • Make source documents accessible.
  • Structure:
    • Page title and description: Make sure the page title and description are clear and labeled correctly.
    • Use heading styles.
    • Language: Define your site and digital material’s language.
    • Use simple language and active voice.
    • Do not use fonts that are too fancy, too thick or too thin.
    • Use clear fonts such as Verdana, Helvetica and Arial.
    • To leave space at the bottom of a page, do not use the enter key to create space. Use a page break feature to advance to type on the next page.
    • Do not use color as the only method to make information known.
    • Watermarks can impact readability and create low contrast.
    • Provide a table of contents for long documents.
    • Define uncommon acronyms and abbreviations.
  • Video and Audio:
    • Provide text transcript for non-live audio and for video without sound: speaker’s name, all speech content, relevant descriptions of speech.
    • Provide synchronized captions for all video, animations and webinars.
    • Video should include captions, transcripts and necessary audio descriptions.
    • Video players should allow the viewer to pause, rewind, change volume, turn on captions and audio descriptions with the mouse or the keyboard only.
    • Videos should not start automatically.
  • Images: Use alternate text for logos, images and charts.
  • Color contrast: The text on the page should stand out against the background. Free color contrast checkers are available at:
  • Keyboard: All page elements should be accessible without a mouse
  • Use compatible accessibility checkers where available. For example, Google Docs can be checked using GrackleDocs, which identifies accessibility issues and provides guidance for correcting them. (Advanced remediation tools require a subscription.)
  • Fixing PDFs should be a second choice. Scans are often not accessible and Acrobat Pro can prove difficult in creating accessible PDFs. Mathematical and scientific notation can be difficult to make accessible in PDF. Consider providing an HTML version of a document along with the PDF or in place of the PDF. If you need to upload a PDF to the Kenyon website, please contact Emily Lindo at lindoe@kenyon.edu for support.
  • Tables require structural markup and header identification.
  • Links: Use text that describes the destination of a link. A screen reader alerts the user when they encounter a link. WebAIM links and hyperlinks
  • Scientific notation should be accessible by screen readers and assistive technology. More about accessible math and notation.
  • Formulas 
    • Use MathML to create formulas
    • Formulas are images with alternative text descriptions if MathML is not an option
  • Social Media: Prioritize captions, alternative text, descriptive links and accessible versions of key content.
  • Accessible Design: Axaio
  • Test Using Assistive Technology:

APA Style and Accessibility

Accessible Typography