Accessibility training for web editors

This self-study online course will give you guidance on how to apply accessibility principles as a web editor.

Find out more and register for the course

If you publish content on any of the College's online platforms or applications then you have an important role in ensuring we provide accessible content, meaning it can be used and interpreted by everyone that accesses it including those using assistive and inclusive technology. In this section of the web guide you will find everything that you need to create accessible and effective content including guidance on headings, links, images, documents, videos and more. 

What is accessibility?

"The power of the Web is in its universality. Access by everyone regardless of disability is an essential aspect."
Tim Berners-Lee, W3C Director and inventor of the World Wide Web. Source: World Wide Web Consortium (W3C)

Accessibility is not just about disability, it is about universality!

  • It means making your website accessible to all internet users.
  • It is about the inclusion and participation of people with disabilities using the web.
  • There are lots of different factors that affect the way in which people navigate websites.
  • Browser technology is also an important consideration  - each browser displays information differently.

At Imperial our main website has been designed and built with accessibility as a consideration from the start. For example, the website works with different devices and screen sizes.

How you can make your content more accessible

Some of the most important aspects of accessibility are to do with the way people create and edit content. We have put together some guidance about how you can use these elements in an effective and accessible way. We have also created a handy accessible content checklist so you can test if your content is meeting the standards.

Guides for creating accessible content

Headings

Headings determine the structure and hierarchy of your content, so they are vital for both the accessibility and readability of your content.

How to use headings effectively

Images

Images are used for a variety of reasons, but if they have a function or purpose then you must provide a text alternative.

Find out how to make your images accessible

Links

Links are one of the most important aspects of your website, but using them poorly can really effect user experience.

Create effective and accessible links

Tables

When to use tables and the alternative ways to present your content.

Learn more about tables

Documents

You should avoid publishing online documents where possible and use web pages as the primary way for publishing information online. View our guidance on publishing accessible documents.

Creating accessible Microsoft Office documents

We have also put together some guidance covering the main things you can do to make your Office documents more accessible.

Video and audio

Videos are a great way of presenting creative and dynamic content, but you must consider people who are deaf or have visual impairments.

Find out how to create accessible video and audio

Surveys

You must still ensure that the content of your survey is accessible. A well-designed survey will be easier for all respondents to complete.

Find out about writing accessible surveys

Test your content

Following our guidance will help you create accessible content, but we would also recommend testing this using a accessibility tools.

Screen reader simulators

There are a few free screen readers out there, that we would recommend:

Accessibility testing tools

Accessibility Insights for Web is a plugin for Google Chrome which will run an automated accessibility check on your pages and tell you how to carry out more extensive manual accessibility assessments.

Find out more about testing tools.

Accessibility training

We have put together an online course - Accessibility for web editors - so you can learn more about web accessibility and test your knowledge along the way.

There are also online courses offered by LinkedIn learning such as UX Foundations: Accessibility and Accessibility for Web Design.

Accessibility statements

One of the requirements for the public sector accessibility regulations is that you must add a web accessibility statement to your site, detailing how accessible the site is, any areas that are not, and what you are doing to improve it. 

If your content is on central supported platforms i.e. Site Manager CMS, News website or events, then this will already be covered by the College website accessibility statement. If you manage a website on another platform then you will need to add a statement.

Find out more about accessibility statements and download a template 

 

Further information

Need more help?

For further help with making your site accessible contact your Faculty web Officer