Accessibility Guidelines
What is Digital Accessibility?
Digital accessibility ensures that our digital content, documents, and online materials are usable by everyone, including those with disabilities. This is not just beneficial, it’s a legal requirement. Under the EU Web Accessibility Directive, Teagasc must ensure accessibility across all digital platforms, meeting the WCAG 2.1 (AA level) standards. Accessible digital content fosters inclusivity and helps meet the needs of individuals with visual, auditory, motor, and cognitive impairments.
Why Accessibility Matters
- Legal Compliance: Public bodies, including Teagasc, are required to comply with the EU Web Accessibility Directive, which mandates accessible websites. The National Disability Authority monitors the accessibility of websites.
- Inclusivity: 15-25% of people live with disabilities, many relying on assistive technologies. Accessible content enables access to information.
- Wider Benefits: Accessibility improves user experience for all, enhances search engine rankings, and promotes usability on various devices.
Creating Accessible Content
- Headings: Apply built-in styles to create a logical structure, allowing screen readers to navigate content effectively.
- Alt Text for Images: Describe the image content clearly in alt text to make images accessible to those using screen readers.
- Simple Language: Keep text concise, avoid jargon, and spell out acronyms on first mention.
- Accessible Tables: Ensure tables are used for data, not layout, and include headers for screen reader compatibility.
- Descriptive Links: Use meaningful link text (e.g. "download the report" instead of "click here") to provide clear navigation.
- Colour Contrast: Ensure sufficient contrast (use WebAIM Contrast Checker) to support readability.
- Captions: Provide captions for videos to support users with auditory disabilities.
- Capital letters: Do not capitalise entire words. Reserve capital letters for acronyms only.
Word Documents
- Creating accessible word documents for conference papers and booklets (pdf)
- Accessibility Training Webinar - How to Create Accessible Documents (Video)
- Creating Accessible Word Documents - Presentation Slides
- Guidelines for Making Microsoft Word Documents Accessible (pdf)
PowerPoint Presentations
- Guidelines for Creating Accessible Powerpoint Presentations (pdf)
- Accessibility Training Webinar - How to create accessible PowerPoint presentations (Video)
- Creating Accessible PowerPoint Documents - Presentation Slides
- Creating slides with accessible reading order
Social Media
- Add alternative text to images (Twitter/X, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn)
- Ensure sufficient colour contrast for text in graphics (use WebAIM Contrast Checker)
- Add captions to all video content
- Use accessible fonts (Lato, Arial, Calibri)