Thank you for reviewing common accessibility issues and choosing to address them, either independently or in partnership with the Center for Online Learning & Teach (COLT) team. Below are short videos that show how accessibility issues impact students, and how you can fix them quickly. The estimated time to read and watch all the content is 20 minutes. Topics include four common accessibility errors: contrast issues, link errors, empty or missing headings, and missing or questionable alt text.

The COLT team values your time and offers a "virtual concierge" service to support you one-on-one via Zoom, phone, or your preferred method. Whether you prefer working independently or with help, we're here to assist. Our shared goal is to reduce accessibility barriers. Fewer errors mean more accessible courses, which can lead to better understanding, higher success, and improved retention.

For a quick overview of all four accessibility errors, and to watch them corrected in real-time, take a look at this video in which I do just that:

Contrast Error

Low and High Contrast Contrast is the difference between the brightness of two colors. When a contrast ratio is low between the text and the background, the text can be difficult or impossible to read. The images to the left are an example of this. The National Eye Institute estimates that 1 in 12 men may have some type of color blindness - that's potentially a large portion of our student population!

Low contrast errors are the most common errors in our courses here at Shasta College. A low-range ratio is expressed as two numbers closer together, while I high-range ratio is expressed as numbers further apart. A low-range ratio might be 3:1, for example, while a high-range ratio is 12:1.

Take a look at this quick video (3.5 minutes) in which I explain how to quickly and easily address low contrast errors in your course content.

Link Errors

As you might guess, empty link errors are links without any text. These are difficult for keyboard and screen readers to use, as well as lacking context. Redundant link errors are common as well, and are likely results of editing and copy-and-paste mishaps.

Watch this video to see what an empty link error looks and sounds like (1 minute).

Empty link errors can be quick and easy to fix, or not! The quick and easy option is to simply remove the broken link - but use caution! You don't want to remove a link that's necessary and valid for your course. Redundant link errors are corrected by simply removing the redundant link.

The more challenging option is correct the empty link errors by manipulating the html code. If you find yourself correcting your errors through this method, shoot me a quick email! I'd be happy to take a look at your course content and work with you to get these errors reduced and make your courses more accessible.

Heading Errors

Heading errors are indicated when a page lacks headings, or when headings are out of order. Keyboard and screen reader users rely on headings to navigate content and find information, and without them, your important course content can be difficult to comprehend. Additionally, headers prepare your students cognitively for the information that follows. Without appropriate headings, which provide context, information can feel like it's coming from out of nowhere - like a black hole!

Empty headers errors are relatively easy to fix. Take a look at this quick video (2.5 mins) for a step-by-step instructions on how to find the heading errors, and how to correct them.

Alt Text

Alternative text, also known as "alt text," is the description that appears when one hovers over an image. An image that lacks alt text, can't be read by a screen reader, and any content that might be relayed via the image is unavailable to students with vision challenges. Pope Tech often flags images as "suspicious" when it appears with a .jpg ending.

There is no quick fix for missing alternative text errors because each image must be reviewed individually, and appropriate text added to each. However, adding alternative text to images allows all students equal access to the content, and as such, it's very important! (The alternative to adding text to each image is to mark images as decorative only. That said, please be sure that this is truly accurate and that students with vision challenges won't miss out any relevant course content.)

Check out how easily you can correct missing alternative text errors in this video created by Pope Tech (1 min).

Looking to know more about alternative text? Learn how to write engaging and descriptive alternative text! This quick video (3 mins) provides four tips to bring your text from "meh" to "awesome."

Connect with Us!

Thank for taking the time to review the most common barriers to accessible course content, and for considering how you can adjust your content and/or formatting so that it's the most accessible to all of our students. Creating accessible course content isn’t just the right thing to do, it’s a basic civil right.

Please reach out to the Ed Tech team for further assistance with this. Feel free to reach out to me directly, or connect with us via a help ticket. We're here to support you!