MCC Daily Tribune
Fundamentals of Digital Content Accessibility
Below are some of the key elements to consider when creating digital content and making it accessible. This week, we will go into more detail on how to make your content accessible through a series of workshops and Daily Tribune articles.
Alternative Text for Images (“alt text”)
Alt text is a brief description of an image’s appearance, content, and/or function. Screen readers read the alt text aloud to website visitors, allowing them to understand the image’s content. Alt text should be concise and meaningful, and ideally no more than 150 characters. Be sure to put a period at the end of the alt text. Avoid using words like “image of” or “photo of.” If an image is purely decorative, most content editors have an option to mark the image as decorative.
Heading Structure
Headings are words or short phrases that create the content hierarchy of a page and separate sections of content. Headings describe the content that follows and create an outline for your document or web page. Not only are they invaluable for people using screen readers, but they also assist sighted users. Be sure to use the actual Heading options built into your content editor. Do not simply use bold or enlarged text for headings. Headings with an equal or higher level start a new section; headings with a lower level start new subsections that are part of the higher-level section. Avoid skipping heading levels as it can confuse users. For example, make sure that a Heading 2 is not followed directly by a Heading 4.
Fonts & Color Contrast
Fonts should be large enough to be legible, and not overly decorative. The best fonts for accessible content are generally clean, sans-serif typefaces with clear character distinction, such as Verdana, Arial, Tahoma, Roboto, and Open Sans. A minimum font size of 12-16 points is recommended.
Color contrast refers to the difference in brightness between the background and foreground colors of digital content. High contrast (like black text on a white background) enhances clarity, while low contrast (like light gray text on a white background) can make content harder to read. Color alone should not be used to convey meaning, as many people have difficulty distinguishing colors or may not see certain colors at all. For small text, a 4.5:1 contrast ratio is required. For large text, a 3:1 contrast ratio is required. Large text is defined as unbolded text that is 18 point (24 px) or larger or bolded text that is 14 point (18.5 px) or larger. Use WebAIM’s color contrast tool to verify compliance.
Descriptive Link Text
Good link text is descriptive and gives users an idea of what to expect when they click the link. For example, if a link says, "Learn more about accessibility," the link text clearly indicates that clicking it will provide additional information on that topic. Do not spell out full URLs in your content, as they can be complicated for screen readers to read aloud. Descriptive link text makes it easier for users of screen readers to skim through links and find relevant information quickly, and helps them understand where the link will take them. Avoid redundancy and generic link text like “click here” or “read more,” as those do not convey any information about the destination.
For SMS text messaging or print materials, when spelling out a full URL is unavoidable, place the descriptive text before the URL. For example:
Monroe Community College Website (https://www.monroecc.edu)
Lists
Lists made by simply typing asterisks, numbers, or dashes aren’t accessible. Instead, they’re just like all the other text on the page. Accessible lists can be created by using the list tools within your content editor. When lists are made accessible, assistive technologies will tell users how many items are in a list, let them skip the list instead of reviewing each item, help them easily navigate from item to item, and convey the proper structure and hierarchy of the list contents. Use bulleted lists when there is no specific order needed for the items. Use numbered lists when there is a defined sequence, order, or prioritization for the items.
Tables
Accessible tables enable users with disabilities, particularly those using screen readers, to understand and navigate data easily. Tables should use correctly tagged column and row headers, and should be described in the page text or caption. Tables should be used for tabular data, not solely for layout purposes.
Audio/Video
Captions are required for all videos posted online, used in courses, and shared on social media. Transcripts are required when audio content lacks accompanying video (e.g., podcasts). Transcripts are also recommended for pre-recorded video.
Audio descriptions are narrated audio tracks that describe essential visual elements (e.g., actions, characters, scene changes, and on-screen text) during natural pauses in dialogue. Audio descriptions are required for pre-recorded video.
Jamie Hoover
Title II Digital Content Accessibility Committee
04/06/2026