This checklist is intended to be a starting point for making documents and websites accessible. It should be used in conjunction with our associated tutorials. Related in-depth resources are linked throughout the checklist.
This checklist is not comprehensive. The MSU Digital Accessibility Policy requires full conformance with the Technical Guidelines. Please contact department support staff or digital accessibility liaisons with technical questions. (Download a PDF of the condensed checklist.)
Check that text, visual elements, and interactive elements have strong contrast against the page background. Providing enough contrast between the foreground and background enables readability for sighted individuals. Black on a white background is typically the best option because it has high contrast.
Check that color is not the only visual means of distinguishing a visual element. Any information conveyed by color should also be paired with text or another type of visual indicator. Pairing color with another indicator aims to ensure that sighted individuals who cannot distinguish between some colors can still understand the content. For example, charts and graphs could include patterns in addition to color.
Alternative text (alt text) is required for all visuals that provide meaningful information, such as images, graphs, and charts. Descriptive alt text explains the image to provide a similar experience to that of a sighted individual. Images used solely for decoration should be given an empty alt tag.
Use text instead of images of text. Using text ensures that individuals can adjust the text to meet their needs by increasing the size or changing the color or the font family. Text is searchable, selectable, and recognized by assistive technologies.
Use heading styles to designate content organization. Using headings (e.g., Heading 1, Heading 2) indicates the hierarchy of content. Predefined style headings in text editors enable clear understanding of the structure of the document or web page. Check that headings are in sequential order and that they do not skip a level. On long pages of content, consider using a table of contents to help readers jump more quickly between headings.
Use bulleted or numbered list styles to denote list structure. This ensures consistent formatting and helps screen readers understand the content structure and organization.
Check that the purpose of the link can be determined from the link text alone. Link text like “click here” does not provide context to understand where the link is going. Use descriptive and meaningful link text. For example, link text for a registration form could be “sign up to attend the event.” It is not necessary to include “link” in link text because screen readers will say “link” before each link.
Format and use simple tables with column and row headers. Split nested tables up into simple tables, and do not use tables to control layout.
Supply multiple avenues for multimedia content as a method of delivering the same information to all individuals. Audio content should have a full transcript. Video content should have accurate captions, and an audio description that describes the visual information of the video.
Check that documents are in their native file format—the default file type a program creates. Native file formats are preferred over PDFs because converting a native document to PDF removes accessibility features, requiring additional steps to restore document structure.
For moving, blinking, or scrolling information that starts automatically, lasts more than five seconds, and is presented in parallel with other content, provide a mechanism to pause, stop, or hide it. Check that content does not contain anything that flashes more than three times in a one-second period.
Do not rely solely on references to shape, size, or position to describe content. Check that additional information is included in any instructions that allows individuals to understand them even if they cannot perceive shape, size, or position.