Best Practices

The best practices below are a starting point for creating accessible digital content across our district.

These concepts outline the core expectations staff should be familiar with when publishing online, sharing information, or communicating digitally. They focus on practical, everyday actions that help ensure our content is mobile-friendly, usable, searchable, and translatable for the people we serve.

Best Practices

Alt Text

Alt text ensures images are understood by everyone, including users who rely on screen readers. View our Alt Text page, dedicated to helping you understand how to write effective alt text.

Why This Matters

Images that contain meaningful information must be described in text so people who cannot see them can still access the content. Without alt text, screen reader users miss essential context, instructions, or messages conveyed visually.

Do

Write clear, concise alt text that explains the purpose of the image.
Describe text that appears in images.
Keep alt text under ~125 characters when possible
Mark purely decorative images as decorative

Don’t

Don’t start with “image of” or “picture of”
Don’t repeat surrounding text unnecessarily
Don’t leave meaningful images without alt text
Don’t over-describe visual details that don’t add meaning

Checklist: Ask Yourself

If I couldn’t see this image, would the alt text tell me what I need to know?
Does the alt text describe why the image is included?
Is decorative content properly marked as decorative?

Audio Descriptions

Audio descriptions provide access to important visual information in video content.

Why This Matters

When visual elements communicate information that is not spoken — such as text on screen, actions, or scene changes — audio descriptions ensure people who are blind or have low vision can fully understand the content.

Do

Provide audio descriptions when visuals add meaning
Include descriptions of on-screen text, actions, or charts
Use natural pauses in narration when possible

Don’t

Don’t assume narration alone explains all visuals
Don’t skip descriptions for instructional or informational videos

Checklist: Ask Yourself

Is any important information shown visually but not spoken?
Would a listener understand the video without seeing it?

Captioning & Transcripts

Captions and transcripts make audio and video content accessible to more audiences.

Why This Matters

Captions support people who are deaf or hard of hearing, English learners, and anyone viewing content in sound-limited environments. Transcripts provide full access to audio-only content and improve comprehension and searchability.

Do

Provide accurate captions for all videos
Review and correct auto-generated captions
Provide transcripts for audio-only content

Don’t

Don’t rely on unedited automatic captions
Don’t use captions that are incomplete or out of sync

Checklist: Ask Yourself

Are captions accurate, complete, and synchronized?
Does audio-only content have a transcript?

Color & Contrast

Color and contrast choices affect how easily content can be read and understood.

Why This Matters

Low contrast and color-only cues create barriers for people with low vision or color blindness. Accessible contrast improves readability for everyone, especially on mobile devices.

Do

Use sufficient contrast between text and background
Use text, icons, or patterns in addition to color
Test contrast using accessibility tools

Don’t

Don’t rely on color alone to convey meaning
Don’t place text on busy or low-contrast backgrounds

Checklist: Ask Yourself

Can this be understood without color?
Is the text easy to read on different screens?

Heading Hierachy

Headings create structure that helps users navigate content efficiently.

Why This Matters

Screen reader users rely on headings to scan and navigate pages. Proper hierarchy also improves readability and organization for all users.

Do

Use built-in heading styles (H1, H2, H3…)
Follow a logical, nested order
Use headings to organize content meaningfully

Don’t

Don’t skip heading levels
Don’t use headings only for visual styling
Do not style text as a heading if it's not a heading.

Checklist: Ask Yourself

Does the heading structure make sense out of order?
Are headings used for organization, not decoration?

Link Text

Clear link text tells users exactly where a link will take them.

Why This Matters

Screen reader users often navigate by links alone. Vague phrases like “click here” provide no context and create confusion.

Do

Use descriptive, meaningful link text
Indicate file types when linking to documents
Keep link text concise but specific

Don’t

Don’t use “click here” or “read more” alone
Don’t paste full URLs as visible link text

Checklist: Ask Yourself

Would this link make sense on its own?
Does the link text describe the destination?

Native Text

Native text is the most accessible way to share information online.

Why This Matters

Text entered directly into webpages, emails, or platforms is easier to read, translate, resize, and interpret with assistive technology than text embedded in images or documents.

Do

Share information as native text whenever possible
Use platform formatting tools
Pair images with full text explanations

Don’t

Don’t embed important text inside images
Don’t use screenshots to share information

Checklist: Ask Yourself

Can this content be selected, resized, and translated?
Is any important information locked inside an image?

What to Avoid

In general, certain practices frequently cause accessibility issues. Avoid at all costs:

Scanned PDFs
Images with important information shown in text that is not also spelled out in the alt text
Low-contrast color combinations
Very large files
Videos without captions
Nondescript links such as "click here" or "link." Instead, describe what the link leads to.

Source: Finalsite Accessibility Overview.