Each of us has a role in making content as accessible as possible. This site has been created as a training and reference site to educate
the UTMB community about mandated accessibility requirements and the
steps we can each take to best serve our various audiences.
Accessibility is a broad topic. Our approach focuses initially on
sharing best practices for the most commonly used applications --
Microsoft Outlook and Microsoft Word -- and will extend to other
applications and needs over time. "Playbooks" for roles and
applications provide tailored instructions. The good news is that as you become familiar with digital accessibility requirements and
solutions, you'll find they often apply across applications.
Review quarterly
Just like security, digital accessibility requirements will evolve; especially as software and technology continue to develop.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Select a card to learn about your role as a digital ally
CDC statistics show that "27% of adults in the U.S. (affecting 1/3 of U.S. households) have some type of disability."
Access
can be affected by permanent disability (vision loss), temporary
disability (broken arm), or situational challenges (a loud environment)
Auditory
- would someone need to hear to process your content if they were
hearing-impaired or in a loud environment? Are captions available?
Visual
- is your content accessible to people with blindness, color blindness,
or low vision? Is text large enough and does it have enough contrast?
Speech
- does your app rely on voice recognition? Will this work with slower
speech, are there alternatives for those who can't speak or who might be in a loud environment?
Physical
- if someone can't use a mouse, because of a permanent or temporary
disability can they navigate through your content
with just the keyboard? Do you rely on dragging (which can be difficult
for some, or do you also have methods for manually selecting values?
Cognitive -
is all of the content reliant on technical jargon? Are steps clear and
easy to follow for someone who is completing them for the first time or
may have trouble remembering multiple steps?
We want to make our content
available to everyone. People with disabilities may need alternative
design or specific formats so they can have equal access. Anything
created or consumed electronically (like email and Word documents) can
be made accessible.
Listen to your instincts
If
you notice, "this seems a little hard to read or understand..." take
actions like improving color contrast or simplifying the language when
possible. One we start paying attention, you'll start to notice a lot
more!
A11y is a special type of abbreviation called a
numeronym for the word accessibility. Using a11y is a way to simplify
the word and keep the meaning (and it is much easier to type!)
There are 11 letters between the A and the y, so Accessibility becomes A11y.
It
can be pronounced as "accessibility," "a-eleven-ty" or even sometimes
"a11y" depending on the context and is commonly used in the context of
digital accessibility. Generally we will use the direct pronunciation of
"accessibility."
Another example of a numeronym is i18n for internationalization (there are 18 letters between the i and the n!)
Digital
a11y is the practice of creating equal access to digital content for
our patients, staff, students, and others that consume our content. The
first step in the A11y process is to understand
what's needed and the methodologies
for meeting those goals. Maybe you've heard about web accessibility
-- that's just a portion of the content that needs to be accessible.
Digital content and applications are in continuous flux as technologies
push new boundaries daily. We strive
to continually improve our content availability from documents to
email to video, to social media to whatever technologies come next. This
site provides a central location for accessing the necessary guidelines, training, and tools enabling us to create accessible and inclusive digital content.
All of us create digital content and need to learn the basics of digital accessibility in the Content Creator Playbook.
Note: If you work in specialized role such as an Application Developer, Programmer, Video Creator, Purchasing, etc., you should use the playbook designed for your role as they provide content designed for your responsibilities.