Note: If you do not see the accessibility checker icon in the rich-text editor please reach out to your system administrator.
In general, content created with the rich-text editor will be accessible. However, changing font or background colours or adding content other than text could create accessibility issues. To ensure your content is accessible for all students, it is recommended to run the accessibility checker before saving to identify accessibility issues that need attention. This is particularly important if you have entered content other than plain text or have used the source code option to format the content.
When the accessibility checker icon is clicked, the content in the rich-text editor will be checked for accessibility issues. The plugin uses the axe® rules engine from Deque systems, and can find and sometimes also fix, a range of issues. In general, all accessibility issues that do not require user intervention will automatically be fixed when the content is saved. Over 70 types of errors are fixed automatically if it occurs. Below, you can find some examples of inaccessible content that typically require user interaction to fix.
| Type of content | What to watch out for |
|---|---|
| Colour contrast | Text elements must have sufficient colour contrast against the background. |
| Links | Links must be distinguishable from other text in a way that does not rely on colour. The link text must be understandable without the surrounding text. If more links have the same name, they must also do the same thing or have the same purpose. |
| Images | Images must have alternative text or empty alternative text if they are purely decorative. Text of buttons and links should not be repeated in the alternative text. |
| Headers and paragraphs | Style headers using proper header style, not text formatting like bold, italics etc. The first header should be styled as H1, with subsequent headers in the correct order. Do not skip header levels. |
| Tables | A table should have a caption, do not use data/header cells for this. Use table headers. Do not use tables for formatting content. It makes it difficult to understand if you do not actually see the content. |
Further links:
10 ideas for creating accessible content for everyone in itslearning