This document is intended to guide Knowledgebase editors in creating articles that are as accessible as possible within the tools provided. It should be read as a set of guidelines rather than a hard checklist for compliance with accessibility standards. That said, articles that follow the practices in this guide are both more likely to be compliant with standards and more likely to be accessible to a wide variety of campus audiences.
Quick Reference
Following is a concise summary of key practices. See the relevant sections below for further detail and context.
Keep it simple! Break long content into short sections, consider using lists where appropriate, and define technical terminology.
Check your heading structure. Use built-in heading levels (Heading 2, Heading 3, etc.) to break up article content, and make sure the outline of headings, subheadings, and sub-subheadings is logical across the entire article.
Add alternative text to images. Be descriptive of what the image means in context. If someone can’t see the image, what do they need to know about it?
Be descriptive when adding links. Generic labels like "click here" or "read more" carry no meaning when read by a screen reader. A good label includes the action: "Contact the Chair," "Apply for the Cheer Award," etc.
Be sparing with bold and italics. A few words here and there are fine, for emphasis. Whole paragraphs of text in bold or italics are difficult for many users to read.
General Layout
In general, aim for function over design when writing articles. The primary purpose of a Knowledgebase article is to convey complex information in as straightforward a way as possible. A good article has a well-defined heading structure (see next section), uses short paragraphs, and incorporates lists to help break down procedural steps. Try to aim for an eighth-grade reading level wherever possible, and define any technical terms that may not be familiar to a general audience.
Headings
Strive to maintain a well-structured document outline through the use of headings. On web pages, headings range from level 1 to 6. Knowledgebase articles include a level 1 heading by default. When writing article content, start each section with a level 2 heading, and then structure any subheadings as level 3 headings, and so on. Avoid skipping levels wherever possible.
Example of the heading level controls in the Knowledgebase's text editor
Please note, heading elements should NOT be bolded or italicized to maintain a consistent design across all Knowledgebase articles.
Images
Be sure to add an appropriate alternative text ("alt text") to all images. Alt text is required for accessibility compliance, as assistive technologies (such as screen readers) will read out this text to users who may be unable to see the image. Ideally, the alt text is reasonably descriptive of what the image means in context. For example, an image of the campus footbridge, on a page discussing campus renovation plans, might have alt text that reads, "Eau Claire campus footbridge showing heavy foot traffic and cracked concrete."
Wherever possible, avoid choosing images that have text or other complex information embedded within them. Where such images are unavoidable (e.g. infographics or posters), be sure to fully describe the information within the text of the page.
Links
When inserting a link into article text, choose an appropriate label that describes the destination or action of the link. Avoid generic labels like "click here" or "learn more." Assistive technologies (such as screen readers) may present users with a list of links on the page, devoid of context; in such cases, generic labels carry no meaning. Examples of good link text include "Contact the Chair," "Fill Out the Wellness Survey," or "Visit the Archives."
Avoid adding any bold or italic formatting to links. The app already applies appropriate formatting to links such that they appear as consistent as possible in all contexts.
Text
Bold and italics may be used, but sparingly. Avoid long passages of bolded or italicized text. Excessive formatting makes content difficult to read for many users.
