Broader Accessibility Guidelines

All VIVA content should meet WCAG 2.2 AA standards. At minimum, items should meet WCAG 2.1 AA Standards as required by federal legislation. But we encourage meeting the most current guidelines (2.2).

General Resources

General Accessibility Information

• WebAIM (Accessibility in Mind). Includes guidance on most, if not all, aspects of web accessibility, including how to implement requirements in code
  • Also includes some training
• GMU Assistive Technologies Initiative – Mason CARES guide Includes guidance on creating accessible content in Word and Powerpoint and more.
• Digital Accessibility Foundations – Free, self-paced course (W3C)​
• Creating Accessible Products (section508.gov)

Accessibility in OER and Course Design

• BC Campus Accessibility Toolkit – 2nd Edition
• Best Practices in Accessible Online Design

Accessibility Checkers

A number of accessibility checkers exist, including:

• Built-in accessibility checkers for Microsoft and Adobe products. These provide a basic check for the specific document type.
  • Microsoft Word Accessibility Checker Overview
  • Microsoft Powerpoint Accessibility Checker Overview
  • Adobe Acrobat: PDF Accessibility: Using the Accessibility Checker and Running the Make Accessible Wizard
• Web Accessibility Evaluation Tool (WAVE) (WebAIM). Can drop a website URL at the website or download a browser extension. Will flag accessibility issues/WCAG erorrs on the webpage.
• ANDI (Accessible Name & Description Inspector) (SSA). Favelet/Bookmarklet that will detect accessibility issues.

Color Contrast Checkers

A number of color contrast checkers can easily be found by doing a search for “color contrast checker.” If you’re unsure where to start, VIVA recommends:

• Colour Contrast Analyzer. Free download. Enter color code or use an eyedropper to select colors from anything on your screen, no matter the application.
  • How to use Colour Contrast Analyser Tool
• Contrast Checker (WebAIM) – In browser tool. Enter HEX code or use an eyedropper to select colors from anything on your screen, no matter the application.
  • Also exists as a Contrast Checker bookmarklet to evaluate websites

Screen Readers

Screen readers are used by those with visual impairments to read materials aloud. It can sometimes be helpful to run materials through a Screen Reader to experience first hand what it would sound like to someone who needs to use such software.

Recommended Screen Readers include:

• NVDA (PC) – Free
• VoiceOver (Mac) – Free
• JAWS (Jobs Access with Speech) – paid versions only.  Works with both PC and Mac.

Learn more about Screen Readers (WebAIM).