This document discusses creating digital content that is accessible and inclusive for all users. It outlines the legal and ethical reasons for making content accessible, including new digital accessibility regulations. It explains how these regulations will impact those who create digital content at the University. Quick wins for improving accessibility are provided, such as using accessible file formats, alt text for images, sufficient color contrast and font sizes. Guidelines are offered for inclusive design of documents, presentations, videos and websites.

1. Creating Digital Content
Kirsten Thompson
OD&PL, University of Leeds | Twitter: @iamKirstenT

2. Overview
1. The case for change
2. What this means for OD&PL
3. Quick wins

3. The case for change
1. Equality Act 2010 duty to be anticipatory to the
needs of disabled students (1 in 5 in the UK have a
disability, Gov UK)
2. Increasing international students
3. Commitment to widening participation for
underrepresented groups
4. Eliminate disadvantage resulting from linguistic,
educational or cultural background, learning need
or learning preference
5. Inclusive approaches encourage flexibility, variety
and active learning. EVERYONE benefits.

4. The case for change cont.

5. The case for change cont.
New digital accessibility regulations
(23/09/18)
• Build on existing obligations
under the Equality Act 2010
• Includes websites, apps and VLEs
(and content published within)
• Meet WCAG 2.1 AA standards:
Perceivable, Operable,
Understandable and Robust
• Phased implementation starting
23/09/19

6. What this means for OD&PL
The new regulations impact:
• Web, platform and app developers
• Graphic designers
• All digital content creators
We need to develop guidelines for graphic
creation and update OD&PL templates
New workflow for digital requests (so we make
informed decisions about the tech we need)

7. What this means for OD&PL cont.
Create digital content that works for more people.
Consider:
• Dexterity
• Deafness
• Cognitive challenges
• Colour blindness
• Low vision
• Blindness

8. What this means for OD&PL cont.
Priorities for us:
September 23rd 2019 compliance deadline 1
• New/recent (created since last Sept but including
People Dev website launched last August) web spaces,
Minerva spaces and use of O365 applications
• All documents and brochures
• Multimedia: photos, graphics and video
• Email
• Understand accessibility of third-party digital content
and tools you use
September 23rd 2020 compliance deadline 2:
• historic content

9. Quick wins
• Choose a ‘born accessible strategy’
• Use MS Office file formats for documents with
OneDrive
• Professionally designed PDF brochures need an
alternative format (PDF brochures also need to be
designed more inclusively)
• Use built-in accessibility checkers in MS Office
(more thorough on desktop, compared to O365)
• Graphics & media content: design for small screens
• ALT (alternative) text needs to either fully describe
the image or be marked as ‘descriptive if the
content is just decorative

10. Quick wins cont.
• Word and email: minimum 12pt sans serif
(including email signatures)
• PowerPoint and presentations: minimum of
24pt sans serif (ideally bigger). Screen size
and room size influence how big fonts should
be for presentations
• Colour contrast: need to test, we can’t SEE if
colour contrast meets the standards
• Videos need captioning and narration/script
(keep readable on a small screen)

11. From existing web guide…
• Text alignment: left aligned text with a 'ragged' right-
hand margin is the most legible.
• Use styles to format headings, bullet points etc.
• Design: accessible design is clean, simple and
uncluttered with good visual navigation.
• Italics: avoid using italics (they can be difficult to read).
Instead use quotation marks if needed.
• Underlining: avoid unnecessary underlining (they can
be difficult to read).
• Capital letters: avoid over-use (they can be difficult to
read and appear as though we are SHOUTING!)
• Write content for reading on-screen and use Plain
English for ALL audiences.

12. From existing web guide…
• Links: always set links to open in the SAME window (on
webpages – unless e.g. you need ‘how-to guidance’
open whilst completing a form) and make clear what
the hyperlinked text will open e.g. a webpage, PDF,
email address etc and never use vague language such as
'open this' or 'click here' etc. (We aren’t supposed to
click links when we don’t know what we’re opening
anyway…)
• Link spacing: ensure sufficient space appears between
hyperlinked text. This helps people with low vision and
manual/hand dexterity challenges as well as people
accessing digital content on mobile devices in general.

13. DESIGN
INCLUSIVELY
TEACH
INCLUSIVELY
ASSESS
INCLUSIVELY
CREATE INCLUSIVE
L&T ENVIRONMENTS
DEVELOP
INCLUSIVE
PRACTICES
BACKGROUND FOR
PARAGRAPH TEXT
Inclusive Teaching Guides: new colour scheme
Colours chosen based upon contrast ratio:
• All pass AAA standard for normal and large text

14. Colour contrast checkers
• We need to meet AA standard
but should aim for AAA.
• Colour Contrast Checker (no
download, Web Aim website)
• I also use this free tool (download
required for Mac and Windows):
Colour Contrast Analyser (Paciello
Group website)

15. MS Office Accessibility Training
• Microsoft Accessibility Trainin (MS Office
website)
Remember….
1. Accessibility checkers do not pick up everything
but they are a great starting point.
2. We still need to consider other aspects of
inclusion when creating digital content (we will
cover in another workshop)
3. Creating accessible content isn’t as difficult as it
might first appear – it gets easier and becomes
routine. 

16. Thank you
Learn more at:
inclusiveteaching.leeds.ac.uk
OD&PL workshops to follow…
Kirsten Thompson
OD&PL, University of Leeds | Twitter: @iamKirstenT