[Dcouncil] FW: [EXTERNAL] SPOC Best Practices: Introduction to Accessibility and Accessibility in Text Documents and Images

Wed Jul 5 14:30:38 EDT 2023

Hello fellow council members-
Passing along this note about accessibility from DOE for your interest.
Thanks, Rebecca

From: Science Public Outreach <SPOC at LISTSERV.GSA.GOV> on behalf of Shea, Shannon <000002a6f6988297-dmarc-request at LISTSERV.GSA.GOV>
Date: Wednesday, July 5, 2023 at 1:16 PM
To: SPOC at LISTSERV.GSA.GOV <SPOC at LISTSERV.GSA.GOV>
Subject: [EXTERNAL] SPOC Best Practices: Introduction to Accessibility and Accessibility in Text Documents and Images
[SPOC: Best Practices Newsletter]
Summer is upon us!
For our content this month, we’re revisiting accessibility. While much of this material ran in October 2018, we’ve added quite a bit more based on resources we’ve found since then, including a section on making virtual events accessible. This week, we’ll be covering what accessibility is, why it’s so important, and how to make text and images accessible. Next week, we’ll cover making video, websites, and social media accessible. The last week, we’ll look at virtual events and presentations.

Best Practices: Introduction to Accessibility and Accessibility in Text Documents and Images
What is accessibility?
Accessibility makes it possible for people with disabilities to comprehend and use your communications products. Someone who is blind may not be able to see a photo on your website, but a good alt-text caption can help them understand what the photo is and why you have it there. This extends to website functionality as well. Many of the features we take for granted on websites, like drop-down menus and forms, can be difficult for people who rely on accessibility tools. The Revised 508 Standards Roadmap<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__section508.gov_manage_program-2Droadmap&d=DwMFAg&c=CJqEzB1piLOyyvZjb8YUQw&r=E94XJswMHgi5jiSeRgyExQUr6qhcKFB8kjUZ3IzvJB4&m=UyWhYK5e88e6R7OHgQc8KhxVjfNMz5xraFWZY-ce5NLvqB9J-k1AsB8C3J4sUNos&s=WqThxpdL2T-eUeQVsQvIncqXLisvuzNnIf2OdvFRzsQ&e=> provides a toolkit to understand the standards and how they apply to you.
Excellent accessible communications take people with a variety of disabilities into account, including those who are visually impaired, have difficulty hearing, are neurodivergent, color blind, and those who have learning difficulties. To learn about the many different ways people with disabilities experience the Web, the Web Accessibility Initiative has an excellent resource<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.w3.org_WAI_people-2Duse-2Dweb_&d=DwMFAg&c=CJqEzB1piLOyyvZjb8YUQw&r=E94XJswMHgi5jiSeRgyExQUr6qhcKFB8kjUZ3IzvJB4&m=UyWhYK5e88e6R7OHgQc8KhxVjfNMz5xraFWZY-ce5NLvqB9J-k1AsB8C3J4sUNos&s=vXDbSftW2IwEzcZ1Phqlrx-myTz3E6m3NqvsOim_2a0&e=> that describes both personal experiences and commonly used tools.
Accessibility is different from general usability because usability is about making your communications as easy to use as possible for the vast majority of the audience. Accessibility is specifically about making it usable at all for people with disabilities. While sometimes they overlap, they’re separate issues that designers need to consider.
Like usability, accessibility is best considered at the beginning of a communications project rather than at the end. Trying to integrate accessibility features at the end of a project often results in a poor end product. The article Why Your User Experience Must Include Design for Accessibility<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__digital.gov_2015_10_16_why-2Dyour-2Duser-2Dexperience-2Dmust-2Dinclude-2Ddesign-2Dfor-2Daccessibility_&d=DwMFAg&c=CJqEzB1piLOyyvZjb8YUQw&r=E94XJswMHgi5jiSeRgyExQUr6qhcKFB8kjUZ3IzvJB4&m=UyWhYK5e88e6R7OHgQc8KhxVjfNMz5xraFWZY-ce5NLvqB9J-k1AsB8C3J4sUNos&s=7XvcAwJS5iDAW-PI2ZGS5XIrLMcDFqgxvB8MQJYWcsg&e=> provides an overview about how you can think about it holistically as you go.

Why accessibility?
When we design our products to be accessible, it benefits everyone. According to the social model of disability, a disability is when a person’s needs and their environment do not match. Making a product accessible to the disabled generally improves the end result. This is called the “curb-cut effect,” referencing the fact that when sidewalks have curb-cuts to be accessible to wheelchair users, it helps people using strollers and bicycles as well. For example, many adaptations such as video transcripts can also help people who aren’t disabled, including those who have slow or unreliable internet connections and/or visitors who speak other languages. Check out Digital.gov’s excellent introduction to accessibility<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__digital.gov_resources_introduction-2Daccessibility_&d=DwMFAg&c=CJqEzB1piLOyyvZjb8YUQw&r=E94XJswMHgi5jiSeRgyExQUr6qhcKFB8kjUZ3IzvJB4&m=UyWhYK5e88e6R7OHgQc8KhxVjfNMz5xraFWZY-ce5NLvqB9J-k1AsB8C3J4sUNos&s=NE20ylj_YN_SNSErljKtb6L6yXzDOF_rzMoO8AsDhmg&e=> for more information. It also has some terrific general guidance for developing content for people with cognitive, neurological, and learning disabilities, including anxiety, autism, and dyslexia.
Ensuring that communications are accessible to everyone is essential. Not being able to access information can be demoralizing and even debilitating. Nearly 20 percent of Americans have some type of physical disability. About 15 to 20 percent of the population are neurodivergent, which includes autistic people, people with ADHD, people with dyslexia, and mental health issues. If we don’t make our communications accessible, large portions of our audiences may not be able to benefit from them. Taking an accessibility-first approach can make our communications more inclusive.
Improving the accessibility of your communications products can also benefit your internal audiences. Employees who are disabled will feel more welcomed if they can use both your external and internal communications.
In addition, Section 508 of federal regulations makes it legally required for federal websites and multimedia communications to be accessible. Federal and state agencies who don’t abide by 508 requirements have had to settle lawsuits<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.insidehighered.com_news_2022_11_23_uc-2Dberkeley-2Dagrees-2Dmake-2Donline-2Dcontent-2Daccessible&d=DwMFAg&c=CJqEzB1piLOyyvZjb8YUQw&r=E94XJswMHgi5jiSeRgyExQUr6qhcKFB8kjUZ3IzvJB4&m=UyWhYK5e88e6R7OHgQc8KhxVjfNMz5xraFWZY-ce5NLvqB9J-k1AsB8C3J4sUNos&s=U2jBQaldHCMcVa6Yu4-NzWwN6FXUfbd_pi-iIFk_2Bw&e=> and vastly improve their accessibility<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__dac.berkeley.edu_home&d=DwMFAg&c=CJqEzB1piLOyyvZjb8YUQw&r=E94XJswMHgi5jiSeRgyExQUr6qhcKFB8kjUZ3IzvJB4&m=UyWhYK5e88e6R7OHgQc8KhxVjfNMz5xraFWZY-ce5NLvqB9J-k1AsB8C3J4sUNos&s=i5d-ta1lozSQmotfrvdhgq7570vgM8sSFqGLhxF7pK4&e=>. The U.S. Access Board updated its standards in 2018, so it’s worth looking through its Final Standards and Guidelines<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__section508.gov_manage_laws-2Dand-2Dpolicies&d=DwMFAg&c=CJqEzB1piLOyyvZjb8YUQw&r=E94XJswMHgi5jiSeRgyExQUr6qhcKFB8kjUZ3IzvJB4&m=UyWhYK5e88e6R7OHgQc8KhxVjfNMz5xraFWZY-ce5NLvqB9J-k1AsB8C3J4sUNos&s=qR_6dHGox0ENkT4I6IXBxDfoOE90DCrPQ3oPN1vyy6k&e=>.
The article Benefits of Accessible Design<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__digital.gov_2017_05_09_benefits-2Dof-2Daccessible-2Ddesign_&d=DwMFAg&c=CJqEzB1piLOyyvZjb8YUQw&r=E94XJswMHgi5jiSeRgyExQUr6qhcKFB8kjUZ3IzvJB4&m=UyWhYK5e88e6R7OHgQc8KhxVjfNMz5xraFWZY-ce5NLvqB9J-k1AsB8C3J4sUNos&s=l4wzJyEqmjOirUOEsYS4USHA4EPL6Xx_6_W96ryQufg&e=> on Digital.gov has many more statistics on why being accessible is essential.

Making text documents and images accessible
One of the least accessible aspects of science communication is often the text itself. Text written at too high of a reading level or that uses too many technical terms will not be accessible to most people, especially those with dyslexia or intellectual disabilities. While the “ideal” reading level depends on your audience, remember that plain language is an important part of accessibility. In addition, breaking up the text into smaller chunks rather than long paragraphs can also be helpful for people with reading disabilities.
Font and text spacing can also affect accessibility. For online reading, sans-serif fonts are often the best, as they are clear and legible at a variety of sizes. A study<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__dl.acm.org_doi_10.1145_3502222&d=DwMFAg&c=CJqEzB1piLOyyvZjb8YUQw&r=E94XJswMHgi5jiSeRgyExQUr6qhcKFB8kjUZ3IzvJB4&m=UyWhYK5e88e6R7OHgQc8KhxVjfNMz5xraFWZY-ce5NLvqB9J-k1AsB8C3J4sUNos&s=loSPISCQ5Ka7UA6J76LB8nOsjriA3lnhHSvtOCxvlz0&e=> on reading experiences shows that depending on the font, reading speed can increase by up to 35 percent with no loss in comprehension. Penn State has a list of the best fonts<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__accessibility.psu.edu_legibility_fontface_&d=DwMFAg&c=CJqEzB1piLOyyvZjb8YUQw&r=E94XJswMHgi5jiSeRgyExQUr6qhcKFB8kjUZ3IzvJB4&m=UyWhYK5e88e6R7OHgQc8KhxVjfNMz5xraFWZY-ce5NLvqB9J-k1AsB8C3J4sUNos&s=UUJGyr4wNIP4Ey05HaYmRIDzp6U06xB8iSUgsUGEtxM&e=> for readability. To emphasize a word, bold is easier to read than italics. Text spacing can also affect readability quite a bit. Line height should be 1.5 times the font size and spacing after paragraphs should be twice the font size. (I actually adjusted the spacing of this newsletter after learning this!)
Images, tables, and charts embedded in documents can also make accessibility complex. In addition, Word documents and Acrobat PDFs often have features that aren’t accessible. To solve this issue, the federal website Section508.gov has guides and checklists on how to make Word documents<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.section508.gov_create_documents&d=DwMFAg&c=CJqEzB1piLOyyvZjb8YUQw&r=E94XJswMHgi5jiSeRgyExQUr6qhcKFB8kjUZ3IzvJB4&m=UyWhYK5e88e6R7OHgQc8KhxVjfNMz5xraFWZY-ce5NLvqB9J-k1AsB8C3J4sUNos&s=NYICpkzwPqyOjd7WWJyvMS3ddick4z2OBK2FHFG17Fk&e=> and PDFs<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.section508.gov_create_pdfs_authoring-2Dguides_&d=DwMFAg&c=CJqEzB1piLOyyvZjb8YUQw&r=E94XJswMHgi5jiSeRgyExQUr6qhcKFB8kjUZ3IzvJB4&m=UyWhYK5e88e6R7OHgQc8KhxVjfNMz5xraFWZY-ce5NLvqB9J-k1AsB8C3J4sUNos&s=6HVuVBQfj36N7BJD-yrwSId0211sByzF3-UeqO8uf4I&e=> accessible. As much as possible, minimize the use of PDFs<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.ccdaily.com_2022_12_the-2Dproblem-2Dwith-2Dpdfs-2Dits-2Dan-2Daccessibility-2Dthing_&d=DwMFAg&c=CJqEzB1piLOyyvZjb8YUQw&r=E94XJswMHgi5jiSeRgyExQUr6qhcKFB8kjUZ3IzvJB4&m=UyWhYK5e88e6R7OHgQc8KhxVjfNMz5xraFWZY-ce5NLvqB9J-k1AsB8C3J4sUNos&s=heQLiObaAZdVuK5RBPP1sWkHxLG0HBKQnHmoAbOEeNo&e=> in favor of providing information directly on a website. PDFs aren’t mobile friendly and, unless they are formatted correctly, can cause major problems for people using screen readers.
A challenge for making documents and websites accessible is writing good descriptions for images, otherwise known as alternative text. “Alt-text” can help people using screen readers know what the images on the page are communicating. If images are not loading on a page, it also appears in place of the image. It is not the same as a caption.
In general, it’s best for alt-text to be relatively simple and short. If there is any text in the image itself – like the time and date for an event – it should also be in the alt-text. As much as possible, get a description of the photo or image from the person supplying you with the photo or image. Scientific equipment is often difficult to identify unless you are very familiar with it, so it’s good to have an accurate description from experts.
For more information, the American Anthropological Association has excellent guidelines for creating image descriptions and alt-text<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.americananthro.org_ImageDescriptions-3FnavItemNumber-3D25126&d=DwMFAg&c=CJqEzB1piLOyyvZjb8YUQw&r=E94XJswMHgi5jiSeRgyExQUr6qhcKFB8kjUZ3IzvJB4&m=UyWhYK5e88e6R7OHgQc8KhxVjfNMz5xraFWZY-ce5NLvqB9J-k1AsB8C3J4sUNos&s=vfTmUf-F9yUhHGib9p8N5uWT08zDV8NrMccIoJgbLDg&e=>. The Social Security Administration has a very comprehensive (and long) guide to alt-text<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.ssa.gov_accessibility_files_SSA-5FAlternative-5FText-5FGuide.pdf&d=DwMFAg&c=CJqEzB1piLOyyvZjb8YUQw&r=E94XJswMHgi5jiSeRgyExQUr6qhcKFB8kjUZ3IzvJB4&m=UyWhYK5e88e6R7OHgQc8KhxVjfNMz5xraFWZY-ce5NLvqB9J-k1AsB8C3J4sUNos&s=ogT3D6VGEDuUyQPBGMmrIV2BR2JK2lgmXU45HflgRE8&e=>, with guidance on everything from describing portraits to avoiding common mistakes. Penn State’s Accessibility website has a great, succinct guide on creating alt-text for the graphs and charts<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__accessibility.psu.edu_images_charts_&d=DwMFAg&c=CJqEzB1piLOyyvZjb8YUQw&r=E94XJswMHgi5jiSeRgyExQUr6qhcKFB8kjUZ3IzvJB4&m=UyWhYK5e88e6R7OHgQc8KhxVjfNMz5xraFWZY-ce5NLvqB9J-k1AsB8C3J4sUNos&s=A-vOt92ePTB__s533hWmgrSo_yXTe5DWXE_YjoVgnWI&e=> that we love so much in scientific communications.
Developing alt-text for images with people in them can be especially difficult, as it has issues of gender and race wrapped up in it. While there is no single right answer on how to identify someone, be sure to thoughtfully consider it. As much as possible, try to follow the advice and perspectives of people from historically and currently marginalized groups. As described in the article, “It’s Complicated”: Negotiating Accessibility and (Mis)Representation in Image Descriptions of Race, Gender, and Disability<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.cs.cmu.edu_-7Ejbigham_pubs_pdfs_2021_description-2Drepresentations.pdf&d=DwMFAg&c=CJqEzB1piLOyyvZjb8YUQw&r=E94XJswMHgi5jiSeRgyExQUr6qhcKFB8kjUZ3IzvJB4&m=UyWhYK5e88e6R7OHgQc8KhxVjfNMz5xraFWZY-ce5NLvqB9J-k1AsB8C3J4sUNos&s=nbNpRnpqID0J236RVCL_QBhWG4g2Z34m7agpbEkll0I&e=>, it is particularly important to include information about people’s appearance when identity (such as race, gender or disability) is the topic of conversation, when it is needed to show representation in media, when people need it to read a room to know their audience, and when people are seeking specific perspectives. It’s ideal if you have the ability to ask the person being portrayed how they would like to be described.

Job Opportunities

  *   Director of the Office for Astronomy Outreach<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.iau.org_static_announcements_pdf_ann23023a.pdf&d=DwMFAg&c=CJqEzB1piLOyyvZjb8YUQw&r=E94XJswMHgi5jiSeRgyExQUr6qhcKFB8kjUZ3IzvJB4&m=UyWhYK5e88e6R7OHgQc8KhxVjfNMz5xraFWZY-ce5NLvqB9J-k1AsB8C3J4sUNos&s=_SFkJ4lTnyXFGfod1vGwEm2RPpGYzFTA931RlIZzDBM&e=>, International Astronomical Union (Tokyo, Japan) - email a cover letter and full CV, including the contact details of at least three references to the IAU OAO Supervising Director, Hidehiko Agata (h.agata at nao.ac.jp<mailto:h.agata at nao.ac.jp>)
  *   Associate director of communications and marketing<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__careerspub.universityofcalifornia.edu_psp_ucsc_EMPLOYEE_HRMS_c_HRS-5FHRAM.HRS-5FAPP-5FSCHJOB.GBL-3FPage-3DHRS-5FAPP-5FJBPST-26Action-3DU-26FOCUS-3DApplicant-26SiteId-3D11-26JobOpeningId-3D55001-26PostingSeq-3D1&d=DwMFAg&c=CJqEzB1piLOyyvZjb8YUQw&r=E94XJswMHgi5jiSeRgyExQUr6qhcKFB8kjUZ3IzvJB4&m=UyWhYK5e88e6R7OHgQc8KhxVjfNMz5xraFWZY-ce5NLvqB9J-k1AsB8C3J4sUNos&s=gc5BTzcLOtnOoFO8bt0LMoULeWsU_B8fLl3tkPJww7M&e=>, UC Santa Cruz (Remote)

New Members
Welcome to Danielle Roedel from Brookhaven National Laboratory, Chris Handzlik from Argonne National Laboratory, Emily Mousel from National Renewable Energy Laboratory, and Gwen McNamara from Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory. To help a colleague join our list, ask them to email me (Shannon.shea at science.doe.gov<mailto:Shannon.shea at science.doe.gov>) or send an email to SPOC-subscribe-request at listserv.gsa.gov<mailto:SPOC-subscribe-request at listserv.gsa.gov>.

Thanks for being a part of our community of practice! To send a message to the group, email SPOC at listserv.gsa.gov<mailto:SPOC at listserv.gsa.gov>. Check out our archive posted on our site, hosted by AAAS<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__members.aaas.org_trelliscommunitiesbyaaas_communities_community-2Dhome-3FCommunityKey-3D89ae31fb-2D8495-2D4fc0-2D83fd-2D4f7baaa7e0ae&d=DwMFAg&c=CJqEzB1piLOyyvZjb8YUQw&r=E94XJswMHgi5jiSeRgyExQUr6qhcKFB8kjUZ3IzvJB4&m=UyWhYK5e88e6R7OHgQc8KhxVjfNMz5xraFWZY-ce5NLvqB9J-k1AsB8C3J4sUNos&s=1LihggUBxDFNkqLt1yvAlExwJZ1I3VQjBxD5IZ-ggt4&e=>.
We always welcome new members from institutions supported by the Department of Energy's Office of Science. To help a colleague join our list, ask them to send an email to SPOC-subscribe-request at listserv.gsa.gov<mailto:SPOC-subscribe-request at listserv.gsa.gov>. To unsubscribe, send an email to SPOC-unsubscribe-request at listserv.gsa.gov<mailto:SPOC-unsubscribe-request at listserv.gsa.gov>.

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