Digital Accessibility Checklist

7 core practices for creating accessible content at Utah State University.

1

Ensure Adequate Color Contrast

Accessibility often starts with the colors you choose. When selecting a template, theme, or color palette—such as a PowerPoint template—choose colors with enough contrast between text and its background. In general, pair dark colors with light colors and avoid relying on color alone to communicate information.

For more information, see the Color and Accessibility page on our website. 

 
2

Organize Content With Headings

Use built-in heading styles to organize content into clear sections. Start with the page or document title, then use heading levels in order without skipping levels.

More detailed information can be found on our page dedicated to Accessible Headings.

 
3

Use Descriptive Links

Write link text that clearly describes where the link goes or what users will find there. Avoid vague link text such as "click here," "read more," or a full URL when descriptive text can be used instead.

Find more information about Link Accessibility on the USU Accessibility website.
 
4

Apply Correct List Formatting

Use lists to organize content in a clear and logical way. Always use the built-in list tools in your editor so they are properly formatted and accessible for screen reader users.

  • Ordered lists (numbered): Use when the order of items matters (e.g., step-by-step instructions).
  • Unordered lists (bulleted): Use when the order does not matter (e.g., a set of related points).
 
5

Add Alternative Text to Images

Alt text is a brief description of the content of an image. Keep descriptions concise and focus on the information or purpose of the image.

For more information, see the Image Accessibility page on our website.

Note: If you get stuck, ChatGPT and other AI tools are doing a great job at creating alt text. Don’t hesitate to add an image to an AI tool and use the generated description as a starting point. Quite often, it will get you most of the way there!
 
6

Structure Tables Correctly

Use tables for data, not for page layout or design. Keep tables simple and identify column and row headers using your editor's built-in table tools.

For more information and examples, see our Table Accessibility page. 

 
7

Caption Any Video or Audio

Provide accurate captions for video and other media with meaningful audio. Review automatically generated captions for accuracy before publishing.

USU provides tools, services, and support for captioning university media. Learn more about captioning at USU.

Apply These Practices Across Digital Content

These accessibility practices apply across all digital content you create and use at USU. Before publishing or sharing your content, use the accessibility checker in your program or platform when available. Checkers can identify many common issues, but they cannot find every accessibility barrier.

Select a content type below for specific accessibility guidance, including available tools and accessibility checkers: