Ten tips for creating accessible content

1 Text is usually accessible

Provide options for file types if using non-HTML files - RTF is usually OK
Key information or functionality in multimedia should be available in another form. For example: transcript, summary, table of information etc.

Heading levels should be set consistently. Styles can be used to set fonts, bolding etc.
Within the HTML, style-sheets can be used for presentation of lists, table row and column headers etc.

Use complementary graphics and visual cues to help users grasp the meaning and structure of the information and functionality
Ensure good contrast between text and background: minimal background patterns
Do not use colour alone to convey information. For example: use a red asterisk to highlight a compulsory field in a form - do not just highlight the label in red.
Avoid distracting images or design elements including blinking text and continual animations.

All navigation and all functionality must be accessible using the keyboard as well as by mouse.
Be particularly careful of scripted dropdown menus and links within Flash movies.

Consistent navigation, using clearly labelled links and headings helps all users
Document structure should be user centred not author centred
Key points must be at the top of online documents and at the start of paragraphs and lists.

Users need to be able to skip over repetitive navigation on a site (via keyboard, not mouse)
Tables of Contents (based on proper heading structures are important for longer documents)
Use drop down lists to help people fill in forms correctly

Large files (including multi media) can be impossible for some people to download - provide a range of options
Images need to be in the right format and appropriately compressed
Be careful about requiring users to download a plug-in. These can be very large and not everyone can install or run them.

These include:

These tips were provided at a workshop run by the National Information and Library Service.