Accessibility Guidelines

Knowing that website accessibility is an essential component of website design and development, the page layouts and content types available have all been created with accessibility in mind, ensuring:

• Clear and consistent navigation options
• Sufficient contrast between foreground text and background colors
• Mobile responsive designs that automatically adjust content to maximize readability regardless of the size of the screen used to view the page

As you customize and maintain your pages, ensure the following elements remain accessible to all potential page visitors:

• Images
• Documents
• File names
• Videos
• Matterports/Virtual tours

Image accessibility standards

When adding an image to the T4 Media Library, ensure that you always add appropriate "alternative text" or "alt text" in the Description / Alt text field. 

Providing appropriate descriptions of all images is inclusive to a variety of page viewers, including those that have visual disabilities. Digital assistive reading devices rely on accurate image descriptions to help users understand what is happening in an image on a website.

Example

Appropriate alt text

"Julie Heimbach, M.D., Transplant Center Director, smiles as she sits next to a pediatric patient in a hospital exam room at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota."

Inappropriate alt text

"A medical appointment."
"Provider and patient"
"Julie Heimbach, M.D."

Document accessibility standards

It's best practice to provide content on the website via the webpage and not through PDFs and Word documents. Some users rely on assistive technology that will need to read all the information in the file.

Only PDF documents should be added to the T4 Media Library and linked to content within a webpage. However, it's often easier to ensure a document is accessible during its initial creation than it is after it has been saved as a PDF. 

Microsoft provides an overview of creating an accessible Word document and how to check for accessibility while you work in Word. 

An accurate and full check of a PDF document for accessibility begins with the original file being created and saved properly. Do not use the Print to PDF function. Always use "Save as Adobe PDF" when creating a PDF file in Microsoft Word.

Here are some tips for creating accessible PDFs and Word documents:

• Use headings and styles to organize your document and make it easier to navigate. This also helps assistive technology, such as screen readers, to read the content accurately.
• Use alternative text for images. Alt text provides a description of the image for those who cannot see it. It also helps search engines index your content more accurately.
• Images/graphics with text should have a text version available. Following images/graphics, include a caption or text statement(s) that describes the information listed in the image/graphic. This helps people using assistive technology to understand the context of the visuals.
• Use high-contrast colors to ensure that text is easy to read for those with visual impairments.
• Use descriptive and meaningful link text that accurately describes the content that the link leads to. This will help those using screen readers to navigate the content more easily.
• Ensure that the content is structured in a logical order for those using assistive technology to navigate the document.
• Use Microsoft's Word Accessibility Checker. This allows people with disabilities to understand and work with those files.
• When creating PDF files, do an accessibility check. This helps people using assistive technology to read the document accurately.

By following these tips, you can create PDFs and Word documents that are more accessible and can be used by everyone, regardless of their abilities.

File naming

Whether you're naming a file that's for a document, presentation, image, or graphic, there are appropriate and inappropriate practices for file naming conventions.

Appropriate and consistent file naming practices positively impacts file users by:

• Fostering a more intuitive understanding of the files they're accessing.
• Ensuring assistive technology has correct and concise information to read to its users.
• Finding information more easily through the use of relevant keywords that improve search engine optimization (SEO).

Video

Videos must meet accessibility requirements before being added to the website. After meeting accessibility requirements, videos need to be hosted on/published to Mayo Clinic's YouTube channel. The Education Strategic Digital Engagement (ESDE) team will publish videos to MCCMS college.mayo.edu website once a YouTube URL is provided.

Tips for things to consider when making a video accessible

Captions and on-screen text

• Add captions that match what is said and include key sounds
• Make sure captions appear at the same time as speech
• Make sure all text is easy to see
• Do not rely on color alone to explain something

Audio and content

• Say important visual details out loud
• Read important on-screen text out loud

Video player and controls

• Ensure the video can be played using a keyboard
• Make sure selected buttons are easy to see
• Avoid controls that require dragging only

Playback and safety

• Do not include flashing or strobe effects
• Do not set videos to auto-play with sound

Matterport, virtual tours

Matterport and virtual tours will no longer be supported and published on the MCCMS website. This ensures alignment with current accessibility requirements and provides an inclusive experience for all users. Matterport and virtual tours may continue to be shared through other methods outside of MCCMS college.mayo.edu website.