Best Practices Matrix

Given that people have different types of disabilities and different situations, the laws and policies in place, and information about the assistive technology our students use, it can feel overwhelming to know what to do. Accessibility professionals are always making the point that accessible practice helps everyone. Tables 3 and 4 provide a way to see how the practices recommended in this course benefit people with different disabilities and people using mobile devices so that you can see at a glance the impact of accessible design.

Practice Blind Low vision, color-blind Deaf LD/ASD/TBIa Mental health Mobility impairment Mobile device
Table 3. Best Practices for Web Pages
Consistent navigation X X  X X X X X
Good color contrast   X  X  X X X X
Meaningful link text X X  X X X X X
Good heading structure X X X X X X X
Videos with captions     X X X   X
Videos with transcripts X X X X X X X
Descriptions for images X X  X X X  X  X
Content as real text and not images of text X X  X X  X  X X
Color is not the only way to communicate meaning X X X X  X X
Content provided in a visual way: charts, graphs, illustrations     X X  X
Printable content     X X X X  
Math in MathML X X   X     X
Simple tables with captions and headers X X  X X
Good heading structure marked up properly X X  X  X X
Content that enlarges well and is responsive   X  X  X  X X

a Learning Disabilities/Disorders, Autism Spectrum Disorder, and Traumatic Brain Injury

 

Practice Blind  Low vision or color-blind Deaf LD/ASD/TBia Mental health Mobility impairment Mobile device
Table 4. Best Practices for Course Design
Clear assignment instructions X X X X X X X
Readings as real text and not scanned images of text X X X X X X
Captions provided for recordings of synchronous web conferencing sessions X X X X X X X
Students can choose the type of deliverable for an assignment: paper, video, poster, etc. X X X X X X X
Extra time set up on exams X X X X X X  
Students can choose a topic for an assignment X X X X X X X
Students can choose the deliverable for an assignment X X X X X X X

aLearning Disabilities/Disorders, Autism Spectrum Disorder, and Traumatic Brain Injury

 

Updated October, 2024