Design accessible content

• MyBeckett is based upon software called Blackboard Learn.
• Blackboard Learn automatically checks course materials against WCAG 2.2 accessibility standards. 
• Provides students with accessible alternative formats such as audio and electronic braille
• Delivers guidance to instructors to improve the accessibility of their course content
• More information about accessibility compliance is available on the Blackboard website.

When considering module or course group design, aim for a simple, consistent layout. 

Prioritise important information so that it is easier for students to find.

Introduce yourself

Create a 'Welcome' content area for your module, briefly explaining how you have structured content for students.

Create easy navigation

Organising your content by week, e.g. Week 1, Week 2 and so on, is particularly helpful for all students and especially students using screen readers to locate content. Consider using a learning module to create a structure to your content.

Folders

Avoid adding layers of additional sub-folders within content areas: Students have fed back that multiple layers of navigation is confusing.

Accessible Content and Resources

Provide meaningful content names and descriptions to all file uploads and folders:

Describe: be clear and concise

When creating a content item in your module, you can add information including the name and description of what it contains. We recommend that you complete both of these fields as the name helps students to locate content more efficiently, plus the description may provide context and further instructions.

Use descriptive file names. Before uploading files to MyBeckett, please ensure that the file names are descriptive of the context e.g. Week 3 lecture - project planning.docx. This is particularly important for students using screen readers, to help identify the correct file to download.

Files

Clear name, quality, accessibility and use only best quality files.  

If you are uploading files into MyBeckett, check that these are of a high quality e.g. avoid poor quality copied documents. Word documents are more accessible than PDFs, as your students can download and modify the text to meet their requirements.  

Use Reading Lists to add copyright protected files - such as journals and book chapters instead.

Convert documents to specialised accessible formats

With Ally Alternative Formats allows students to download all files to accessible formats which benefit everyone.  This makes the ability to available for you to create accessible resources from within MyBeckett, just ensure your files are the best quality.

Images

Best practice use Images with Alt Text. Run the Accessibility Report tool and it will guide you through your content and identify improvements for you.

If you are using images to present information to students, ensure that you have added an alternative text description for screen readers. However, if you are using images for decorative purposes only, you do not need to add an alternative text description.

Links 

Tips for using Hyperlinks - If you are including hyperlinks in your content, add some text to describe the target of the link. Avoid typing 'click here' as screen readers can provide students with a list of links on a page, and this does not help to differentiate between links.

Text and formatting

Avoid using colours: Avoid relying on colour to convey meaning. People see colours differently, and some students may be using a coloured screen mask or contrast settings that change the appearance of on-screen colours.

High contrast and backgrounds: Ensure a high contrast between text and background e.g. black and white. Avoid picture backgrounds for text areas, as this can be difficult to read. 

Font size and style

Use a font size of at least 12px and sans-serif fonts e.g. Arial, as these are easier to read.

Underlining text

Avoid underlining text as this may be confused with a hyperlink. Use bold for emphasis, rather than varying font sizes.

Heading styles

Use heading styles to structure text content. In MyBeckett, the default text style is called 'Paragraph'. You can select text and apply styles called 'Heading', 'Sub Heading 1' and 'Sub Heading 2'. As a note for anyone interested in HTML, these styles correspond to H4, H5 and H6, as H1, H2 and H3 are used for structural elements of MyBeckett pages.

Tables and column headings

If you are using tables to display data, make sure that you include column headings.

The slide below also contain some useful advice for creating content.

Assistive software can help students to perform tasks using systems such as MyBeckett. 

For example, screen masking tools enable students to change the colour of the screen to make it easier to read. Some students may also use screen readers to both navigate and read on-screen content.  (More information about assistive software for students is available on the Library website).

Students also have the option to change text size or change contrast via buttons on the MyBeckett login page (top right).

Within MyBeckett modules, there is a Quick Links icon (small black & white link symbol) at the top left of every page to help with navigation, it shows the links to contents within each tab. 

It also has the keyboard shortcuts available throughout the system. 

• SHIFT+ALT+M = Global Navigation Menu 
• SHIFT+ALT+L  = Opens Quick Links

• Ally and Accessibility features- Help for Instructors: An overview of the accessibility tools available.
• Leeds Beckett disability advice: Guidance for staff supporting students with disabilities.