Overview of Digital Accessibility Requirements

This page serves as a basic introduction to the concrete actions involved in creating digital accessibility. It is not an exhaustive list. For a comprehensive, sortable list see the How to Meet WCAG (Quick Reference) guide.

For more details on how to achieve the below requirements, please visit our Digital Accessibility Guidelines and How-To Guides webpage.

Document Accessibility (PDFs, Word, PPT)

  • Structure with Styles: Use proper heading styles (H1, H2, H3) for structure, not just formatting (e.g., just bolding or larger font size).
  • Alternative Text (Alt Text): Provide descriptive text for all meaningful images, charts, and graphs. Mark purely decorative images as “decorative” or “artifact” in tags. Complicated charts and graphs may need longer descriptive summaries.
  • Logical Reading Order: Ensure the tags in a PDF reflects a logical reading order (usually top-to-bottom, left-to-right).
  • Set Document Language: Define the document’s language in the metadata (e.g., English).
  • Descriptive Links: Ensure hyperlinks are descriptive (e.g., “Download 2025 Report” instead of “Click Here” or the long, non-descriptive URL).
  • Avoid Tables for Layout: Only use tables for data; ensure they have proper header rows and are not split across pages.
  • Color Contrast: Ensure text contrast is at least 4.5:1 against the background. 

Video & Audio Compliance

  • Closed Captions: Provide accurate, synchronized captions for all pre-recorded videos.
  • Audio Description: Provide audio descriptions for videos where visual information (actions, scene changes) is not conveyed in the main audio.
  • Transcripts: Provide a text transcript for all audio-only content (such as podcasts) and a full text alternative for videos.
  • Live Captions: Provide real-time captions for live, streamed events, including online meetings.
  • Pause Control: Ensure audio or video that auto-plays for more than 5 seconds can be paused or muted.
  • Avoid Strobing: Ensure videos do not flash more than three times per second. 

Website & Web Content Compliance

  • Keyboard Accessibility: All interactive elements (links, buttons, forms) must be usable via keyboard only (Tab, Enter, Spacebar).
  • Visible Focus: Provide a clear visual indicator (e.g., a focus ring) to show which element has focus.
  • Contrast & Text Size: Maintain a minimum 4.5:1 contrast ratio for text and 3:1 for graphical components/icons.
  • Reflow (Mobile Friendly): Content should not lose functionality when zoomed to 400% (200% on mobile) or viewed on narrow screens (320px).
  • Descriptive Page Titles: Every page must have a unique, descriptive <title> tag.
  • Skip Navigation: Include a “skip to content” link at the top of the page to allow users to skip the navigation elements.
  • Form Labels: Ensure all input fields have clear, visible labels, not just placeholder text.
  • No Color Reliance: Do not use color alone to convey information (e.g., “required fields are red”).