What is accessibility in digital communications?

Overall tips (for all digital platforms)

• In all event listings (even virtual events), add accommodation/accessibility language. Here is an example: Please direct requests for reasonable accommodations to (name) at (include phone and an e-mail address) by (date).
• Capitalize the first letter of each word in a hashtag. For example: #BlackLivesMatter. If someone is using a screen reader and the words in a hashtag are not differentiated, it may be read as one nonsensical word. 
• Stick to less than 125 characters for alt text; that tends to be the limit of what screen readers will pick up for each image.
• Use meaningful link text when you’re providing a link. For example, instead of writing “click here,” clearly write “RSVP for this event” and have that hyperlinked.
• Text is the foundation; start from there. Your text is the most important aspect – it’s the meaning and everything else should enhance it but not be necessary.
• Caption all videos (I use Rev.com).
• When producing podcast episodes, provide transcriptions (I use Rev.com).
• Let's Chat About Writing ALT Text for Social Media
• Accessibility on Social Media

Facebook Accessibility

• Upload your image and then hover over it.
• Click “Edit Photo” icon.
• Select “Alt Text” from menu
• Facebook’s AI automatically generates alt Text. Override it and add your own, then save
• Facebook suggests 125 characters or less

Twitter Accessibility

• Click “Edit” button, on the image.
• Click “Alt” to find the alt Text field.
• Type your alt text

• Upload image.
• You will see an “+Alt” on your phone
• Type your alt text. Though Twitter allows up to 1,000 characters, stick to less than 125, which is a best practice.

Instagram Image Accessibility

• When posting a photo to Instagram, find the “Advanced Settings” menu toward the bottom of the post screen.
• In there, you’ll find a “Write Alt Text” option. Tap that, and you’ll have the chance to provide your own text.
• Some users will also write the alt text in the caption itself:
• Example 1
• Example 2 
• Example 3

Instagram and Facebook Story Accessibility

• One way to make your Instagram story accessible is to provide captions on videos uploaded to stories. Apps like Clipomatic allow you to add captions. Always use an easy-to-read font.
• You can also include a slide before the video starts summarizing what the video is about.
• It seems that screen readers cannot read Instagram stories. Consequently, the tips above help hearing and visually impaired individuals but not nonsighted users.
• Here is a useful guide for making Instagram accessible.

Email marketing & website listings

• Don’t hide information in images or rely on images to provide information. Instead, write within the email all of the pertinent event information. In other words, do not just embed a flyer!
• Use headers which make it easier for people to understand the flow and organization of information.
• Use color contrast.
• Instead of writing “Click here” to a hyperlink, describe what you’re hyperlinking.
• Provide descriptive alt text for any images
• In Mailchimp, you would edit the section that has the photo in it.
• Once you’re in edit, click the photo so that it is highlighted and then click the image icon. 
• Then click “show image style options”
• Then you will see a spot for alt text. Fill that space in with your alt text and click save.
• Instead of a hyperlink, choose a large call-to-action button in a bright contrasting color so it’s easy to see. Be direct with your word choice as well.
• Here is a guide on email accessibility from UCI Accessibility.
• For broadcast emails, you can download SiteImprove’s free Chrome browser extension to check the accessibility of your html emails before you send.
• This is an example of an accessible event email. Note its clear headings, description of where each button will take you, organization, and lack of flyers. One thing that is critical about this email is that if the photos were removed, the message wouldn’t be lost. Even so, we included alt text in each image.

How to add an accessible event listing in the CMS

• Use “Blue Title” or “Gold Title” under “Styles” to create headers, which make it easier for people to understand the flow and organization of information.
• Write out all important information – time, date, description, and location. Do not embed a flyer, which screen readers can’t read.
• To embed (or include) an image within the event listing, you will need a URL. You can get a URL for an image by using MailChimp or sites.uci.edu (Wordpress), both of which are free. You can then upload images to the ‘media’ section and get the URL for use in the CMS. It is preferable to size the image appropriately beforehand.
• If you are borrowing a photo from somewhere else, you can right click on the image and click “Copy image address” to get its URL.
• In order for the image to be responsive on different devices (meaning proportional on all screens), do not enter the size limitation in CMS. Do add alt text.
• If you include a hyperlink, describe what the person is clicking. Instead of writing “Click here,” write “Click here to register for the event.” If it’s an important link, bold the text to make it easier to find.
• Keep language accessible to the public. Not all of your audience will be experts on the subject.

• ALI Book Club (USC)
• Law and Privacy in the New Normal: Long-term COVID-19 Containment Strategy (Note its clear headings and easy to find RSVP links.)
• Quarterly Economic and Market Update with TIAA's Chief Investment Strategist (Chapman University)
• The Most Mexican of Us All: Yiddish Poetics in Modern Mexico
• UCI's First Folio with Andrea Mays
• What is Mental Health? Caring our Way Through the Apocalypse (Note its clear headings)

PowerPoint Accessibility

• Microsoft created a guide on how to make your PowerPoint presentations accessible, which you can read here.

Zoom Accessibility

• UCI Zoom Help Center's Transcripts & Captions
• University of Colorado, Boulder's Zoom Accessibility Best Practices
• Zoom's Accessibility Features
• Zoom Live Transcript Feature

ASL Interpreter

Captions and Transcripts FAQ for Staff and Faculty

• What is captioning?
  According to the National Association of the Deaf, “Captioning is the process of converting the audio content of a television broadcast, webcast, film, video, CD-ROM, DVD, live event, or other productions into text and displaying the text on a screen, monitor, or other visual display system.” Audio content includes spoken dialogue or narration, music, and any sound effects. For clarity, captions should also include speaker identification.
  
  There are many different kinds of captioning, but most readers of this FAQ only need to know about the following types:
  
  - Real Time Captioning: This type of captioning occurs in real time as a person is speaking.
  - Pre or Post Recorded Captioning: This type of captioning occurs before or after a recorded event, such as a lecture. Pre or post recoded captioning is more accurate than real time, but takes longer to create.
  
  All captions can be human- or machine-created. With the current state of technology, human captions are more accurate, though machine captioning is substantially cheaper. It is also possible for a person to use machine captioning as a starting point and correct errors afterwards. You must create a transcript before you can make captions.
   
• What is a transcript?
  A transcript converts the same audio content as captioning, but places the text into a scrolling document instead of on a screen. Like captioning, transcription can take place in real time or pre/post recording, and can be created by either a human or machine.
   
• Which one is better?
  It depends on the type of media and the needs of your audience. Captioning is generally better for video because it is time coded, meaning that the user can follow the presentation in real time. As a rule of thumb, UCOP recommends using transcripts for audio and captioning for video. In the case of a reasonable accommodation request, the requester’s needs determine whether captioning or transcripts are more appropriate.
   
• Why is it necessary to create captions and transcripts?
  Captions and transcripts allow people with and without disabilities to fully participate in class. Those who are deaf and hard of hearing are just some of the many disability categories that need captioning. People who have difficulty processing spoken information can also obtain course content through a transcription.
  
  While captions are critical for people who are deaf or hard of hearing, they are also helpful for people without disabilities, including those whose primary language is not English. People are more likely to get a speaker's message when they can both hear and read that person's words. Also, captions can convey information that is lost when a bad Internet connection causes sound skipping.
   
• When is creating captions and transcripts required?
  Creating captions or transcripts is required when necessary to fulfill the Americans with Disabilities Act’s effective communication requirement. Federal and state law require UCI to ensure that communications with people with disabilities must be as effective as communications with people without disabilities. ASL interpretation, captions, and transcripts are examples of how UCI ensures effective communication with people with disabilities.
  
  Captions and transcripts are required when requested as a reasonable accommodation that the Disability Services Center (DSC) approves. Universities likely have even greater legal obligations in this area, as recent lawsuits against Harvard and MIT resulted in both schools captioning all of their media, even faculty-created content.
  
  Students who need captions or transcripts for effective communication typically request them as reasonable accommodations. Sometimes, students direct these requests to the Disability Services Center. Faculty members will receive reasonable accommodation requests from students registered with the DSC. If a student not registered with the DSC requests a reasonable accommodation directly from an instructor, that faculty member should direct them to register for DSC services or contact the DSC at 949-824-7494 or dsc@uci.edu for more information.
   
• Who is responsible for creating captions and transcriptions?
  Faculty are responsible for ensuring that all media content has captions and transcripts.  Faculty can use YuJa to clean up captions using the caption editing tool before posting content for a class. The DSC will provide the necessary supports if it determines that a student with a disability needs live captioning or ASL for a live/synchronous class. These supports can include using a third-party human captioning tool for your course content, to ensure accuracy.
   
• How do you create pre- or post-recorded captions and transcripts?
  UCI has a service called YuJa which allows faculty to quickly add pre or post recorded captions to uploaded media.  Resources and instructions about YuJa are available through UCI Replay. It is highly recommended that faculty integrate YuJa with Canvas, which allows them to embed YuJa hosted media with captions directly onto a Canvas course page. The Described and Captioned Media Program has a resource page for guidelines and best practices for captioning educational video. The accessibility section of UCI’s Teach Anywhere website has additional resources about captions and transcripts. UCI Zoom meetings recorded to the cloud are also automatically transcribed after the fact. OIT's UCI Zoom website includes information about caption and transcription options in Zoom.
   
• How do you create live captions and transcripts?
  Zoom recently created a feature where speakers can produce live transcripts without additional third-party software. Additionally, speakers can make those transcripts appear on the screen as captions. Step-by-step instructions for enabling and viewing live transcripts and captions are available at UCI Zoom Transcript and Captions Help page.
   
• Can someone refuse to provide transcripts if a lecture is copyrighted?
  No, but that person can still have protection for their copyrighted material. The United States Department of Education states that instructors cannot refuse a reasonable accommodation request to record a lecture based on copyright ownership. Colleges and universities can have students sign agreements not to use the recordings (or, in this case, transcripts) in a way that constitutes copyright infringement. The DSC regularly follows this practice.
   
• Where should you go if you need help?
  If you are using Zoom or YuJa to add captions and it is not working, contact the OIT Help Desk at OIT@uci.edu. If you are looking for guidance on what technology to use for making captions and transcripts, contact the Division of Teaching Excellence and Innovation (DTEI) at dtei@uci.edu or 949-824-3594. If you have any other questions about captions and transcripts, contact the ADA Coordinator’s office at ada@uci.edu or 949-824-5594.