Digital Skills for Heritage:
Accessibility
Online
Produced by Alistair McNaught for
The National Lottery Heritage Fund
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Introduction
There are nearly 12 million disabled people in the UK. Since
1995, the right to “reasonable adjustments” has been
enshrined in the Disability Discrimination Act and the later
Equality Act.
While people are familiar with the need for physical
accessibility adjustments such as ramps and lifts, much
less attention has been given to digital spaces. In 2018 the
Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications)
(No. 2) Accessibility Regulations were adopted into UK
law. It denes a “reasonable adjustment” as meeting web
accessibility standards.
Now in the nal stage of their phased introduction, the
regulations require high accessibility standards on all
public sector websites after 23 September 2020.
The legislation may not directly aect your organisation’s
website, but as people recognise good accessibility,
sites with poor accessibility will stand out. They will
appear unprofessional and will reduce your organisation’s
potential audience and support base.
Inclusive digital practice sends the positive message that
your organisation values everyone it engages with.
This guide is written by Alistair McNaught. Alistair has
worked in sta development and digital technology for
20 years and co-authored a range of national training
programs and accessibility guides for the education
sector. He contributes regularly to national and
international conferences and is a founding member
of the Digital Accessibility Working Group, liaising with
Government Digital Service on behalf of the public sector
and education.
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Guiding principles
This guidance will help you
understand what is meant by digital
accessibility and why it matters.
In a short guide, it is impossible to
cover the range of tools, techniques
and approaches relevant to every
project’s website. Treat it as a travel
guide to introduce you to dierent
practices, ideas and even language. It
will describe the highlights and give
you recommendations – you must do
the travelling.
The guide will explore three key
principles:
Knowing:
• Who is responsible for the
accessibility of your digital
content?
• How do people experience your
digital content in dierent ways?
• What does good practice look like?
Doing:
• Each section in this guide has links
to further information and action.
• The guide’s Role related section
helps you identify specic actions
depending on your focus and skill
level.
Telling:
• The nal part of the guide is
about telling users what does and
doesn’t work well on your website.
You can describe its accessibility
once you have checked it for the
key issues covered in the guide.
• An accessibility statement is a
Plain English, user-focused guide
which lets a disabled user know
what they can expect from your
website. It is a core document for
disabled users.
Figure 1
"Onion" image of website -
see text for details
Site
design
Page design
Page content
Downloadable files
Outreach and engagement
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Who is responsible for
the accessibility of your
digital content?
There are many layers to a website,
with dierent people contributing
to each layer. Each person needs
to make sure their contribution is
accessible. If they don’t, the user
experience can be poor, even if
everybody else has done a good job.
Figure 1 shows the layers that make
up the user experience.
Most websites will have a selection of
these layers:
• Site design is the big picture of the
website – how it works.
• Page design is the layout of
individual pages – how they look
and behave.
• Page content is what appears on
the page – text, images, video,
audio and interactive elements.
• Downloadable les – include
documents, presentations,
spreadsheets etc.
• Outreach and engagement is
community-building, including
through social media.
What you need to know about
digital accessibility depends on the
layer you work with – but everyone
is responsible, together for the
accessibility of digital content.
People access your content
in different ways
Putting inclusive design to work will
enable disabled people to use your
digital content eectively. It is hard
to create a website where all content
works for everyone – deaf people and
blind people have entirely dierent
needs, for example. Accessibility
means no user is excluded rather than
perfection for all.
This can be achieved by:
• Understanding the basics
of digital accessibility. For
example, nd out from the Web
Accessibility Initiative how people
with disabilities use websites.
• Making accessibility part of quality
control. It should be equally as
important as spelling, grammar or
branding.
• Using a variety of media to
support people with dierent
requirements.
The next section helps identify good
practices that minimise exclusion.
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Good practice in
digital accessibility
Good accessibility principles benet everybody, not just disabled people – but disabled people are
disproportionately aected by inaccessible design. Some of the key principles are highlighted in the
tables below:
Reading text
Table 1 – making digital text more accessible to users.
Good practice Benets for users
Text can be
selected and
read out.
If text on a page or a resource can be selected and copied to the
clipboard, it can also be read out loud by text-to-speech tools. Images
of text cannot be, however. Listening to text helps people with vision
diculties, learning diculties or neuro diversity. It also helps with
multitasking.
Colours and
contrasts
work for all.
Good contrast between foreground and background colours will suit
most users working in most lighting conditions. Avoid conveying
information by colour alone – this will support people who cannot
distinguish colours. For example, ensure hyperlinks are underlined as well
as in a contrasting colour.
Read more information on links, colours and appearance.
Language
that works
for all.
Use simpler words and shorter sentences. Don’t let jargon, acronyms or
technical terms get in the way of understanding. Take a sample of your
text and paste it into a readability calculator to check.
Tables that
work for all.
Blind users benet from alternative text or a caption to summarise a
table’s purpose. Their screenreader software reads from left to right and
top to bottom. Use clear headers on simple tables. Don’t split or merge
cells or leave empty rows/columns – this disorientates blind users. Only
use tables for data or structured information – not for page layout.
Magnication
without
sideways
scrolling.
If content on a page can be zoomed to 400% and read without having
to scroll sideways, it helps people with vision diculties as well as
those reading on a small screen. This is described as “text reow” or a
“responsive web page”. Check your site by clicking CTRL and + in any
browser when using Windows or CMD and + for Mac.
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Navigating through information
Table 2 – making digital documents easier to navigate for users.
Good practice Benets for users
Page design
allows instant
navigation by
headings.
Utilising inbuilt heading styles (Heading 1, Heading 2 etc) in webpages
and documents allows users to navigate content by heading level using:
• Inbuilt tools – Word’s Navigation pane or Adobe Reader’s Bookmark
pane
• Browser plugins – for example headingsMap on Chrome
• Assistive technology such as screen readers
A logical heading structure with no missed levels is key, especially for
blind users – it enables them to quickly get to the section they need.
Search engine specialists state that headings make your site more
discoverable. Create headings in Word (writing specialist) and
headings in Web page (usability specialist).
Page design
allows instant
navigation by
hyperlinks.
If each hyperlink in a page or document has a unique and descriptive
text, a blind user’s screen reader can pull up a list of hyperlinks on a page
and read them out. The user can then select the one they need. If the link
text is “click here” or “more information,” the user can’t tell which one to
use. WebAIM accessibility specialists promote good practice with links.
Page design
allows instant
navigation by
lists.
If lists are created using the inbuilt list tools in a word processor or web
editor, a blind person’s screen reader software can jump to any list in
the document. This is more ecient than listening to every paragraph
until the user nds the list they need. Don’t create “lookalike lists” using
asterisks and tabs/spaces – a screen reader can’t jump to these.
Page design
lets users skip
content they
don’t need.
“Skip links” let keyboard-only users – for example blind or physically
disabled people – jump over repetitive content, such as menus or social
media feeds. This makes your website signicantly easier for them to
use. Learn more about skip navigation links from WebAIM.
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Media and interactivity
Table 3 – Making media and interactivities more accessible to users.
Good practice Benets for users
Images that
work for all.
Describing images is benecial for people who can’t see them and for
people who can see them but struggle to interpret them. An image
can be described in the nearby text or in the alternative text eld of the
image (alt text). When you add an image to a document/webpage, use
the option in the properties dialogue box to describe the image. Images
need to be described dierently depending on use or purpose. Find out
how to describe dierent types of images from the Web Accessibility
Initiative or check examples of dierent types of alt text from Penn State
University.
Multimedia
that works
for all.
Audio with an accompanying transcript is accessible to users who
struggle to hear – or prefer to skim read. Similarly, videos with transcripts
or captions – even a text summary of the main points – enable people
with hearing impairments to still access the content. People watching
in noisy settings also gain. Videos with no narrative may need audio
description, unless the information is available in another format.
Interactions
that work
for all.
If interactive elements or dynamic content can be controlled using the
keyboard, people who cannot use a mouse will benet. If you know some
of your website’s interactive elements (eg virtual reality) won’t work for
some users, be open about it so people don’t lose time trying to make it
work. Don’t force interactions on people – users should be able to stop
auto advancing content, such as slide carousels.
Menus that
work for all.
Most websites have navigation menus repeated on each page. These
benet disabled people if:
• Every menu and submenu item is accessible without without using a
mouse – press tab key to move and enter to select.
• Each item is visually highlighted as the user tabs to it.
• Users can skip over the menus with a “Skip to main content link” – see
this guide’s Navigation section for more info.
Forms that
work for all.
If your web form is properly labelled for blind users, they know which
information (name, address etc) to put in which eld. Similarly, if they
make an error, the alert needs to be accessible to their screen reader.
Turning the dialogue box red is not accessible for a visually impaired user.
Creating and testing accessible forms (WebAIM) requires technical skill
but there are also basic form checks to try (Web Accessibility Initiative).
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Heritage sites demonstrating good practice:
• The website for The University of Manchester’s Whitworth Gallery is an example of
magnification without sideways scrolling. Use Control + to magnify and reflow the page.
• Aisling Ghéar’s Theatre-focused website has examples of a consistent heading structure –
use headingsMap in FireFox and headingsMap in Chrome to reveal headings.
• People’s Collection Wales’ website is a good example of image description.
• The Stonehouse Heritage project website has good keyboard accessibility.
Collaborative communities
Share accessibility challenges
and solutions with others so
that problems can be worked
on collaboratively. Many online
communities exist and can be great
for getting support. Here are a few UK
focused examples to explore:
• Conservation Research – enables
discussion related to the
conservation of objects, works of
art and buildings.
• Google Groups on heritage and
related topics.
• Heritage Arts Network aims to
share information and promote
critical discussion around heritage
and contemporary art practice.
• Heritage Chat – #HeritageChat
is a monthly, one-hour Twitter
chat for the historic environment
sector.
• Heritage list – a discussion
list for academic and industry
researchers, heritage, tourism,
museums and culture.
• Heritage Workspace Home –
hosts discussion forums and
groups focused on helping the
heritage sector.
• Heritage Yorkshire – supports
people engaged in heritage
research in the Yorkshire region.
Twitter can be an excellent source
of support – follow the Museum
Disability Collaborative Network
(@museumDCN) and others
and search for hashtags like
#HeritageChat or #MuseumHour.
Use mailing lists and social media to
ask questions, oer suggestions and
build supportive networks.
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Role related guidance
Role 1:
website and page design
New website
If you are developing a new website,
either someone else will build it
for you or you will build it yourself
using an online tool, for example
WordPress, Wix or Google Sites.
In either case, it is cheaper, less
work and more sustainable to get
accessibility right at the beginning
rather than to x it afterwards.
These are the things to consider.
Third-party suppliers or volunteers:
• If you rely on volunteers, talk to
them about which of the practices
in the Good practice section they
are condent they can meet. You
will need this information for your
accessibility statement, which is
discussed in the last section of
this guide.
• If you are paying a supplier, specify
that they must meet Web Content
Accessibility Guidelines 2.1 at level
AA. Find out more about their
testing strategy – do they include
users of assistive technologies?
Check if they work with and
advise people in relevant roles like
content editors. Can they advise
you on tackling complex problems,
such as image descriptions,
captions etc?
Online tools, for example WordPress
or Wix:
• Do online research to nd out
which of the dierent themes
and styles you can choose are
the most accessible. Include
accessibility keywords in your
search terms – for example, “most
accessible WordPress theme.”
Either or both:
• Avoid common bad practices that
create accessibility barriers. These
include:
º Slide carousels or background
videos that can’t be stopped.
º Text over video or image
backgrounds.
º Social media feeds that can’t
be skipped over by a keyboard
user.
See the Web Accessibility
Initiative’s examples of
common bad practices (and
xes). Mugo Web provide
technical details about
creating skip links for social
media feeds.
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Existing website
If you already have a website, some
things will be easy to improve – for
example page content is under your
control. Other things may be harder
to change. Where this is the case you
can still support users by describing
your accessibility strengths and
weaknesses in the accessibility
statement – see the nal section in
this guide.
• Explore the Good practice section
in this guide. Note what works and
what needs to be improved on
your website.
• If your website uses Wordpress,
you should be able to update to
a more accessible template if
needed.
• Perform website checks with
automated accessibility checkers.
These only identify 40% - 50%
of issues but are good at nding
colour contrast problems, missing
image descriptions and problems
with links and headings. Free
checkers for the Chrome browser
include WAVE tool, Microsoft’s
Accessibility Insights tool and
the aXe-web accessibility testing
tool. Wave and aXe are also
available for FireFox. Unless you
are technically skilled, some of
the report may not make sense.
Use what you do understand – for
example poor colour contrast –
to make any improvements you
can – for example changing colour
schemes.
Whether starting a new website or
maintaining an old one, identify the
accessibility practices you can and
can’t achieve. Note this for your
accessibility statement – see the nal
section in this guide.
Role 2:
creating basic page content
When creating basic page content
(text, images and tables), you can
only inuence some aspects of
website accessibility, but these are
still important. Summed up in the
acronym SCULPT, they include:
• Structuring content – using
heading and subheading styles
to identify sections. Use a tool
like headingsMap plug-in for
Chrome to check if the visual page
headings match the heading levels
in the code.
• Colour and contrast – ensure
no information is conveyed only
by colour. Keep colour contrasts
strong.
• Use of images – if an image is just
for decoration, mark it by adding ""
in the alt text dialogue box. If the
image is important, describe the
main points in the alt text dialogue
box.
• Links – every hyperlink should
have unique text, not “click here.”
• Plain English – check the
readability of your text. If your
project uses specialist terms it
may be hard to get the reading
level down. Instead, provide a
glossary for people new to the
subject.
• Table structure – keep tables
simple. If necessary, have several
simple tables rather than one
complicated one. Don’t merge
cells. Use row and column
headings as needed.
All these areas are covered
in the Good practice section
of this guide. More detail is
available on the SCULPT for
Accessibility website.
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Role 3:
creating downloadable content
The SCULPT principles also apply
to downloadable content, including
documents, presentations, and
spreadsheets. A well-designed
webpage is more accessible than
most downloadable documents,
especially PDFs. If downloads are
essential, these are good practices to
follow:
• If you use a recent version of
Microsoft Oce, look for the
inbuilt accessibility checker in the
Review ribbon. This is an easy way
to check accessibility.
• Make your Word documents
accessible.
• If you create PDFs from Word
documents, make sure
they are accessible and oer
both Word and PDF options for
download.
• This advice from the Government
Digital Service suggests when it is
appropriate to use tables and how
to create accessible tables.
• Practice the dos and don’ts of
designing for accessibility as
outlined on these posters from
the Home Oce.
Role 4:
creating multimedia content
Videos, audio and interactive content
can make websites more accessible to
a wide range of people. However, they
can also accidentally exclude blind
users, deaf users or people who can’t
use a mouse. Minimise this risk in the
following ways:
• Provide transcripts of video/
audio narration. You can use a free
voice recognition tool like Voice
Typing (in the Google Docs tools
menu) to create a script if needed.
You can also use inbuilt dictation
options on Macs, Windows 10,
smartphones and tablets. Correct
any mistakes before uploading.
• If your video is on YouTube,
check to see how well
YouTube’s automatic captioning
has worked. You can manually edit
YouTube captions for accuracy if
needed.
• Let users know how to access
YouTube’s automated captions.
• Videos with no narration (eg
just music) need a separate text
description for visually impaired
users or an audio description track
with the video.
• Using just the tab, spacebar, arrow
keys and enter key, check any
media players and interactivities
(eg quizzes) work for keyboard-
only users.
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Role 5: social media
Social media can help build a
community around your project.
However, while it is easy to set up
an account, it requires signicant
eort to make the most of it as an
engagement and marketing tool.
No single social media platform is yet
100% accessible, so using more than
one platform increases your chances
of helping a disabled user to engage.
Your practice helps too – here are
some key points:
• Use Camel Case in hashtags so
the screenreader reads each
element individually – #SeeEly
clearly refers to a location,
whereas #seeely isn’t clear.
• Use alternative text on images.
• Avoid images of text (eg photos
of posters) unless all the text is
available in the alt text or social
media post.
• If using videos, make sure
subtitles are available.
• Use emojis sparingly – they can
exclude and confuse, and they
add extra words to screen reader
output (eg “laughing face” and
“smiling face”).
• The RNIB guide on accessible
social media or Inclusion Scotland
guide to accessible social media
(PDF) oer more tips. Large
projects with dedicated social
media sta may nd the
Social Media Playbook from the
UK government website useful.
Role 6:
webinars and online events
Online events oer advantages to
many disabled people, but they can
also create barriers. Minimise barriers
in these ways:
• Ensure registration forms invite
people to mention any additional
requirements.
• Contact anyone identifying
additional requirements to check
how to support them. You may
not have the skill, tools or budget
to meet complex requirements,
but discussions can help reduce
barriers – for example by making a
presentation available in advance.
• Be familiar with the accessibility
options within the tools you use.
PowerPoint and GoogleSlides have
options to switch on automated
captions. Some tools let users
change font size in the text chat
pane.
• Search for accessibility
information on your webinar
platform.
• Explore the Future Teacher
guidance on creating accessible
webinars.
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Accessibility, branding
and communication
If a project receives more than 50%
of its funding from the government,
it is likely the Public Sector Bodies
(Websites and Mobile Applications)
(No. 2) Accessibility Regulations
will apply to its website. This
means they must aim to meet the
accessibility requirement and produce
an accessibility statement conforming
to a model accessibility statement
template from Government Digital
Service. Even if the regulations don’t
apply, accessibility is still a branding
matter attracting praise or criticism.
Even with the best will in the world,
it is not always possible to achieve
100% accessibility. You may rely on
volunteers, or your tools may not
create fully accessible content. You
might use techniques like virtual
reality, adding value for some disabled
people but excluding others. Dierent
access needs can have contradictory
requirements.
What matters is minimising barriers,
maximising opportunities, being
transparent and being responsive:
• Minimising barriers. Where
possible, make sure your basic
practices are accessible by
following the guidance in the Good
practice section of this guide.
• Maximising opportunities.
Interactive elements can engage
many disabled people, but you
may not be able to make them
equally accessible for everyone.
Make sure the key information is
available even if the full experience
is not. For example, the
interactive timeline for the
Headway project has an accessible
alternative for screenreaders.
• Be transparent. Make sure your
accessibility statement is honest
about what works, what doesn’t
work and whether you can x it.
• Be responsive. Provide contact
details so users can get in touch
about any access diculties.
Being responsive encourages
support and enthusiasm.
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Writing an
accessibility statement
The best kind of accessibility
statement is written in Plain English
and is user focused. It helps users
gain from your accessibility benets
and anticipate barriers. This sample
accessibility statement for public
sector bodies from the Government
Digital Service is a useful model.
Look around the culture and heritage
sectors too – examples of dierent
but eective practice includes
Shabang’s accessibility statement
and the British Museum’s accessibility
statement. The most important
elements of an accessibility
statement include:
• Telling users how they can benet
from your good practices in digital
accessibility. Many users have
modest computer skills and do
not realise how an accessible web
page or document can help them.
• Telling users what doesn’t work
and what can be done about it. For
example, your downloadable PDFs
may have poor accessibility, but
you may be able to provide a Word
version on request.
• Providing contact details so users
can report diculties, suggest
improvements and, if necessary,
escalate complaints.
If you are a public sector body,
there will be some additional
required text – see the links
to the sample accessibility
statement and look for the
“legally required” sections.
Conclusion
Your organisation’s website and social media presence is a bigger solution than it is a problem for
people with disabilities. Nevertheless, disabled people encounter many barriers. These can be
avoided if website and content creators are aware of good practice.
By checking your practices with this guide’s Good practice section, and by following the tips in
the Role related section, you should be in a good position to improve your website’s accessibility.
Creating an accessibility statement improves your users’ experience by letting them know what
works, where the barriers might lie and who to contact to stay involved.
And every person you keep on board is a potential advocate for your project.
