Accessibility

Accessibility promotes learning.

In digital learning environments, accessibility means promoting student learning, participation, inclusion, and equality.

Accessible learning material is graphic and clear both in content and structure. You can use accessible learning material despite illness or disability by utilizing, for example, screen reading software. Accessible course workspaces are logical and support the learning process.

Produce accessible content yourself.

As a student, you need to pay attention to accessibility when submitting text assignments and producing presentation materials, blog texts, or videos. Celia, the national library for accessible literature and publishing in Finland, has produced a blog text with accessibility tips. The tips have been translated into English at Jamk with Celia’s permission.

5 tips: this is how you can make online content more accessible

1. Use clear language.
   • Focus on who will be reading your text. Try to examine your text from the point of view of a potential reader.
   • What are the most important points in your text? Introduce them at the beginning.
   • Use as common and general words as possible. Avoid terms.
   • Use simple sentence structures. Avoid sentence substitutions.
2. Make the text easy to browse through.
   • Keep the paragraphs short. Start the paragraphs with the most important points.
   • Use lists.
   • Use plenty of subheadings.
   • Use illustrations to lighten the text and support the message.
3. Write descriptive headings.
   • Summarize the key message of the text in the heading.
   • Edit the heading into a sentence.
   • Mark the headings in the editor – this ensures that the headings are also correctly tagged at the HTML level.
   • Use heading levels logically. There may be subheadings below the main heading etc.
   • Do not skip heading levels.
4. Make sure the links are understandable.
   • Write a clear link text that describes the target of the link.
   • If the link opens, for example, a pdf or a word file, state this in the link text.
   • “Read more” or “Click here” are not recommendable link texts.
5. Use pictures, infographics, and videos.
   • Some people take in information better through visual means.
   • Images may draw attention better and enhance message reachability.
   • Remember that the information contained in images and videos must also be given as text: for example, as a text equivalent to an image, as subtitles, or in the body text of a web page.

What are the benefits of these guidelines?

• The content you produce is as accessible as possible.
• As many people as possible have easy access to the information they need.
• You follow the WCAG accessibility criteria.
• You also significantly improve the visibility of your content in online search results.

Apply Celia’s tips in assignments.

Celia’s five tips are applicable when you plan to create, for example, a video. Apply the tips like this:

1. Define your target group and plan the content you want to share.
2. Speak clearly. Make sure that your audio recording is good quality.
3. If possible, use text to emphasize the most important points when recording and editing. Most editing software can add subtitles or includes a speech-to-text option.
4. Utilize the video to visualize what you say. Do not merely tell but also show.
5. If possible, include a text file that contains the video contents in text format. Screen reader software reads the text content to a person with vision impairment.

Accessibility is a working life skill.

Producing accessible content is a working life skill such as social interaction skills or language skills. Learn more about accessibility from Jamk point of view:

Accessibility and Individual Special Arrangements (Jamk)

Audio book service makes reading more accessible.

Celia’s audiobook service is aimed at students who find it difficult to read books in text format. You can get access to this audiobook service through Jamk library. More info from your teacher tutor, student counsellor, or Jamk library.