Communications Toolkit

Accessibility Standards for Content Editors

Website accessibility is a legal requirement under Section 508 and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). When sites have major inaccessible components, they may be viewed as discriminatory against people with disabilities.

But accessibility is about more than compliance. About 1 in 4 adults in the U.S. live with a disability, and accessible websites make sure everyone can use and benefit from your content. Clear structure, descriptive links, and accessible media improve the experience for all visitors — and protect UC ANR from legal and reputational risk.

At UC ANR, we follow Section 508 and WCAG 2.2 AA standards. These are the accepted benchmarks for accessibility and apply to all digital content.

This page highlights what editors need to do when adding or updating content.

Structure Content with Clear Headings and Links

  • Use one H1 per page (the page title)
  • Use headings (H2, H3, H4) in a logical order to show content hierarchy
  • Do not use headings just to style text. Use them to organize meaning
  • Write descriptive, meaningful link text (for example, “Download the annual report (PDF)” instead of “Click here” or "Learn more")
  • Break up text into short paragraphs or bullet points for readability
  • Do not use ALL CAPS in navigation, links, or buttons. Use title case instead

Avoid Inaccessible Design Shortcuts

  • Do not put important text inside images. Type it directly on the page.
  • Do not use images as navigation buttons
  • Avoid using tables for layout. Use built-in formatting or responsive grids instead.

Avoid Text in Images

For more on why text should stay out of images, see these accessibility resources from Oberlin and Princeton.

Use Accessible Media

  • Add alt text for all images
  • Include captions for videos and transcripts for audio. See UCOP's accessibility site for more information on transcripts and captions.
  • When linking to documents (PDFs, Word files, etc.):
    • Use descriptive link text (not “Click here” or "Learn more")
    • Include file type and size, e.g., “Download the annual report (PDF, 2 MB)”
    • Post content as HTML whenever possible, since PDFs and Word files are often not accessible

Quick Tips Before You Publish

  • One H1 per page (the title)
  • Use alt text for every image
  • Make sure link text is descriptive, not “click here”
  • Break up content into short, scannable sections
  • Use title case. Avoid ALL CAPS or extra punctuation in labels and links
  • Use clear, specific button text (for example, “Submit Application” instead of just “Submit”)
  • Make sure your files are accessible, including PDF files. See UCOP's accessibility site for more guidance on creating accessible PDFs. 

Accessibility Resources

Here are more resources that will dive deeper into these topics:

Best Practices in Action

Visit our Sample IWP site to see how these best practices look in a live website. You’ll find examples of headings, link text, media, and navigation so you can get a sense of how the guidelines come together in practice.

Go to the Sample IWP site