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Accessibility Guide for Digital Content

Creating accessible content is not just for students with disabilities but benefits all learners. Learn how to design course content or documents to be accessible.

Overview

The Main Idea

Embed URLs on specific words or descriptive phrases to help screen-reader users easily find links.

 

What's important

Word choice is important for creating user-friendly links. Screen-readers users employ the tab key to skim through links on a page, so placing links on generic words such as "Click here" makes your content difficult to navigate.

Links on "here" vs links on phrases

 

Clarity is important as well. Embedding a URL on the phrase or title to which it is pointing reduces cognitive load for everyone, not just users of screen-reader technology.

Lengthy URL with numbers vs link embedded on a phrase

Tool Tips

Canvas Tool Tip

Highlighting a word or phrase lets you create a link directly on the text.

Link icon in the Canvas Rich Content Editor

See Create hyperlinks in the Rich Text Content Editor (Canvas) for an illustrated guide.

 

Microsoft Office Tool Tip

Highlighting and right-clicking the desired word or phrase brings up the menu to create a link directly on the text.

Menu to add a link

See Create or edit a hyperlink (MS Word) for an illustrated guide. 

Contact Us

Center for Instructional Design and Technology • InstructionalDesign@nnu.edu • 208.467.8034 • Learning Commons 146