This post should have been published back in September – apologies for it appearing late!

Delivering Clearer Results through Accessibility

This session demonstrated how to write technical documentation for visually impaired and blind people. For EDI purposes, accessibility levels the playing field for people of all abilities, and further, using accessibility features also makes documentation more useful for non-disabled and sighted people.

The premise was based on the website SCULPT for Accessibility, which proves a very useful beginner’s guide. I found it a very useful demo and worth reading into more deeply. The acronym, SCULPT, was covered as follows.

Structure Using headings and styles appropriately. It was pointed out that a screen reader doesn’t just read out loud, word for word. It also simulates a navigation menu of chapters and topics dependent on the use of headings and styles. With such navigation visually impaired people can more easily tab through to get the information they need.

Colour and Contrast (skipped over)

Use of Images This meant using images that support the text, never instead of text, and the use of alt text to describe images.

Links Make links more accessible by having them named for the location they’re headed to, and not part of a stream of continuous text.

Plain English This not only helps with sight loss but also with those under time pressure or who might be multi-tasking.

Tables Finally we went over how to make tables clearer and more succinct, and never as a way of formatting a page as is so often the case with Risk Assessments!

Pictured above, a selfie of me (Andrew Angus-Whiteoak) enjoying the IST conference.