This ten-point list can help to prevent many common accessibility barriers and are recommended as a final step before publishing any digital content. You can find more information on each item by following the links.

  1. Use correct heading structure. Don’t skip heading levels and use the built-in heading styles in your document editor. Heading styles should only be used for headings and not to add emphasis to other text.
  2. Write descriptive links. Links should include meaningful text and should describe to the user where the link will take them. Avoid using “click here” and check if the link text makes sense if taken out of context.
  3. Provide alternative text for images. Describe any meaningful images and remember to add context to your description. Mark purely decorative images so they can be ignored by screen readers.
  4. Do not use colour alone to convey meaning. Add clear text, additional formatting, icons or other visual cues to help convey meaning when using colour to highlight important information.
  5. Use sufficient contrast. Text and important visuals like buttons need enough contrast against their background colours. Colour contrast analysers can help to ensure sufficient contrast.
  6. Provide captions and transcripts for media. Videos, animations and audio need captions and transcripts to be provided as alternatives. Some complex media may also benefit from a description to convey meaning.
  7. Structure tables. Use tables for data, not layout, and include a caption for every table. Identify headers correctly and keep the structure as simple as possible.
  8. Format lists. Use real bulleted and numbered lists using built-in formatting tools instead of typing bullets or numbers manually.
  9. Test keyboard use. Use your keyboard on its own to test that you can navigate and access all interactions and features without needing to use a mouse.
  10. Check before publishing. Use built-in accessibility checkers where available, then do the recommended manual checks that the tool cannot carry out.

Further guidance: W3C Easy Checks