Accessibility

Radford University is committed to providing comparable access to all programs and services to people with disabilities. This includes access to electronic information and services.

These guidelines are recommended for all Radford University websites. More technical accessibility aspects are handled by the content management system.

Site owners can, however, have an impact on whether a site is accessible. Here are some tips to help ensure website content is accessible to people with disabilities:

  • Avoid using "click here." Many visually impaired users will have their screen readers set to only read the title of links. The phrase "click here" would be read in isolation in those cases, making it impossible for the user to identify what content he or she can expect to find when clicking on the link.
     
  • Avoid flickering elements on a webpage. They increase the risk of optically induced seizures.
     
  • Use alt text when posting images that contain text (for example, charts or event posters). This provides access to the content of images for individuals who cannot see them, including people using screen readers or Braille output devices.
     
  • Know when a PDF is appropriate: A PDF is not an appropriate replacement for content that is better suited for a webpage. PDFs should only be used for printed forms, lengthy manuals, and handbooks. Otherwise, text within a PDF should be pasted into a webpage for improved accessibility for end uers.
  • When linking to a PDF use (PDF) or [PDF] after the file name link to indicate to a user they are being taken to a PDF document and not to a webpage.
  • Flyers with content and images or PDFs, are not appropriate forms of web communication. The content within those materials should be within a calendar event listing or a webpage for improved accessibility.
     
  • Do not use color alone to convey meaning. Use an asterisk (*) or other symbol. This helps people with color blindness. This doesn't apply to www.radford.edu as the color of the font cannot be changed from black, but this is still a helpful tip to know.
     
  • When posting a video on your website, the video should include closed-captions. Captioning can be added manually or there are many third-party captioning services available.