Validate accessibility

The main points that content must meet are as follows:

• Use clear, concise, simple English
• It is important for automatic readers that heading levels are used in the correct order; H1, H2, H3 and H4
• Each page should only have one Heading 1 which is automatically the page title as a part of the template - having more than H1 or no H1 can harm Search Engine performance so only use H2 onwards in your content
• All images must have a description

How to validate accessibility

Your content should be aiming for a minimum of WCAG 2.0 (Level A)

• On your page, switch to Preview mode
• In the tabs, select Validate
• In the drop down menu, select Accessibility
• In the Standard drop-down menu select a minium of WCAG 2.0 (Level A)
• Click Validate
• Use the report to improve your content

Further Information

To ensure that you are using the most up-to-date information, please go to https://guides.service.gov.au/content-guide/accessibility-inclusivity/.

If you require any further assistance in this area, please contact support@ddsn.com.

Level AA

• Images & animations - Provide alt attribute or alternative text to describe the function of each visual or images.
• Tables - For tables that are not used for layout (for example, a spreadsheet), you must identify headers for the table rows and columns.
• Pages must be ensured that they are readable and understandable.
• Need to ensure that information is also represented another way if colour is being used to convey information.
• Use of language must be of the simplest and most straightforward possible.
• Avoid ASCII art.
• Ensure that descriptions of dynamic content are updated with changes in content. (ensure that descriptions of dynamic content, such as video and audio captions or transcripts, frame descriptions, alternative text for images, etc., should be synchronized with that content.)
• In a situation the page can’t be made accessible, an alternate accessible version would need to be constructed.

Level AAA

• Use relative sizing and positioning (% values) rather than absolute (pixels).
• Adjacent links need to be separated with more than white spaces.
• Ensure that event handlers do not require use of a mouse.
• Deprecated language needs to be identified and avoided if possible.
• Movement in images must be avoided where possible. (The use of animated gifs and other movements in images must be identified and avoided.)
• Tables used to format text documents in columns must not be used unless the table can be linearised.
• Style sheets should be used to control layout and presentation wherever possible.
• If scripts create pop-up windows or change the active window, we need to ensure that the user is aware this is happening.
• Descriptive title to links should be added when needed.
• Ensure that the site validates to formal published grammars.
• Where it’s possible to mark up content (for example mathematical equations) instead of using images, we need to use a mark up language (such as MathML).
• Related elements need to be grouped when possible. (Grouping elements provides information about the page organisation that the computer can present to the user to facilitate navigation and comprehension.)
• Ensure that dynamic content is accessible or provide an alternate presentation or page.
• Ensure that the latest technology specification available is used whenever possible.
• Use of metadata to add computer-understandable information about the page.