Help with efforts to make website accessible

The Act on the Accessibility of Digital Public Services, which entered into force in 2019, imposes stricter requirements on public authorities’ websites than previously. These requirements include ensuring that the web pages can be read by a person with a visual impairment, for example.

A web project is currently under way to migrate all the University’s external and internal websites to a new publishing system. In connection with this migration, the content is also checked and, if necessary, adapted to the new, more stringent requirements.

Web editors at the departments and divisions are responsible for ensuring that the University’s websites comply with the Act.

You can help

Can individual staff members help to make the University’s website accessible?

Yes, there are two main things that most of us can do better. The first is to use Word correctly from the start when creating a document. The second is to think ahead when planning a video production or podcast.

It is not only the web pages themselves containing text and images that must be accessible; any attached files also need to be accessible. Attachments should be avoided on the website as far as possible, but sometimes they are necessary. There are a few things we can all think about to make things easier and not cause unnecessary extra work.

Use Word the right way

Use the formatting templates when creating a document in Word. This involves formatting your headings using the Heading 1, 2, 3, 4 templates. The running text is formatted using the Normal template.

Using the formatting templates instead of formatting each heading or paragraph individually makes it relatively easy to make the document accessible.

If you have information-bearing images or figures in your Word document, you also need to add an alternative text to the image that can be read out to those who cannot see the image or figure.

You can read more about how to add an alternative text and more tips for working in Word on the Staff Portal. There are also three videos on how to check the accessibility of Word and PDF documents.

Video production

All University video productions must be both audio-described and subtitled. In practice, this means it is a good idea to think ahead so the production has been planned all the way through before you start.

Adding audio description to a video means making it accessible to people with visual impairments. There are different ways to do this, but the University primarily uses a method called verbalisation.

Verbalisation entails all the important information in the video being rendered accessible by listening to the regular sound of the film. This could mean, for example, adding details of the environment or other necessary information to the film’s voice-over.

In the case of subtitling, a sub-contractor has been procured. You can read more about subtitling and audio description on the Staff Portal.

Podcasts

Even audio-only media, such as podcasts, need to be made accessible. This is done by transcribing the audio file, i.e. writing down and describing what happens in the audio file.

The Staff Portal provides information on sub-contractors who can transcribe audio files.

Anders Berndt