What are the best practices for creating accessible and inclusive visual content?

Include alt text requirements in your style guide so everyone on your team can learn how to effectively write alt text. Likewise, write guidelines for how to effectively create captions because poorly created captions can be as burdensome as having no captions.

Chris posed a good question. Perhaps the author should define “accessible and inclusive.” For accessibility: Section508.gov https://www.section508.gov/content/guide-accessible-web-design-development/. Although Section 508 applies to federal agencies, I have seen applications of Section 508 used in non-federal agency websites whereby designers and web authors adhere to Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG: https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG20/).

Designers following WCAG design websites that “make content accessible to a wider range of people with disabilities, including blindness and low vision, deafness and hearing loss, learning disabilities, cognitive limitations, limited movement, speech disabilities, photosensitivity and combinations of these. Following these guidelines will also often make your Web content more usable to users in general.” For example, designers following WCAG Guideline 1.3 Adaptable will likely “create content that can be presented in different ways (for example simpler layout) without losing information or structure.” Presenting content in simpler ways could mean more use of white space.

In creating accessibility in web pages, designers and authors will also consult Essential Components of Web Accessibility: (https://www.w3.org/WAI/fundamentals/components/). Further accessibility requirements are found at The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C https://www.w3.org/ ) and Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI https://www.w3.org/WAI/), which develops web accessibility standards for the different components:

>>Authoring Tool Accessibility Guidelines (ATAG) Overview addresses authoring tools (https://www.w3.org/WAI/standards-guidelines/atag/) >>WCAG 2 Overview addresses web content, and is used by developers, authoring tools, and accessibility evaluation tools (https://www.w3.org/WAI/standards-guidelines/wcag/) >>User Agent Accessibility Guidelines (UAAG) addresses web browsers and media players, including some aspects of assistive technologies (https://www.w3.org/WAI/standards-guidelines/uaag/)

These accessibility guidelines are based on the fundamental technical specifications of the web, and are developed in coordination with all W3C technical specifications (HTML, CSS, SVG, SMIL, etc.) (https://www.w3.org/TR/). W3C also develops technical specifications that directly address accessibility, including: ARIA, the Accessible Rich Internet Applications Suite (https://www.w3.org/WAI/standards-guidelines/aria/), which defines a way to make web applications more accessible to people with disabilities. It especially helps with dynamic content and advanced user interface controls developed with Ajax, HTML, JavaScript, and related technologies.

Running things through a screen reader is a wonderful way to see how accessible your content is. For example, the overuse of emojis or visual imagery can bog down the core message with descriptions and make it difficult to follow a narrative. Another good idea is to closely follow ADA & WCAG (Website Compliance Standards) guidelines as there may be new tools and updated methods of accessibility available.

When reviewing usability guidelines, Usability.gov has been replaced with Digital.gov for current practices. For testing, also consider: >>Authoring Tool Accessibility Guidelines (ATAG) Overview addresses authoring tools (https://www.w3.org/WAI/standards-guidelines/atag/) >>WCAG 2 Overview addresses web content, and is used by developers, authoring tools, and accessibility evaluation tools (https://www.w3.org/WAI/standards-guidelines/wcag/) >>User Agent Accessibility Guidelines (UAAG) addresses web browsers and media players, including some aspects of assistive technologies (https://www.w3.org/WAI/standards-guidelines/uaag/)

Best practices for creating accessible and inclusive visual content include using high-contrast colors, readable fonts, and clear labels. Provide alt text for images, captions for videos, and descriptive links. Avoid relying solely on color to convey information. Test content with diverse users to ensure it meets accessibility standards.

Diagramming tools like Edraw Max and MS Visio are essential in technical writing for several reasons. Firstly, they facilitate the visualization of complex concepts, processes, and relationships, making it easier for readers to understand and assimilate information. These tools enable technical writers to create various types of diagrams, such as flowcharts, diagrams, org charts, and network diagrams, which are indispensable for illustrating procedures, system architectures, and data flows. Moreover, diagramming tools enhance the overall quality and professionalism of technical documentation by providing polished, visually appealing visuals that enhance readability and engagement.