Slide decks get built fast. A lecture the night before, a workshop the morning of -- we’ve all done it. Accessibility is often the first thing to slip when you're racing a deadline. But a few intentional choices, made as you build rather than after the fact, can mean the difference between a deck that works for everyone in the room and one that quietly leaves some behind.

Whether you're building in PowerPoint, Google Slides, or Canva, here are ten strategies to help your next presentation reach everyone who opens it.

1. Start with a Built-In Template

A blank canvas gives you no structural head start: no heading tags, no consistent color palette, nothing for a screen reader to key off of. Starting from a real layout means accessibility is baked in before you type a word.

• PowerPoint: Choose File > New from Template rather than starting from a blank presentation.

• Google Slides: Use File > New > From template gallery, including UMBC's branded templates.

• Canva: Search "presentation" in Canva's template library and start from a pre-built design rather than a blank frame.

Don't forget: if you're editing an existing deck that started as a blank canvas, it's worth rebuilding on a template rather than patching structure after the fact.

2. Keep Each Slide to One Idea

A crowded slide is hard to follow for every viewer, but especially for someone using magnification or a screen reader, working through it piece by piece. One idea per slide keeps the pace manageable.

• PowerPoint: Use the Outline view to check whether your slide titles actually summarize one clear point each.

• Google Slides: Break dense slides into two using Duplicate slide, rather than shrinking text to fit everything on one.

• Canva: Use Canva's multi-page presentation flow to spread a complex idea across two slides instead of one packed layout.

Don't forget: if you find yourself shrinking text to make it fit, that's usually a sign the slide needs to be split, not shrunk.

3. Choose Fonts and Styles That Are Easy to Read

Decorative fonts and heavy styling might look sharp, but they slow down every reader, not just the ones using assistive technology. Simple, consistent typography benefits everyone in the room.

• PowerPoint: Stick to sans serif fonts like Arial, Helvetica, or Calibri, and avoid ALL CAPS or excessive underlining.

• Google Slides: Use the built-in theme fonts rather than importing custom or script-style fonts.

• Canva: Filter Canva's font library to sans serif options, and limit each slide to one or two font pairings.

Don't forget: italics and underlining both signal "link" to many users. Save them for actual links, not emphasis.

4. Confirm Your Slides Read in the Right Order

Elements dragged and repositioned during editing don't always stay in a logical reading order, so what looks correct visually can come out scrambled for a screen reader.

• PowerPoint: Open the Reading Order pane (under Review > Check Accessibility) to see and adjust the sequence.

• Google Slides: Use Tab key navigation to click through elements in the order they'll be read aloud.

• Canva: Use the Objects panel to check the stacking/layer order of elements, since Canva reads top-to-bottom by layer.

Don't forget: this check only matters if you do it last — reordering elements during design is exactly when reading order breaks.

5. Write Alt Text That Explains Purpose

An image with no alt text is simply invisible to a screen reader, and alt text that just describes what something looks like ("a graph") skips the part that actually matters: what the audience is supposed to take away from it.

• PowerPoint: Right-click an image and select Edit Alt Text, or mark it decorative if it adds nothing instructional.

• Google Slides: Right-click an image, choose Alt Text, and write one to two sentences describing its purpose.

• Canva: Select an image, open Accessibility in the side panel, and add alt text there. Canva does not auto-generate this for you.

Don't forget: decorative doesn't mean "skip the alt text because you don't feel like writing it" -- it means the image truly adds nothing a viewer needs to know.

6. Give Complex Visuals a Text Companion

Dense charts, infographics, or diagrams often carry more meaning than a sentence or two of alt text can capture. A nearby caption or a linked summary fills that gap.

• PowerPoint: Add a one- to two-sentence summary in the speaker notes for any complex chart or diagram.

• Google Slides: Include a caption text box beneath complex visuals summarizing the key takeaway.

• Canva: Pair infographic elements with a short adjacent text block rather than relying on the visual alone.

Don't forget: if you can't summarize what a visual is teaching in a sentence, that's a sign the visual needs more support, not less.

7. Use Descriptive Hyperlink Text

"Click here" tells a screen reader nothing about where a link goes. They have to click through to find out. A descriptive link tells them upfront.

• PowerPoint: Replace generic link text with the destination's actual name (e.g., "View the syllabus" instead of "here").

• Google Slides: Use Insert > Link and edit the display text to be descriptive before publishing.

• Canva: When adding a link to text or a button, rename the linked text itself rather than leaving a raw URL visible.

Don't forget: a good test is reading just the link text out of context. If it doesn't make sense on its own, it needs a rewrite.

8. Check Your Color Contrast

Text that blends into its background is a barrier for anyone with low vision or color blindness, and it's an easy thing to miss when you're focused on branding colors, not readability.

• PowerPoint: Run the Accessibility Checker (Review tab) to flag any hard-to-read text contrast automatically.

• Google Slides: Google Slides has no built-in checker. Export as PowerPoint or PDF and run a checker there.

• Canva: Use Canva's built-in Accessibility view or an external tool like the WebAIM Contrast Checker before finalizing colors.

Don't forget: contrast that looks fine on your laptop screen can fail in a bright classroom or lecture hall. Check it under real presentation conditions when you can.

9. Don't Let Color Alone Carry the Meaning

If red means "wrong" and green means "right," a colorblind viewer has no way to tell the two apart. Pairing color with text, icons, or patterns keeps the meaning intact for everyone.

• PowerPoint: Add a label or icon next to any color-coded element instead of relying on color alone.

• Google Slides: Use shape or icon differences (not just fill color) to distinguish categories in charts or diagrams.

• Canva: Choose Canva chart templates that include data labels, not just color-coded legends.

Don't forget: a quick way to test this is to view your slide in grayscale. If the meaning disappears, so will it for some of your audience.

10. Caption and Describe Any Embedded Media

A video or audio clip embedded mid-presentation needs the same accessibility treatment as everything else in the deck: an uncaptioned clip is a gap, not a break from reading.

• PowerPoint: Use the built-in Subtitles & Captions feature under the Insert tab when recording narration.

• Google Slides: Link out to a captioned version hosted in YuJa or YouTube rather than embedding raw, uncaptioned video.

• Canva: Enable auto-captions on any video element added through Canva's video tools, and review them for accuracy.

Don't forget: auto-captions are a starting point, not a finish line. Always skim them for accuracy before sharing.

None of these strategies requires starting over or mastering a new tool. Most take a few extra minutes woven into work you're already doing: Picking a template instead of a blank slide, writing one real sentence of alt text instead of skipping it, checking contrast before you hit export. Start with just one or two on your next deck. Once they become a habit, the rest tend to follow.

Imagine a student opening a Google Docs syllabus with a screen reader. They expect to easily skip from section to section. Instead, they hit a wall of text. Why? Because simply making text bold and underlined doesn't turn it into a real header and assistive technology can't read it as one.

Because Google Docs live entirely in a web browser, building an inclusive document requires a slightly different approach than working in traditional desktop word processors. Google Workspace’s native tools make it easy to build in accessibility from the start, rather than fixing it after the fact.

Here are five steps to create inclusive Google Docs, from the first keystroke to the final share.

Step 1: Mapping the Foundation with Paragraph Styles

When building a document, it is tempting to use the font size, bold, and underline buttons to manually create visual section headers. However, screen readers cannot use visual styling to understand the hierarchy of a page. Instead, they rely on an invisible, structural blueprint.

To build this structure properly, swap manual formatting for the Styles menu:

1. Highlight your section title and click the Styles dropdown in the top toolbar (it usually defaults to "Normal text").
2. Assign Title for your main topic, Heading 1 for major sections, and Heading 2 for subsections.

The Google Advantage: Using native headings automatically populates the left-hand document outline panel (View → Show outline). Because this outline serves as a live, interactive map, it doesn't just help assistive tech users jump between sections—it allows everyone collaborating on the document to navigate massive files with a single click.

Step 2: Writing and Linking via "Smart Chips"

Pasting raw, lengthy URLs into a shared document creates a clunky visual layout and an incredibly frustrating experience for screen reader users, who have to listen to every single character read aloud. On the flip side, vague text like "click here" lacks critical context when scanned in isolation.

• Instead of: “For the library database, click here.”
• Write: “Search the Library Database directly.”

The Google Advantage: Google Docs offers a cloud-native fix for messy links. When you paste a URL into a document, immediately press the “Tab" key when prompted. Google will automatically convert the raw web address into a clean Smart Chip or a descriptive preview title pulled directly from the destination page's metadata.

Step 3: Handling Visuals and Decorative Content

Images, charts, and diagrams require text alternatives (Alt Text) so screen readers can describe the images in the Documents. 

To add this in Google Docs:

1. Right-click the image and select Alt text (or use the shortcut Ctrl + Alt + Y / Cmd + Option + Y).
2. Type your summary strictly in the Description box, focusing on why the image matters to the document. You can leave the "Title" box blank.

The Google Disadvantage: Unlike desktop processors, Google Docs does not feature a native "Mark as decorative" checkbox for purely aesthetic graphics (like accent lines or background shapes). To work around this limitation without confusing assistive technologies, either omit purely decorative images entirely, or explicitly type "Decorative image" in the description box so a screen reader user knows they aren't missing out on critical content.

Step 4: Creating Lists

A hand-type dash or asterisk might look like a list on screen, but screen readers have no way of knowing it’s meant to be one. Instead, they announce each line as a separate, disconnected sentences, leaving the listener with no sense of how many items exist or where they are in a sequence.

• Use numbered lists when sequence matters, such as steps in an assignment or the order of operations in a grading rubric.
• Use bulleted lists when items carry equal weight, like a set of recommended readings or optional resources.

The Google Advantage: Applying a native list format (Format → Bullets & numbering) tells assistive technology exactly how many items are in the list and which one is currently being read, while also letting collaborators reorder or indent items automatically, without retyping symbols by hand.

Step 5: Maintaining Simple Typography

Decorative or script fonts, along with fully justified paragraphs, can be difficult for low-vision or dyslexic readers to track, since justification stretches spacing unevenly and creates awkward gaps between words. Standard, legible fonts paired with left-aligned text keep spacing consistent and predictable for every reader.

• Keep body text at 11pt or larger, since smaller sizes force low-vision readers to rely entirely on browser zoom.
• Reserve underlining for hyperlinks only since underlined body text can be mistaken for a broken or dead link.

The Google Advantage: Selecting "More fonts" from the font dropdown lets you preview and filter Google's full font library before applying it document-wide, making it easy to swap in an accessible typeface consistently across the whole file.

Remember: The biggest difference between Google Docs and desktop alternatives is the ecosystem: Google Docs does not feature a native, built-in "Check Accessibility" button in the toolbar. Therefore, you must review your work for accessibility before selecting the “Share” button.

Microsoft Word is one of the most common tools used for creating flyers, handouts, syllabi, readings, and assignments. It’s also one of the most common sources of accessibility problems in Blackboard courses or websites. The good news: Word has built-in tools that can make it easy to create documents that work for every faculty, staff, and student; including those who rely on screen readers or other assistive technologies. These 5 tips will help you build accessibility into your Word documents from the start, no special expertise required.

1. Use Heading Styles

One of the most impactful things you can do for document accessibility is also one of the simplest: use Word’s built-in heading styles instead of manually increasing font size or bolding text to create section titles. Heading styles already give your document structure that screen readers can navigate, such as a table of contents for assistive technology. Think of headings as signposts. Screen reader users can jump from heading to heading the same way sighted readers scan a page.

• Find heading styles in the Home tab under “Styles.”
• Apply Heading 1 for your main title, Heading 2 for major sections, and Heading 3 for subsections.
• Avoid skipping levels, don’t jump from Heading 1 directly to Heading 3.

2. Write Descriptive Link Text

When you insert a hyperlink into a Word document, the link text is what gets read aloud to screen reader users. Vague phrases like “click here,” “read more,” or a raw URL give no information about where the link leads. Descriptive link text also helps users who are scanning a document quickly. (Refer to 5 Tips for Creating Clear and Accessible Links for more information.)

• Instead of: “For the course schedule, click here.”
• Write: “Download the course schedule (PDF).”

3. Add Alt Text to Images

Any image in your Word document that conveys meaning (e.g., a diagram, a chart, a photograph), does need an alternative text; so students using screen readers can access the information it contains. If you’re unsure how to describe a complex image, a generative AI tool can generate a starting point. Be sure to review and revise before saving it.

• Right-click on an image and select “Edit Alt Text.”
• Write a concise description focused on the image’s purpose, not just its appearance.
• For purely decorative images, check the “Mark as decorative” box in the alt text panel.

4. Make Tables Accessible

Tables are a common accessibility problem in Word documents, especially when they’re used for layout rather than data. A table designed to organize visual information can become a challenge for a screen reader user to follow if it’s not structured correctly.

• Use tables for data, not for page layout.
• Add a table title or brief description above the table so students know what it contains.
• Mark your header row: right-click the top row → Table Properties → Row → check “Repeat as header row at the top of each page.”
• Avoid merged or split cells. Keep tables simple. 

5. Run the Accessibility Checker

Word has a built-in Accessibility Checker that scans your document and flags any potential problems to fix before you save and share it with students. It can quickly identify any issues you might have missed.

• Go to Review → Check Accessibility.
• The checker will flag errors (must fix), warnings (should fix), and tips (consider fixing).
• Click on each flagged item for a plain-language explanation and apply the suggested fix.

Running the Accessibility Checker in Microsoft Word before uploading a file to Sites or Blackboard is one of the simplest habits you can build into your document workflow. It’s also one of the fastest ways to improve your Accessibility score.

For more information, view UMBC’s Digital Accessibility’s site on Accessible Documents & Presentations on how to make your word documents accessible.

Coming Soon: Beyond PDFs

Why Use PDFs at All? While this article focuses on making your Word documents accessible, we often get asked why PDFs are so common if they are harder to remediate. In an upcoming article, we’ll dive into the question of the PDF Dilemma and share why sharing your original Word file is often the preferred choice for accessibility. Keep an eye out for that deep dive soon!

Let’s enhance meeting productivity for all attendees! Whether you are hosting a departmental meeting, conducting a 1:1 check-in, or moderating a large-scale event,  the organization and execution of that meeting impacts everyone’s ability to engage meaningfully. Attendees with hearing or vision impairments, audio processing differences, or utilizing assistive technology will benefit if you can reduce barriers that impact their ability to participate. 

Here are 3 tips to ensure your synchronous meetings are accessible. Applicable to both in-person meetings and virtual sessions, these tips focus on UMBC’s primary platforms: Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, and Webex.

1. Coordinate and Share Materials

All information should be easy to perceive and navigate throughout the entire meeting.

• Pre-Meeting: Provide agendas and supporting files at least 24 hours beforehand to accommodate screen reader users and those who desire or require ample time to prepare.  Use your calendar description to include or share text-based agendas and favor structured documents over PDFs.

• During the Meeting: Ensure text is at least 18 pt (sans serif) for clarity across devices. Narrate visual elements -- like describing specific data points on a chart -- rather than just reading text. Encourage participants to share their screens during collaborative work, if appropriate, for improved compatibility with assistive software.

• Post-Meeting: Provide notes in structured formats rather than long-form, dense and possibly inaccessible emails. Review and fix errors in automated transcripts or captions before distributing recordings. Clearly define and label all deadlines and action items.

2. Use Real-Time Captioning

Providing a visual representation of speech is a fundamental accommodation.

Providing real-time captions allows a diverse range of participants to engage in the meeting meaningfully. While live text displays are essential for individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing, they also offer vital support for non-native speakers, those in high-noise environments, and attendees who utilize visual reinforcement to process information more effectively.

• Google Meet: Toggle the Captions feature in settings for immediate text display.

• Microsoft Teams: Enable live captions via Language and speech in the ellipsis menu.

• Webex: Use the Accessibility or Closed captions options. 

3. Enhance Audio Quality

Using clear audio helps generate reliable transcripts.

• Prioritize Quality: Use a headset or external microphone instead of built-in speakers for better speech recognition and transcription accuracy. Follow microphone etiquette by muting yourself when not speaking to reduce noise that will hinder captioning.

• Control Speaking Order: Speak clearly and at a moderate pace, ensuring only one person speaks at a time. Overlapping speech confuses transcription engines and makes it difficult for participants using hearing aids to follow.

• Optimize Your Space: In hyflex environments, utilize the installed room microphones and speakers rather than your laptop’s built-in audio. These integrated systems are designed to pick up voices from across the room, ensuring that remote participants can clearly hear in-person contributions. Remember to face the audience to provide essential visual cues for lip-readers.

Accessible meetings take a little more time and intention to plan, yet you can create and facilitate a more equitable meeting where everyone can engage and contribute their full potential.

Social media is one of the most powerful tools departments use to share news, celebrate achievements, and build community. It’s also one of the most consistently inaccessible corners of institutional communication. The good news is that most major platforms now have built-in accessibility features, and the habits that make social media accessible also tend to make it more engaging for everyone.

Note: The availability of some accessibility features depends on whether you are using the mobile application or a desktop/browser.

1. Write Alt Text for Every Image You Post

Alt text on social media works the same way it does everywhere else: it describes an image to someone who cannot see it. Write a descriptive sentence about what the image shows and why you’re posting it. 

Most major platforms now support alt text -- you just have to use it. 

• On Facebook: When composing a post with an image, click the three dots (…) on the photo and select “Edit alt text.” 

• On Instagram: Before posting, tap “Advanced settings” at the bottom of the caption screen and select “Write alt text.”

• On LinkedIn: After uploading an image, look for the “Alt text” option before publishing.

• On X: Tap the image after uploading and select “Add description” before posting.

Note: If a platform doesn't support native alt text (like TikTok), write a brief visual description directly at the bottom of your post caption.

2. Caption Your Videos

Video content without captions excludes users who are deaf or hard of hearing, and also anyone watching without sound, which is a significant portion of social media users. Most platforms generate auto-captions.

• On Instagram and Facebook: Auto-captions are generated for Reels and videos. 

• On LinkedIn: You can generate captions, but uploading a caption file (SRT format) when posting a video will be the most accurate.

• On YouTube: Auto-captions are available, and can be corrected via YouTube Studio.

Consider burning captions directly into the short-form videos (e.g., TikTok-style content) before posting, so they appear for all platforms. Regardless of how you add captions to your social media videos, they should be accurate for your audience.

3. Provide Essential Text Outside of Images

Graphic design tools make it easy to create visually striking images with text overlaid for event announcements, quotes, and infographic-style posts. But text embedded in an image cannot be read by a screen reader, cannot be resized by users with low vision, and is not searchable.

• If your graphic includes essential information (event name, date, location, deadline), repeat that information in the post caption or body text so users with screen readers will have access to the same information.

• Use high-contrast text on image graphics. Light text on a light background or dark text on a dark background is hard to read for everyone, not just screen reader users. If you use a color contrast checker, aim for a ratio of at least 4:5:1.

4. Use CamelCase for Hashtags

Screen readers rely on capital letters to distinguish individual words. Without capital letters, hashtags are read aloud by screen readers as a single string of text: #digitalaccess becomes “digitalaccess” becomes one undifferentiated word. CamelCase (capitalizing the first letter of each word in a hashtag) allows screen readers to identify and announce each word separately.

• Write #DigitalAccessibility instead of #digitalaccessibility.

• Screen readers translate “umbc” to “uhm-buck” when they read out loud. If you want accuracy, use hyphens between the letters: “U-M-B-C”

This is a small habit that makes hashtags more readable for everyone -- including sighted users scanning a post.

5. Write and Format for an Inclusive Audience

Consider all of your audience when preparing and publishing your social media posts. 

• Keep emojis to the end of your posts rather than bullet points or in the middle of your sentence. Screen readers will read aloud the exact text description, which will break up the flow of your post.

• Avoid using external font generators to create styled text on platforms like Instagram and X. Words written in these fonts cannot be read by screen readers, and many are difficult to read by visual users as well.

• Write with clear and simple language, and avoid unnecessary jargon and idioms to support users with cognitive or language-processing disabilities.

• When adding links to posts and bios, include context and clear labels so your readers know where the link leads. For example, “Learn more about our summer accessibility training series” or “Request support” instead of a short URL.

Social media accessibility is an ongoing practice, not a one-time fix. Building these habits into your regular posting workflow means every post you share is reaching your full audience.

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Tips and strategies adapted from “Accessible Social Media” training (2026), prepared by the Maryland Assistive Technology Program, and "Social Media Accessibility Guidelines" (n.d.), prepared by UMBC's University Communications & Marketing team.

Email is one of the most universal communication tools we have at UMBC, and one of the most commonly overlooked places where accessibility breaks down. Whether you’re sending a department update, a meeting invitation, or a campus-wide announcement, the way you format your email affects whether every recipient can actually read and understand it. For users who use screen readers, have low vision, or rely on assistive technology, a poorly formatted email isn’t just inconvenient -- it’s a barrier. The good news: accessible emails are also clearer, better organized, and easier for everyone to read.

These tips apply to Gmail, UMBC’s primary email platform, but the principles carry across any email client.

1. Write a Descriptive, Meaningful Subject Line

Your subject line is the first thing a screen reader announces. Vague subject lines like “FYI,” “Update,” or “Important” don’t tell the recipient what to expect or how urgently to act.

• Be specific: “Staff Meeting Agenda – Thursday, July 10” is more useful than “Agenda.”

• Skip the emoji in subject lines. Screen readers read the emoji name aloud (e.g., “check mark button” and this can bury your actual message.

• Avoid all caps. Screen readers may spell out letters individually, and all caps are harder to read visually. 

• Front-load the most important information: “Action Required: Submit Your Training Confirmation by Friday.”

2. Keep Your Structure Simple and Scannable

Long blocks of unbroken text are hard for everyone to read, and especially difficult for screen reader users who need to navigate content linearly. Use structure to make your emails easier to process.

• Use short paragraphs. One idea per paragraph is a good rule of thumb.

• Use real lists (Gmail’s bulleted or numbered list buttons in the formatting toolbar) rather than typing dashes or asterisks manually.

• If your email covers multiple topics, use Gmail’s bold text to create visual section breaks, but use it sparingly so emphasis stays meaningful.

• Avoid using tables for layout in email. Table rendering is inconsistent across email clients, and tables can be confusing for screen reader users.

3. Make Your Links Descriptive

Links in emails are frequently formatted as raw URLs or vague phrases. Both create problems for screen reader users, who often navigate emails by jumping between links.

• Instead of “Click Here” or “Please register using this link: [long link]” you should write: “Register for the July accessibility workshop.” Then embed the link to the descriptive phrase. 

  • In Gmail: Highlight the text you want to link, press Ctrl+K (or Cmd+K on Mac), and paste the URL. The visible text, not the URL, becomes the link.

• Avoid linking entire sentences. Link only the meaningful phrase.

4. Use Color and Formatting Thoughtfully

Color can add visual emphasis, but it should never be the only way you communicate information. Recipients with color blindness or low vision may not perceive color differences the way you intend.

• Don’t rely on color alone to indicate importance. Pair color with bold, italics, or explicit language (“Note:” or “Reminder:”).

• Ensure text color has sufficient contrast against the background. Gmail’s default black text on white background is already contrast-compliant. Avoid overriding it with light gray or other low-contrast colors.

• Use bold and italics for emphasis sparingly. Excessive formatting is as hard to read as none.

5. Add Alt Text to Images in Gmail

If you include images in your email -- for example, logos, banners, charts, or photos -- they need alternative text so recipients using screen readers understand what the image conveys.

• In Gmail: Insert an image, then click it and select “Edit alt text.”

• Write a brief description of what the image communicates, not just what it looks like.

• If the image is purely decorative (a banner or divider), consider whether it’s necessary to use it at all. Decorative images in email can slow load times and add clutter.

• Never embed essential information, especially text like event information, only in an image. If the image doesn’t load or can’t be read, that information disappears.

6. Send Attachments That Are Actually Accessible

An email can be well-formatted, while the file attached to it is not. Before attaching a document, take a moment to confirm it will work for every recipient.

• Run the Accessibility Checker in Word or PowerPoint (Review > Check Accessibility) before attaching. It flags missing alt text, poor color contrast, and other common issues.

• For PDFs, export from the source file rather than scanning a paper document. Scanned PDFs are images of text, not readable text, and are inaccessible to screen readers by default.

• Check that your document has a logical structure: real headings, readable lists, and meaningful link text. The same principles that apply to your email apply to what you attach to it.

When in doubt, put the information in the email body instead. The most accessible attachment is one that doesn’t need to exist.

7. Test Before You Send

Before sending a high-stakes email to a large group, take 60 seconds to review it with accessibility in mind:

• Read your subject line out loud. Is it clear without any surrounding context?

• Read your link text out loud. Does each link tell you where it goes?

• Try removing all color from your email mentally. Does it still make sense?

• If you’ve included an image, check that it has alt text.

Accessible email takes only a little more time to write, and makes a significant difference for the colleagues and community members who receive it.

Links are everywhere -- in syllabi, announcements, email, assignments, websites, and Blackboard pages. They’re one of the most useful tools for connecting students to resources and one of the most commonly overlooked accessibility issues. For anyone using screen readers, a link is read aloud exactly as it appears: “click here” or “hxxps // web(dot)com/long-string-of-characters” -- this communicates nothing.

Accessible link text is a small fix with a big payoff for everyone. Let’s explore five tips to improve how providing accessible links can make a huge difference to everyone.

1. Make Every Link Self-Describing

Accessible link text should make sense out of context. Screen reader users often navigate a page by jumping from link to link, without reading the surrounding text. That means each link needs to stand on its own.

• Instead of: “To access the library database, click here.”
  Write: “Access the UMBC Library database.”

Why this matters: “click here” provides no context. Telling someone what happens when the link is clicked and where the link will take them helps them know where they're going.

• Instead of: “The reading for this week is available here.”
  Write: “Download this week’s reading: Smith (2022) on urban planning (PDF).”

Why this matters: Providing clear information about the reading, including the author, year, and file format, helps students know exactly what they are accessing when they click the link.

Here’s a useful test for you to try: Read only the text of your links with no surrounding context. Do you know where it leads? If not, then you need to make sure you provide clear descriptions.

2. Avoid These Common Accessibility Pitfalls

A few link habits are so common that they can feel natural, but each one creates a barrier for anyone using assistive technology.

• As we just explored, it’s critical to avoid using “Click here” -- not all users navigate with a mouse, and it tells users nothing about the destination.

• Create unique link text for different destinations -- it’s important not to use the same words for different links (e.g., two different readings both labeled “Weekly reading”).

• Avoid full web page addresses as link text. A full web page address read aloud character-by-character is inaccessible and confusing. Imagine what it sounds like to hear 150+ letters, numbers, and/or symbols read, one by one, because your link has that many characters.

3. Indicate When a Link Opens a File or New Window

Screen reader and keyboard users benefit from knowing what will happen when they click a link, especially if it downloads a file or opens a new tab. Include a brief note in the link text itself.

• “Download the rubric (Word doc)”

• “View the course policy (PDF)”

• “Watch the intro video on YouTube (opens in new tab)”

This helps everyone plan their workflow, not just those using screen readers.

4. Keep Link Text Concise But Complete

Longer isn’t always better. Link text should be long enough to be descriptive, but short enough to be efficient.

• Aim for 4-10 words for most links.

• Skip filler phrases like “please visit” or “feel free to.”

• Don’t link entire paragraphs. Link a meaningful phrase within the sentence instead.

It’s also important to avoid using “Read more” or “Learn more” -- more about what? If you must use these phrases, tell us what we’re reading or learning more about.

5. Check Your Links in Silktide or Ally

Silktide and Ally will evaluate link accessibility. In your Blackboard course or organization, Ally will check Ultra Documents and uploaded files. Silktide will flag very obvious issues (links that just say "click here," for instance), but it won't flag anything else, so you still need to manually evaluate all of your page links.

If your report flags link issues, here’s how to address them:

• In Sites or Blackboard Ultra, edit the content item and update the link text directly in the rich text editor.

• In uploaded Word or PDF files, fix the link text in the original file and re-upload.

• In your syllabus, use Word’s Accessibility Checker (Review → Check Accessibility) to flag link text issues before uploading.

Link accessibility is one of the fastest fixes in your email, website, document, or course -- and it makes a noticeable difference for everyone who depends on clear navigation to find what they need.

We’re excited to announce a series of workshops to introduce AOK OneSearch, the Library’s new search platform! Whether you're a student, faculty, or staff member, this series will help you unlock the full potential of AOK OneSearch for your research and coursework. 

What You’ll Learn:

• How to search for books, articles, videos, and more
• Tips for refining your search results
• How to personalize your account for a better search experience
• How to request materials from other libraries

Choose from one of these sessions and click the link for full details and to register:

AOK OneSearch Workshop for Faculty and Staff (Link)

AOK OneSearch Workshop for Students (Link)

AOK OneSearch Workshop for Graduate Students (Link)

AOK OneSearch Workshop for Students (Link)

AOK OneSearch Workshop for Students (Link)

AOK OneSearch Workshop for All (Link)