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FHSS Computing

URGENT: Brightspot Accessibility

What is Website Accessibility?

Website accessibility means making sure a website can be used and understood by everyone, including people with disabilities. Beyond ensuring equal access, BYU may face fines of up to $200,000 if its websites are not compliant with accessibility standards.

"If you manage, own, or edit a university website, you are responsible for reviewing your site, identifying accessibility issues, and remediating them. Units are expected to prioritize this work. Failure to meet federal accessibility requirements may expose the university to legal and regulatory risk." - Rose Combs, OIT

OIT will be scanning our websites looking for specific websites or pages where we are not in compliance, so we want to make sure every site we manage is fully accessible.

The FHSS Brightspot team has made sure that all FHSS sites are currently compliant, but every editor must continue to maintain accessibility as updates are made.

Below are four key practices to follow whenever making changes:
These are the most visible and commonly overlooked accessibility requirements, and everyone is responsible for following them.

1. Alt text

Every image must include meaningful alt text. This means describing the image in context so that screen readers can accurately convey its purpose. Avoid phrases like “image of” or “picture of,” as these are already implied.

If an image is purely decorative, use empty alt text (alt="").

Guide to meaningful alt text: https://webaim.org/techniques/alttext/

In Brightspot, alt text can be added in the text box located under each image, as shown below.

adding alt text to an image example

2. Links and Buttons

Avoid vague phrases like “click here” or “read more,” as they do not provide context. Instead, use descriptive language that clearly indicates the destination.

For example:

  • Visit NIH.org”
  • “Read the blog about our research project”

3. Background Image

Ensure that text placed over images or colored backgrounds is clearly visible and has sufficient contrast. Low contrast can make content difficult or impossible to read. For example, the following card would not be accessible:

example of inaccessible color contrast

To fix contrast issues, you can:

  • Change the text color
  • Adjust or replace the background image
  • Use a layout where text is not placed over an image

When in doubt, adjust the design or reach out for guidance.

4. Videos and Audio:

All video and audio content must include captions or a transcript. A simple way to do this is by uploading videos to YouTube, which automatically generates captions (these should still be reviewed for accuracy).

5. Flyers and Images with text

Uploading images of flyers—or any images containing text—does not meet accessibility standards. All content should be provided as readable text on the webpage. If a flyer image is additionally included, its alt text should clearly direct users to where the full text appears on the page, and the alt text should not exceed 100 words.

For a more in-depth guide on accessibility, see:
https://accessible.org/Kris-Rivenburgh_WCAG-2.1-AA-Guide.pdf
For other questions and concerns, contact us at fhss-web@byu.edu