Nonprofit communicators connect people in need with valuable information and support every day through a range of digital communications channels. Many organizations support people with disability, older people, people with English as a second language and people with low literacy to access practical help and programs every day. For many people experiencing disadvantage, finding out where to go for help is a huge first step. As a nonprofit communicator, you can support people to access the tools they need to succeed by ensuring your language is clear and that your website is accessible.

What is website accessibility?

Website accessibility is all about making sure everyone has equal access to information online. While primarily focused on supporting people with disability, good accessibility benefits everyone. It makes information easy to access, understand and navigate.

According to the Website Accessibility Initiative:

“Web accessibility means that people with disabilities can perceive, understand, navigate, and interact with the Web, and that they can contribute to the Web.”

Especially in nonprofit organizations, where many of us work to connect people in need to the right services, providing equitable access aligns to both our values and our goals.

So how can you make accessibility a priority and a reality in your organization? In addition to using everyday and inclusive language, there are a number of settings and tools you can use to improve the accessibility of your online communications.

Accessibility 101: How to make your #nonprofit’s digital content more accessible #NPMC Share on X

Here are three simple accessibility actions you can take today

1. Choose meaningful, relevant images

Images are a powerful addition to your content, however choosing a cheesy image or not providing image descriptions can frustrate or exclude some readers. As this article by a disability advocate shows – How to be disabled according to stock photography – stock photography can get it very wrong when it comes to reflecting reality.

Adding descriptions to the images you use – also known as “alt text” – enables people with visual impairments to make meaning of visuals used on your website. Alt text can be read by screen readers, which are tools that read out loud the information on the page. Without alt text, your images are just empty space!

To make images accessible you can:

  • Describe the image in the alt text settings area of your website or email system. This is usually in the image editing or upload function.
  • Provide an image caption, especially on social media when you cannot add alt text
  • Avoid text embedded in images, or if the text is necessary, make sure you provide a description in the alt text or as a caption.

This University of Washington checklist provides some more detail on how to make your images accessible.

Image descriptions help people w/visual impairments to make meaning of your site's visuals. #accessibility Share on X

2. Check the contrast between colours

Using a good colour contrast ratio makes your content easier to read and understand. Have you ever watched a slideshow presentation that used yellow or orange text on white, and found yourself squinting? This is due to poor contrast between the text and background.

There are some great tools available online that allow you to check the contrast between colours on your screen:

If you have standard colours you use for your logo or online channels, use one of the tools above to make sure that there is enough contrast between the colours you use.

3. Enable captions on videos

Enabling or adding captions on video content can have a number of benefits. On YouTube you can add your own subtitles or closed captions in the video settings. People can turn on the captions as needed or depending on their communication needs.

You can also add captions visually on a video file during production so they appear permanently. This is a good option if you intend to share your video on social media, where many people have the auto-play feature on and the volume off.

Another way you can make your videos accessible is to add audio description, which is when you add a voiceover to describe what’s shown visually.

Add captions & audio descriptions to your #nonprofit's video content #accessibility Share on X

The business and values case for prioritizing accessibility

After reading these tips you might be thinking, “Wow that sounds like a lot of extra work.” You’re right – implementing accessibility measures can take some time to begin with. However, over time they will become part of your everyday practice and processes.

Accessibility makes good business sense for organizations too; there is a strong vision and values case for ensuring everyone has equal opportunity to connect with your organization’s support and services. As a nonprofit communicator, implementing accessibility measures are a tangible way you can connect people to the help they need – and that’s what we’re all here to do, right?

If reading this article has sparked your interest in exploring accessibility, check out these great resources:

3 simple #accessibility actions you can take today #NPMC #digitalcontent Share on X
Rhiannon Wapling

Rhiannon Wapling

Writer and marketer at Pen for Purpose
Rhiannon Wapling is an Australian-based writer and marketer, with close to 10 years’ experience supporting the communications and marketing needs of nonprofit organizations in Melbourne, Australia. Rhiannon is passionate about communications that create real change and connecting people to accessible, inclusive information.
Rhiannon Wapling

@RhiannonWapling

Rhiannon Wapling

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