Accessibility and Inclusion

Emojis can be a fun way to express emotions in your content or to add interesting visual contrast in plain text. However, there are guidelines to which you must adhere when using them to ensure your content remains accessible:

Capitalize each word in a hashtag, including articles, prepositions, and conjunctions. This helps screen readers and text-to-speech software parse words separately, improving readability.

Avoid using long URLs in your social media content, especially if the platform you’re working on does not support rich text. Use a URL shortener such as TinyURL to ensure the URL does not affect readability or accessibility.

Do not end a sentence with a URL, as readers may mistake the period at the end of the sentence as part of the URL. Avoid starting a sentence with a URL.

For URLs in web content, use descriptive hyperlink text to ensure readability for links. To learn more, see Descriptive writing.

ASCII art uses alphanumeric characters, punctuation marks, and other characters from the American Standard Code for Information Interchange (ASCII) to form pictures.

ASCII art is inaccessible to those using screen readers or text-to-speech programs. These programs will read aloud each individual character, which can become tedious. Additionally, ASCII art is not responsive, meaning the formatting can shift depending on the device or browser the user is using to view your content.

The most accessible way to include ASCII art in your content is to create it in a blank word processor document, take a screenshot, and include alt text describing the artwork.

See Accessibility in audio-visual content for more information on alt text.

For video and audio content, provide closed captioning and accurate transcripts, respectively. Include all speech and sounds that are necessary to understand the content (e.g. applause). For videos, include descriptions of any visuals that are necessary to understand the content.

Make sure to use a readable font for captions and transcripts; refrain from using overly decorative fonts such as script or calligraphic typefaces.

When you create closed captions, follow the guidelines below to ensure cohesion across Paraqlet’s audio-visual content:

For audio transcripts, follow the guidelines below:

Here is what a transcript of part of a podcast might look like:

Use brief, informative titles and headings to describe the different sections of your written content. Headings should group together related paragraphs and provide a clear outline of your content.

For instance, in a blog post on the impact of Paraqlet’s work on a fictional small business, Beyond Extraordinary, you might organize your writing into sections that following a narrative flow, including headings that denote those sections.

Provide alt text for audio-visual content. See Accessibility in audio-visual content for more information on alt text.

Use informative hyperlink text. Refrain from using phrases such as Click here and Read more without additional description, as they do not provide sufficient context for users with screen readers to understand the destination of a hyperlink. In the example below, the underlined words represent hyperlinks.

Avoid using download links (those that cause the user’s browser to download a file or folder when clicked). When a hyperlink links out to a document, such as a PDF, include information on the document type and size between a pair of square brackets. Separate the document type and size with a semicolon.

Don’t include links in titles, headings, or subheadings. Avoid placing multiple links to the same resource on the same page. Do not include punctuation in hyperlink text unless it is part of a proper noun, or you need to add quotation marks to denote a page name or title.

Avoid addressing audiences (e.g. in videos) with gendered language such as guys or ladies and gentlemen. Instead, select a gender-neutral alternative such as everyone or folks.

Avoid using new, less common variations of terms that are already gender neutral (e.g. folx instead of folks) or terms that are deliberately gendered (e.g. womxn instead of women). Such variations may interfere with content accessibility. For more information on content accessibility, see Accessibility.

Constructions such as Latinx and Latine as gender-neutral alternatives to Latino and Latina, as well as Filipinx in place of Filipino and Filipina, are contested. Because these constructions do not translate smoothly into the gendered languages of Spanish and Tagolog, respectively, refrain from using them. Instead, use the grammatically masculine Latino and Filipino to refer to people of the respective backgrounds.

On a case-by-case basis, you may use the above constructions if specifically requested (e.g. if a person you are interviewing for a blog post specifically requests to be referred to as Latinx instead of Latino).

Likewise, be sure to ask for a person’s pronouns and use them as requested consistently throughout your content. If someone uses multiple pronouns (e.g. she/they, he/they, he/she/they), ask about preferred usage, such as:

Refrain from using gendered third-person pronouns (e.g. his, hers) in generic references or hypothetical scenarios. Instead, rewrite sentences to use the singular they pronoun or second-person pronouns (e.g. you, your, yours).

See Pronouns for guidance on using pronouns in your content.

Use gender-neutral alternatives for common terms when available.

Refrain from using unfamiliar constructions (e.g. snowperson instead of snowman) for the sake of gender neutrality.

Use good judgement when engaging with language in an anti-racist manner. When determining whether a certain word or phrase can do more harm than good, ask yourself questions such as:

Refrain from using slang terms that could be viewed as culturally appropriative, such as spirit animal and guru.

Refrain from italicizing or otherwise applying special formatting to words you write in a language other than English. This includes loanwords and quotations from people who are speaking or writing in a language other than English.

Note that the same grammar guidelines from Grammar and Mechanics apply when using a non-English language as when using English. Similarly, formatting guidelines from Formatting and Content apply when formatting non-English text.