Accessibility is foundational to the web, our customers, and to us at OpenScholar. Making your content accessible helps ensure all people, regardless of their ability, can enjoy your content. Having your site meet the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 at an AA-level is also a legal requirement for many organizations working in education and government, so having a compliant website is often non-negotiable. 

Using the built-in Editoria11y accessibility check module is an excellent way to visually see accessibility issues that may need fixed. However, knowing how to create and maintain accessible content from the start is also extremely valuable.

Here's some tips on how you can create accessible content when using our platform:

Use Title Case for Headings

Avoid ALL CAPS for titles and headings—use Title Case instead. ALL CAPS can be difficult for screen readers to parse and harder for people with cognitive disabilities to read. Acronyms (like WCAG or HTML) and menu navigation labels are acceptable exceptions.

Left-Align Your Text

Keep text left-aligned rather than center, right, or justified. Left alignment creates a consistent starting point for each line, which helps people with dyslexia and visual impairments track text more easily. Justified text can create uneven spacing that disrupts reading flow.

Write Descriptive Alt Text for Images

Every image needs meaningful Alt Text that describes its content and purpose. Screen readers announce this text to visually impaired users, and it displays if the image fails to load.

Good examples: "Professor Henry Jones examining DNA sample in laboratory" or "Chart showing enrollment growth 2020-2025"

Bad examples: "IMG_4523.jpg" or "picture" — these provide no useful information.

Avoid Images of Text

Never use images to display text that should be real text (headings, paragraphs, buttons). Screen readers cannot read text embedded in images, and it prevents users from zooming, copying, or translating content. If non-decorative text needs to be read by a user in an image, consider moving that text from out of the image to the webpage itself.

Stick to Default Theme Colors

Use your theme's default font colors rather than custom selections. Our themes are designed to meet WCAG 2.1 AA color contrast requirements. Custom colors may create insufficient contrast ratios that make text unreadable for people with low vision.

Make Link Purpose Clear

Link text should describe its destination or action without needing surrounding context. This helps screen reader users navigate via link lists.

Good: "View our Training Calendar to register for sessions."

Bad: "Click here to register for sessions." — "Click here" tells nothing about the destination.

Use Descriptive Headings and Labels

Headings and form labels should be specific and informative. Generic labels like "Section 1" or "Research Area" force users to guess the content. Instead use "Graduate Research Programs" or "Faculty Publications Archive."

Provide Captions and Transcripts for Media

Video and audio content must include captions for deaf/hard-of-hearing users and transcripts for those who prefer text. Transcripts also benefit search engines and users in sound-sensitive environments. See OpenScholar's guide on Adding captions and transcripts for implementation tips.