Digital Accessibility at Occidental College

Why it matters

Accessibility is not just a technical requirement. It reflects our commitment to inclusion and ensures that all members of our community can fully participate in Occidental College’s digital experience.

Accessibility and WCAG compliance

The Occidental College websites must be accessible to all users, including people with disabilities. Accessibility ensures that everyone can engage with the College’s content, services, and opportunities.

We follow the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1, Level AA, which are widely recognized as the standard for digital accessibility. Meeting these standards also supports compliance with laws such as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504.

Accessibility is a shared responsibility. By always following WCAG principles in your content, you help ensure that everyone can access information and participate fully in the College’s digital experience. All web editors are expected to create and maintain accessible content.

What this means for web editors

Accessibility is part of everyday content work. The following practices are required when creating or updating content.

Campus-wide emails

• Review Harvard's  on creating accessible emails
• Keep campus event emails simple: add all the details as plain text in the email body, plus a text-free photo placed in the email body with alt text added (right-click the image to get the alt text menu option)
• While not as "beautiful" as a designed flyer, this version is infinitely more accessible and inclusive! Keep flyers on the walls
• No QR codes on digital platforms like emails or social media, only for print

Images & Alternative Text

• Add descriptive alt text to all images. Check out 
• Try following this template for alt text: [Subject] [doing what?] [where?] [related to page topic/keyword]
• Always avoid using images that contain text

Alt text examples:

• Poor: “students” or the image’s file name
• Better: “Two students studying together in the library”

Text Links

• Use clear, descriptive link text that explains the destination to users
• Always avoid vague phrases like “click here” or “read more”

Link text examples:

• Poor: “Click here for the academic calendar”
• Better: “View the academic calendar”

Headings and structure

• Use headings (H2, H3, H4 etc.) in a logical, nested order (as on this page)
• Do not skip heading levels
• Use headings to organize content, not for visual styling
• Don’t simply resize text to simulate header structures
• This makes content more readable by both screen readers and search engines

Tables and Lists

• Name all column and row headers
• Use the native bulleted or numbered list options, not manual typing

Video and audio

• All videos must include accurate captions, on web and social media
• Provide transcripts when possible
• Avoid auto-playing media

Documents (PDFs, Word files, etc.)

• Ensure documents are accessible before uploading. You can use or other tools to check accessibility
• Whenever possible, include content as “live text” on web pages or linked Google Docs instead of PDFs
• Word docs (.docx extension) can also be uploaded, but it’s easier for downloaders to alter the doc’s content

Text and readability

• Write in clear, simple language
• Use lists and short paragraphs to improve readability

Before you publish

Before publishing, confirm that:

• Images include appropriate alt text
• Links are descriptive and meaningful
• Headings are used correctly
• Videos are captioned
• Content is clear and easy to scan

Tools and support

If you’re unsure whether your content is accessible, you can:

• Use built-in accessibility checkers in your editing tools
• Consult the Web Team for guidance (helpdesk@oxy.edu)
• Reach out to Disability Services for questions about accommodations