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Michigan State University Libraries
Open Educational Resources
366 W. Circle Dr.
East Lansing , MI 48824
United States

Michigan State University Libraries’ OER Accessibility Checklist for Authors

Per MSU’s digital accessibility policy and the Libraries’ commitment to accessibility, OER authors are required to follow this accessibility checklist. The Libraries’ OER and Accessibility teams have additional OER accessibility requirements they evaluate and implement. If you have questions about OER accessibility or this checklist, please email: Lib.DL.OER@msu.edu.

A printable Word document version of this checklist is also available.

Content

  • Each page has a descriptive and unique title.
  • Content is organized logically by headings and subheadings, and this organization is applied consistently throughout the project.
  • The correct structures are used to format content such as lists, tables, figures, and quotes.
  • Consider how your content will be viewed on smaller screens like mobile devices.

Color

  • Text, images, charts, graphs, videos and other visual media have sufficient color contrast.
  • Avoid using color as the only visual means of conveying information.

Images

  • There are no images of text.
  • Images have appropriate alternative text.
  • Complex images such as charts, graphs, diagrams, illustrations, and maps have an equivalent text alternative.

Multimedia

  • Video-only media, such as animations, have text or audio alternatives.
  • Audio-only media has transcripts.
  • Videos with audio have captions.
  • Transcripts and captions identify speakers when multiple are present, and other sound effects when relevant.
  • Videos with visuals such as charts or complex graphics are described audibly when relevant.
  • Avoid flashing content.

Links

  • Link text clearly describes the destination, even when read out of context, and avoids ambiguous phrases like “Click here” and “Read more”.
  • Avoid bare URLs as link text.
  • Avoid links opening in new windows or tabs. If behavior is essential, specify in the link text that it will open in a new window or tab.

Tables

  • Tables include column and row headers where appropriate.
  • Tables have an accompanying caption.

Interactive Activities

  • H5P activities use content types that are marked as accessible in H5P's recommendation list.
  • All interactive elements have clear text labels.
  • Avoid interactive activities that require dragging or other complex gestures.
  • Consider how interactive activities can be operated when only using a keyboard.

Mathematical and Technical Notation

  • Formulas and other technical notation use LaTeX and are rendered using MathJax.
  • When it is not possible to render the technical notation natively it is permissible to use images with appropriate alternative text.

File and External Content

  • Files and documents, such as PDFs, Word documents, PowerPoint presentations, and spreadsheets are accessible.
  • Consider accessibility when linking to external websites and content.

Non-English OERs

  • Transcripts and captions are provided in the same language as the spoken audio.
  • Notify the OER team about any changes or edits after submission so they can ensure that language attributes are added and accurate.

License

Michigan State University Libraries’ OER Accessibility Checklist is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.