Common barriers and accessibility needs

  • 8 minutes

When creating your SharePoint site, usability is critical. Think of it this way: if you can't easily move around your site to get what you want or accomplish what you need to do, how can others?

In this unit, we'll explore some of the common barriers to access, and the type of accessibility needs that people with disabilities may have. This helps to have a clearer understanding of customizations you may need to ensure your SharePoint site is inclusive to all users.

We'll now explore examples of accessibility needs for some disabilities, including:

  • Vision
  • Hearing
  • Mobility
  • Learning
  • Mental Health
  • Neurodiversity

Vision

Some considerations for browsing a SharePoint site for people with vision disabilities such as blindness and low vision are:

  • Keyboard interaction: To easily navigate a page with the keyboard alone, such as pressing the tab key to move between all interactive elements.
  • Name and role of elements: Provide information on how to interact with the control, such as a link or button.
  • Larger typefaces: Make text easier to read, which includes black or high-contrast text.
  • A predictable tab order and landmarks: On a web page (including dialog boxes) these enable users to build a mental model of the page. This way, they stay oriented and don't lose track of where they are.
  • Alternatives to visuals: Include images, icons, etc. and descriptive alternative text (alt text) for all images.
  • Audio descriptions: For videos and settings for video players. For example, the ability to turn off autoplay so a video's audio and the audible feedback from a screen reader don't overlap.
  • Inclusive language that doesn't always refer to "seeing" an element: For example, instead of saying See XYZ you could say XYZ is included. Instead of saying Watch the video, you could provide a clear and inclusive alternative like, Watch the video or listen to the audio transcript for the video.
  • Alternatives to color to convey important information: Ensure that color is not the only means of conveying information on your site. For example, ensure that a color-highlighted hyperlink is also underlined. Now a person who is color-blind knows it's a link, even if they can't see the color. When colors are used to convey or differentiate information (like in a pie chart or bar graph) this information should also be provided in another way, such as text or captions. Try textures instead of colors. Contrasting patterns help users with certain types of color blindness see things more clearly.

Hearing

Some considerations for browsing a SharePoint site for people who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing are:

  • Captions and text transcripts for videos: Adding closed captions makes video content accessible to a larger audience. This includes people with hearing disabilities, those who speak languages other than the one in your video, or those playing your video in a noisy environment. Transcription and Closed Captions are automatically generated for video files uploaded to SharePoint.
  • Text transcripts for audio: By using the transcribed feature in Microsoft Office, you convert speech to a text transcript with each speaker individually separated.
  • Text or visual alternatives to sounds: Users can get visual cues instead of sound alerts in Windows by changing their settings.
  • Language that provides alternatives to "hearing" or "listening to" an element: Rather than writing Listen to the audio, use clear and inclusive language. You can say instead, Listen to the audio, or read the text transcript for it.

Mobility

Here are some considerations for people with mobility disabilities when browsing a SharePoint site:

  • Keyboard access: Not everyone can use a mouse. Build your site so content is accessible via the keyboard.
  • Opportunities to cancel major actions: For example, providing a Cancel button when deleting a channel on a video portal. This ensures users recover from any mistakes made with an input device.
  • Ways to skip long lists: When scrolling is difficult, consider providing anchor links. These enable a person to navigate to the top, to the end, or to the next section on a list or page in a site.

Learning

Here are some considerations for people with learning disabilities when browsing a SharePoint site:

  • Clear and consistent headings, labels, and navigation: Menus that help people find the information they need and avoid distractions.
  • Alternative formats: For text-heavy content such as images, audio, video, or infographics. They convey the same message in different ways.
  • Clear and concise information or instructions: Include definitions or explanations in plain language.

Mental health

Some considerations for browsing a SharePoint site for people with mental health conditions are:

  • Options for adjusting the contrast, font size, and color scheme: As some people may have preferences or sensitivities that affect their comfort and focus.
  • Avoid using flashing, blinking, or moving elements: These may trigger anxiety, stress, or seizures. If such elements are necessary, provide a warning and an option to turn them off.
  • Clear and consistent navigation and layout: Provide breadcrumbs, search functions, and feedback mechanisms to help users find what they need and avoid frustration or confusion.

Neurodiversity

Some considerations for browsing a SharePoint site for people who are neurodiverse are:

  • Simple and clear language: Avoid jargon and idioms, and provide definitions or explanations for uncommon terms or acronyms.
  • Avoid flashing or flickering images: Animations or videos that may trigger seizures or sensory overload.
  • Alternative text or captions: For images, audio, or video content to help users who prefer or need textual information.
  • Consistent and meaningful color schemes, fonts, and icons: To convey information and provide options for users to adjust the contrast, size, or appearance of the site elements.
  • Organize the content logically and hierarchically: Use headings, subheadings, lists, and tables to structure the information and make it easier to scan and understand.