WEB DEV ACCESSIBILITY TIP: Use Relative Rather Than Absolute Units in CSS Property Values

abstract pixel art design wallpaper background backdrop

Low-vision users, and a lot of people over 50, need to increase the browser default font size to make text easier to read.

If your web content font sizes are set in absolute units, such as pixels, the user will not be able to re-size the text.

Relative units like EM and percentages “stretch” according to the screen size and/or user’s preferred font size, and work on a large range of devices.

Using relative units helps satisfy the WCAG 2.1 Guideline 1.4.4 Resize text Level AA.

Need to convert pixels to EMs?

Use this handy online tool, developed by Brian Cray: http://pxtoem.com

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WEBSITE ACCESSIBILITY TESTING & REMEDIATION SERVICES: Mary Gillen is an experienced Website Accessibility Compliance Auditor and Remediator. She can test your website to determine if it meets accessibility standards:

WCAG 2.1: 312 checkpoints covering A, AA and AAA W3 accessibility guidelines
Section 508: 15 US federal guidelines covered by 59 accessibility checkpoints

Find out more about Mary Gillen’s Accessibility Testing & Remediation Services: Websites, PDFs, Office Docs & Videos

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Dyslexia Style Guide 2018: Creating Dyslexia Friendly Content

''Dyslexia'' word with wooden letters on dark background

Download the British Dyslexia Association’s Dyslexia Style Guide 2018.

The Style Guide “provides 32 principles that can help ensure that written material considers the difficulties experienced by some dyslexic people and allows for the use of text to speech to facilitate ease of reading.

Note: Adopting best practice for dyslexic readers has the advantage of making all written communication easier on the eye for everyone.

When making changes consider all the ways that you use written communications, such as emails, presentations, web pages and printed materials. Consider these principles in combination with other accessibility guidance such as the Web Accessibility Content Guidelines (WCAG).”

Download the Guide now:

Dyslexia Style Guide 2018 (PDF)
Dyslexia Style Guide 2018 (DOCX)

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WEBSITE ACCESSIBILITY TESTING & REMEDIATION SERVICES: Mary Gillen is an experienced Website Accessibility Compliance Auditor and Remediator. She can test your website to determine if it meets accessibility standards:

WCAG 2.1: 312 checkpoints covering A, AA and AAA W3 accessibility guidelines
Section 508: 15 US federal guidelines covered by 59 accessibility checkpoints

Find out more about Mary Gillen’s Accessibility Testing & Remediation Services: Websites, PDFs, Office Docs & Videos

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ACCESSIBLE EQUATIONS: Use MathML Rather Than Images

Mathematics background with formulas

In order to create semantically accurate math equations that are accessible to all, use MathML, the markup language that provides semantic understanding and proper syntax to assistive technologies like screen readers.

Why Not Use an Image With Alt Text?

According to info included in Princeton University’s MathML for Accessible Math Markup Tutorial, there is a good reason not to use images to display math equations:

“Whereas an alternative text description on an image of a math equation is better than nothing, it still a violation of Success Criterion 1.4.5 Images of Text. Presenting an equation as an image denies the ability of the non-sighted user to derive the understanding through semantics in an equivalent fashion to a sighted user.”

MathML Tutorials

W3C MathML Guide
Mozilla Guide to MathML
Princeton University’s MathML for Accessible Math Markup Tutorial
The Connexions Guide to MathML.

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WEBSITE ACCESSIBILITY TESTING & REMEDIATION SERVICES: Mary Gillen is an experienced Website Accessibility Compliance Auditor and Remediator. She can test your website to determine if it meets accessibility standards:

WCAG 2.1: 312 checkpoints covering A, AA and AAA W3 accessibility guidelines
Section 508: 15 US federal guidelines covered by 59 accessibility checkpoints

Find out more about Mary Gillen’s Accessibility Testing & Remediation Services: Websites, PDFs, Office Docs & Videos

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MathML: Tutorials for Accessible Math Markup

Mathematics background with formulas

In order to create semantically accurate math equations that are accessible to all, check out MathML, the markup language that provides semantic understanding and proper syntax to assistive technologies like screen readers.

Why Not Use an Image With Alt Text?

According to info included in Princeton University’s MathML for Accessible Math Markup Tutorial, there is a good reason not to use images to display math equations:

“Whereas an alternative text description on an image of a math equation is better than nothing, it still a violation of Success Criterion 1.4.5 Images of Text. Presenting an equation as an image denies the ability of the non-sighted user to derive the understanding through semantics in an equivalent fashion to a sighted user.”

MathML Tutorials

W3C MathML Guide
Mozilla Guide to MathML
Princeton University’s MathML for Accessible Math Markup Tutorial
Daniel Scully’s Beginner’s Guide to MathML
The Connexions Guide to MathML.

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WEBSITE ACCESSIBILITY TESTING & REMEDIATION SERVICES: Mary Gillen is an experienced Website Accessibility Compliance Auditor and Remediator. She can test your website to determine if it meets accessibility standards:

WCAG 2.1: 118 checkpoints covering A, AA and AAA W3 accessibility guidelines
Section 508: 15 US federal guidelines covered by 55 accessibility checkpoints

Find out more about Mary Gillen’s Accessibility Testing & Remediation Services: Websites, PDFs, Office Docs & Videos

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