These procedures provide practical guidance for BRCC content creators to ensure digital content published on the BRCC website and associated digital platforms is accessible to individuals with disabilities.
These procedures operationalize the requirements outlined in the BRCC Digital Accessibility Policy and support compliance with:
- Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
- Section 504 and Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act
- Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 Level AA
Scope
These procedures apply to all individuals who create, publish, or manage digital content on behalf of Baton Rouge Community College, including:
- Web content editors
- Marketing and communications staff
- Academic departments
- Administrative offices
- Contractors publishing content within the CMS
These procedures apply to the following digital content types:
- Web pages
- Images and graphics
- Documents, including PDF, Word and PowerPoint files
- Tables and data displays
- Audio and video media
- Social media content linked from the website
Responsibilities of Content Creators
Content creators are responsible for ensuring that digital content they publish meets accessibility requirements prior to publication.
Content creators must:
- Follow the accessibility procedures described in this guide.
- Use built-in accessibility tools within the CMS when available.
- Correct accessibility issues identified during testing.
- Coordinate with the BRCC web administrator or accessibility lead if accessibility barriers cannot be resolved.
Accessible Page Structure
Headings
Use headings to organize page content and create a logical document structure.
- Use headings in hierarchical order.
- Do not skip heading levels.
- Do not use headings only to make text visually larger or bolder.
Example heading structure
H1: Financial Aid
H2: Applying for Financial Aid
H3: FAFSA Requirements
A logical heading structure helps screen-reader and other assistive-technology users understand and navigate page content efficiently.
Links
Link text should clearly describe the destination or action.
- Use descriptive link text.
- Avoid vague phrases such as
click here
,read more
ormore information
. - Make sure links remain understandable when read independently of surrounding text.
Poor example
Click here to view the academic calendar.
Improved example
Images and Graphics
Alternative Text
Meaningful images must include alternative text that communicates the image's purpose or meaning.
Alternative text should:
- Convey the purpose or meaning of the image.
- Be concise.
- Avoid unnecessary phrases such as
image of
orpicture of
.
Poor example
image of students
Improved example
BRCC students studying in the library
Decorative Images
Images that provide no informational value should be marked as decorative so assistive technologies can ignore them.
Complex Images
Complex images such as charts, graphs, diagrams, organizational charts, maps and infographics often communicate important information visually. Users of screen readers and other assistive technologies must have access to equivalent information.
An image is considered complex when its meaningful information cannot be adequately communicated through a short alternative-text description.
Examples include:
- Charts and graphs
- Statistical visualizations
- Maps
- Process diagrams
- Organizational charts
- Timelines
- Infographics containing multiple data points or sections
How to Make Complex Images Accessible
-
Provide brief alternative text.
Briefly identify the purpose of the visual rather than attempting to include every data point in the alt text.
Example:
Bar chart showing enrollment growth at BRCC from 2019 to 2024. -
Provide a full text description.
Describe the key information communicated by the visual. The description may appear in surrounding text, a caption, a paragraph following the image or a linked page containing the full description.
Example: Enrollment increased steadily from approximately 8,000 students in 2019 to more than 11,000 students in 2024, with the largest increase occurring between 2021 and 2022.
-
Make underlying data accessible.
When charts or graphs contain structured data, provide that information in an accessible format when appropriate.
- An accessible data table
- A structured text description summarizing trends
- An accessible downloadable dataset
Infographics
Infographics often combine images, icons, short text and statistics. The meaningful information presented in an infographic must also be available as accessible text.
Recommended approach
- Include brief alt text identifying the infographic.
- Provide the full information as structured HTML content on the page.
Alt text:
Infographic summarizing BRCC student support services.
Accessible page content:
Student Support Services at BRCC include:
- Academic advising
- Tutoring services
- Career counseling
- Mental health support
- Financial aid assistance
Avoid Images of Text
Avoid publishing images that contain essential text whenever the information can be presented as HTML text.
Images of text can create accessibility barriers because:
- Screen readers may not have access to the text.
- Users cannot reliably resize or reflow the text.
- Text within the image may not meet color-contrast requirements.
If text must appear in an image, such as a marketing graphic or infographic, provide the same meaningful information as accessible text on the page.
Example Workflow for Complex Images
- Add short alt text identifying the visual.
- Provide a written explanation of its key information.
- Include an accessible data table when appropriate.
- Make sure the information can be understood without seeing the image.
Example: Graduation Rate Chart
Alt text:&nbp;Line chart showing increasing graduation rates at BRCC from 2020 to 2024.
Accessible description: Graduation rates increased from 42% in 2020 to 57% in 2024. The largest increase occurred between 2022 and 2023 following the expansion of student advising programs.
| Year | Graduation Rate |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 42% |
| 2021 | 45% |
| 2022 | 48% |
| 2023 | 54% |
| 2024 | 57% |
When to Request Assistance
Contact the BRCC web team or accessibility lead when:
- A chart or visualization contains a complex dataset.
- A map or diagram requires a detailed description.
- You are unsure how to provide an appropriate text alternative.
Tables
Tables should be used to present structured information that depends on relationships between rows and columns. Proper table structure allows assistive technologies to identify the relationships between data cells and their corresponding headers.
When to Use a Table
Appropriate uses include:
- Course schedules
- Tuition or fee comparisons
- Program requirements
- Statistical data
- Enrollment or graduation rates
Example
| Program | Credit Hours | Credential |
|---|---|---|
| Nursing | 60 | Associate Degree |
| Business Administration | 64 | Associate Degree |
| Welding | 45 | Technical Diploma |
Do Not Use Tables for Layout
Do not use tables to position content or create visual page layouts. Layout tables can cause confusing reading order, incorrect screen-reader navigation and problems when content is resized or viewed on smaller screens.
Use headings, lists, columns and other standard page-layout tools instead.
Requirements for Accessible Tables
- Identify headers. Every data table must include properly identified row or column headers as appropriate.
- Use descriptive headers. Header text should clearly identify the information contained in the associated cells.
- Keep tables simple. Avoid merged cells, nested tables and multi-level headers whenever possible.
- Include a caption when helpful. A concise caption can help users understand the purpose of a large or complex table before navigating it.
- Maintain logical reading order. Organize data so the table makes sense when read from left to right and top to bottom.
- Avoid unexplained empty cells. When appropriate, use text such as
N/A
orNone
rather than leaving a meaningful value blank. - Check accessibility before publishing. Verify the table structure and relationships before making the page or document public.
Do not publish an image of a table or tabular data as a substitute for an accessible table. If an image containing tabular information must be displayed, provide the same information in an accessible format.
When to Request Assistance
Contact the BRCC web team or accessibility lead when:
- A table contains many rows or columns.
- Multiple header levels are required.
- Data relationships cannot easily be represented in a simple table.
Color and Visual Design
Do not use color as the only way to communicate information, indicate an action or distinguish an element.
Problematic example
Items marked in red are required.
Accessible alternative
Required fields are marked with an asterisk (*).
Text and meaningful graphical elements must also have sufficient contrast against their backgrounds in accordance with WCAG 2.2 Level AA.
Documents and Downloads
Documents linked from the BRCC website must be accessible. Whenever practical, publish information as an HTML web page rather than requiring users to download a document.
If a document is necessary:
- Use properly structured headings.
- Provide alternative text for meaningful images.
- Use properly structured tables.
- Ensure the reading order is logical.
- Use descriptive link text.
- Run the application's built-in accessibility checker before publication.
Video and Audio Content
Multimedia content must include accessible alternatives.
Video
Video content must include, as applicable:
- Accurate synchronized captions
- Descriptions of meaningful non-speech audio within the captions
- Audio description of important visual information not conveyed through narration
- Accessible media-player controls
- An accurate transcript when required or appropriate
Audio-Only Content
Audio-only content must include an accurate transcript. Include speaker identification and other information needed to communicate the content meaningfully.
Social Media Content
Content posted on official BRCC social media accounts should follow accessibility practices appropriate to the platform.
- Include alternative text for meaningful images when the platform supports it.
- Provide accurate captions for videos.
- Avoid posting images containing essential text without also providing the information in an accessible text format.
Embedded Third-Party Tools
Embedded third-party tools include calendars, forms, directories, widgets and other externally provided features used within BRCC websites.
Third-party tools used to provide BRCC programs, services or information should be evaluated for accessibility. Identified accessibility barriers should be reported to the BRCC web administrator or accessibility lead.
Accessibility Checks Before Publishing
Before publishing digital content, verify that:
- Headings are structured correctly.
- Meaningful images include appropriate alt text.
- Links clearly describe their destinations or actions.
- Data tables have properly identified headers.
- Documents and downloads are accessible.
- Video content includes accurate captions.
- Color is not used as the only means of communicating information.
- Text and meaningful graphics have sufficient color contrast.
Reporting Accessibility Issues
Accessibility issues identified in BRCC digital content should be reported to the web accessibility coordinator.
Content creators should coordinate with the web administrator or web accessibility coordinator to address reported barriers promptly.
Training and Support
BRCC provides accessibility training and guidance to individuals who create and publish digital content.
Resources may include:
- Accessibility training modules
- Documentation and checklists
- Consultations with the accessibility lead or web administrator
- Training on accessibility testing tools and interpreting test results
Content creators are expected to participate in required accessibility training.