Graphics, design, and media

Websites need to be accessible to everyone. Websites that are accessible to people with disabilities also support customers with various browsers, settings, and devices or who use older technologies.

In general, use clean and simple graphic design. Provide alternate ways to get the information that's conveyed by pictures, multimedia, and image maps.

Design

Keep text within a rectangular grid for visibility and ease of scanning.

Format tables according to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0.

If you use frames, provide alternative pages without them.

Don't use scrolling marquees unless the customer has control over them.

Images, image maps, and multimedia

Provide clear descriptions that don't require pictures, or provide both. Make sure the reader can get the whole story from either the picture or the written description.

Provide text alternatives for all elements that aren't text but convey important meaning. These elements might include images (such as graphics, photographs, charts, or screenshots), audio, video, or animations (including animated GIFs). Here are some examples of text alternatives:

• Alt text for images, unless they're purely decorative. Learn more in Alternative text (alt text).
• Closed captions, transcripts, or descriptions for audio and video content. Video content requires both closed captions and audio descriptions. If a video has a thumbnail image, add alt text to the thumbnail.
• Detailed descriptions in the surrounding text, or in a separate document that you link to, for complex elements or images that require long alt text.

Provide text links in addition to image maps.

Plan links and image-map links to support Tab key navigation with bidirectional text.