[Our translation/Google translate]
The most important tip we can give when it comes to My UiB is to take this course in My UiB: Course in Universal Design The first module in this course deals with Canvas. If you take this entire course, you are well covered.
From autumn 2022, IT and system owners have tested the content of My UiB to see where we need to improve. There are some clear common denominators, so here is a short checklist of simple steps that will improve the universal design of your course:
- Use the accessibility tester built into the editor. It’s the little human figure under the text box. Tap it and see what it complains about. It has its quirks that it repeats all the time.
- Create alternative text on all illustrations. It should be something other than the file name.
- Always think about contrast when using colors.
- Format the text (headings, subheadings, body text). Think about how everything should be formatted, as if you were writing an article in Word. In the editor in Mitt UiB you will find it under “section”.
- Correct formatting means that the elements are perceived correctly by the system, the navigation is correct and it looks better on mobile devices.
- Link texts should be informative. Spend some time creating a link text that tells the reader where they are sent. Avoid using “here”
- Tables should not be used to create good layout on a page. It will be confusing for a screen reader and tabulator users. Tables should only be used for data
- Tell the system that what you are listing is a list. Feel free to use bullet points, but remember that a screen reader prefers numbered lists.
Every browser has built-in software to check accessibility, and there are hundreds of digital help products on the market. Most are free, some you have to pay for. For example, if you install Wave as a free plugin for your browser, it will check your page in a few seconds.
Take the course, and use this 7-point checklist when producing new content in Mitt UiB. It is enough to raise the level considerably.
A few other tips:
- Use the link validator to get an overview of links that do not work
- Undo deletion: press the three dots and find the page history. Or type /undelete behind the address bar at the very top
- What topic were you working on? Use History in the red menu