UoY Digital Accessibility Unit
@uoydigacc.bsky.social
Supporting and developing everyone for greater digital accessibility at University of York.
See more of our work at: https://blogs.york.ac.uk/digital-accessibility/
See more of our work at: https://blogs.york.ac.uk/digital-accessibility/
Reposted by UoY Digital Accessibility Unit
Making your content and information accessible is viewed as a nice thing to do. And it is.
But this World Kindness Day, we wanted to remind everyone that access to information is a human right. We shouldn't need to keep asking for it, it's simply how it should be.
But this World Kindness Day, we wanted to remind everyone that access to information is a human right. We shouldn't need to keep asking for it, it's simply how it should be.
November 13, 2025 at 9:45 AM
Making your content and information accessible is viewed as a nice thing to do. And it is.
But this World Kindness Day, we wanted to remind everyone that access to information is a human right. We shouldn't need to keep asking for it, it's simply how it should be.
But this World Kindness Day, we wanted to remind everyone that access to information is a human right. We shouldn't need to keep asking for it, it's simply how it should be.
Reposted by UoY Digital Accessibility Unit
Don't forget to add alt text on Instagram and Facebook, too. When you forget, the auto-generated alt text is not as helpful, complete, or accurate as human-written alt text. A.I. can't know the purpose of a photo. Always add your own alt text on Instagram and Facebook.
November 12, 2025 at 7:14 PM
Don't forget to add alt text on Instagram and Facebook, too. When you forget, the auto-generated alt text is not as helpful, complete, or accurate as human-written alt text. A.I. can't know the purpose of a photo. Always add your own alt text on Instagram and Facebook.
Reposted by UoY Digital Accessibility Unit
People who want to make the web accessible need to understand the many different ways that people with disabilities use the web. This W3C resource offers a good introduction to how disabled people navigate the web, and barriers they commonly encounter.
www.w3.org/WAI/people-u...
www.w3.org/WAI/people-u...
How People with Disabilities Use the Web
Introduces how people with disabilities, including people with age-related impairments, use the Web.
www.w3.org
November 11, 2025 at 7:18 PM
People who want to make the web accessible need to understand the many different ways that people with disabilities use the web. This W3C resource offers a good introduction to how disabled people navigate the web, and barriers they commonly encounter.
www.w3.org/WAI/people-u...
www.w3.org/WAI/people-u...
Reposted by UoY Digital Accessibility Unit
When considering rainbow text, don't forget to consider readability and legibility. Text filled with rainbows can be difficult to read. Same with complex rainbow backgrounds. Putting each word or letter in a different color of the rainbow could force readers to work harder.
November 10, 2025 at 10:45 PM
When considering rainbow text, don't forget to consider readability and legibility. Text filled with rainbows can be difficult to read. Same with complex rainbow backgrounds. Putting each word or letter in a different color of the rainbow could force readers to work harder.
Reposted by UoY Digital Accessibility Unit
Avoid emoji icons in alt text. Emoji icons are a visual element, so it's counterintuitive to add them to non-visual content. You'll likely confuse people with messages that don't make sense. In alt text, use plain text, free of symbols, icons, or any weird special characters.
November 11, 2025 at 2:56 AM
Avoid emoji icons in alt text. Emoji icons are a visual element, so it's counterintuitive to add them to non-visual content. You'll likely confuse people with messages that don't make sense. In alt text, use plain text, free of symbols, icons, or any weird special characters.
Reposted by UoY Digital Accessibility Unit
Want to include everyone in your high quality awesome and hilarious Bluesky content that has images? Want to stay faithful and not forget?
Settings > Accessibility > Require alt text before posting
Then, when you add an image, you'll see the warning and the post button will be greyed out...
Settings > Accessibility > Require alt text before posting
Then, when you add an image, you'll see the warning and the post button will be greyed out...
November 7, 2025 at 1:05 PM
Want to include everyone in your high quality awesome and hilarious Bluesky content that has images? Want to stay faithful and not forget?
Settings > Accessibility > Require alt text before posting
Then, when you add an image, you'll see the warning and the post button will be greyed out...
Settings > Accessibility > Require alt text before posting
Then, when you add an image, you'll see the warning and the post button will be greyed out...
Reposted by UoY Digital Accessibility Unit
Many live with the limitations of not understanding numbers and the impact that has on everyday life. Laura Parker's Accessible Numbers project offers guidance on how to design services and write content for people who need help with numbers.
accessiblenumbers.com
accessiblenumbers.com
Designing services for people who need help with numbers
Low numeracy affects half of adults in the UK. Many live with the limitations of not understanding numbers and the impact that has on everyday life.
accessiblenumbers.com
November 4, 2025 at 2:35 PM
Many live with the limitations of not understanding numbers and the impact that has on everyday life. Laura Parker's Accessible Numbers project offers guidance on how to design services and write content for people who need help with numbers.
accessiblenumbers.com
accessiblenumbers.com
Reposted by UoY Digital Accessibility Unit
Get your nominations in for our Community Champions 2026! I know there's loads of you out there doing great work in your respective professional communities. Calling all librarians, learning tech folk, teaching and learning and IT crew.
Nominations are now open to celebrate our new community champions of 2026! Is there someone who shares invaluable knowledge that sparks new ideas or inspires thought provoking action? Get those names in ⤵️
Community champions - Jisc
Celebrating extraordinary people supporting communities.
bit.ly
November 4, 2025 at 2:56 PM
Get your nominations in for our Community Champions 2026! I know there's loads of you out there doing great work in your respective professional communities. Calling all librarians, learning tech folk, teaching and learning and IT crew.
Reposted by UoY Digital Accessibility Unit
The BBC's Accessibility Guide has several resources, including step-by-step instructions to using assistive technologies. The resource includes insight into several assistive technologies, including VoiceOver, JAWS, NVDA, TalkBack, ClaroRead, and Dragon.
bbc.github.io/accessibilit...
bbc.github.io/accessibilit...
Testing with assistive technology - Accessibility, Your Team and You
Team guide - Testing with assistive technology. What, when and how to test with AT.
bbc.github.io
November 4, 2025 at 8:55 AM
The BBC's Accessibility Guide has several resources, including step-by-step instructions to using assistive technologies. The resource includes insight into several assistive technologies, including VoiceOver, JAWS, NVDA, TalkBack, ClaroRead, and Dragon.
bbc.github.io/accessibilit...
bbc.github.io/accessibilit...
Reposted by UoY Digital Accessibility Unit
Some people need to change the way text is displayed in order to read it. This includes changing size, spacing, font, color, and other properties. When people customize text, the text should re-flow so they don’t have to scroll horizontally to read.
www.w3.org/WAI/perspect...
www.w3.org/WAI/perspect...
Customizable Text
Short video about customizable text for web accessibility - what is it, who depends on it, and what needs to happen to make it work.
www.w3.org
October 30, 2025 at 9:49 PM
Some people need to change the way text is displayed in order to read it. This includes changing size, spacing, font, color, and other properties. When people customize text, the text should re-flow so they don’t have to scroll horizontally to read.
www.w3.org/WAI/perspect...
www.w3.org/WAI/perspect...
Reposted by UoY Digital Accessibility Unit
Thank you so much for sharing. I would also suggest thinking about accessibility more generally, I wrote a blog post that also reflects on other forms of accessibility and has a video that explains some of those decisions as well enhancingaudiodescription.com/darci-confer...
Reflecting on the DARCI Conference – Enhancing Audio Description
On beautiful, creative and thought-provoking access and representation: reflecting on the DARCI Conference.
enhancingaudiodescription.com
October 29, 2025 at 3:16 PM
Thank you so much for sharing. I would also suggest thinking about accessibility more generally, I wrote a blog post that also reflects on other forms of accessibility and has a video that explains some of those decisions as well enhancingaudiodescription.com/darci-confer...
Keeping to time is an accessibility issue! People need breaks between sessions in conferences for all sorts of accessibility reasons - whether for cognitive load, to take medication, needing bathroom breaks, check blood sugar or anything else! Making an effort to keep to time is inclusive.
Nobody makes enemies by finishing their talk early…
October 29, 2025 at 3:13 PM
Keeping to time is an accessibility issue! People need breaks between sessions in conferences for all sorts of accessibility reasons - whether for cognitive load, to take medication, needing bathroom breaks, check blood sugar or anything else! Making an effort to keep to time is inclusive.
More conferences are choosing to provide quiet and/or sensory spaces to help make events more inclusive - this blog post offers some ideas if you're planning an event and are interested in including such a space:
A blog post by researcher Eden Hutton on designing spaces for neurodivergent attendees at the #DARCI Conference on Disability, Accessibility and Representation in the Creative Industries - it might give you some inspiration if planning an event soon enhancingaudiodescription.com/edens-darci-...
Designing Spaces for Neurodivergent Attendees at the DARCI Conference – Enhancing Audio Description
We are delighted to have had Eden design a sensory and a quiet room for the DARCI conference. In this post Eden sums up their experience.
enhancingaudiodescription.com
October 29, 2025 at 3:09 PM
More conferences are choosing to provide quiet and/or sensory spaces to help make events more inclusive - this blog post offers some ideas if you're planning an event and are interested in including such a space:
Reposted by UoY Digital Accessibility Unit
ICYMI: The 2026 #DisabledInSTEM Mentorship applications are now open!
I look forward to seeing your applications soon! 💜
I look forward to seeing your applications soon! 💜
It's that time of year again... time for #DisabledInSTEM 2026 Mentorship applications! I'm so excited to be running this program for the sixth year and seeing the growth over the years!
Mentee form: forms.gle/um5DvYnBi3tn...
Mentor form: forms.gle/BvaxnQm8uhUR...
Applications due December 5th!
Mentee form: forms.gle/um5DvYnBi3tn...
Mentor form: forms.gle/BvaxnQm8uhUR...
Applications due December 5th!
October 27, 2025 at 5:38 PM
ICYMI: The 2026 #DisabledInSTEM Mentorship applications are now open!
I look forward to seeing your applications soon! 💜
I look forward to seeing your applications soon! 💜
Reposted by UoY Digital Accessibility Unit
Huge thankyou to CILIP Disability Network for awarding NLISN this Accessibility Award, which has now safely arrived in the post! We won as an organisation so although Jo and Andy are named, this award is for all of us. The committee, the network and all our allies. #cilip #libraries #accessibility
October 27, 2025 at 8:33 AM
Huge thankyou to CILIP Disability Network for awarding NLISN this Accessibility Award, which has now safely arrived in the post! We won as an organisation so although Jo and Andy are named, this award is for all of us. The committee, the network and all our allies. #cilip #libraries #accessibility
So as Halloween draws near, time for a seasonal PSA: if you taken any kind of oral medication, beware novelty black food for Halloween. The colouring, especially in any baked goods, is commonly achieved using powdered charcoal. This can absorb medication, effectively reducing the dosage. 1/
October 23, 2025 at 11:53 AM
So as Halloween draws near, time for a seasonal PSA: if you taken any kind of oral medication, beware novelty black food for Halloween. The colouring, especially in any baked goods, is commonly achieved using powdered charcoal. This can absorb medication, effectively reducing the dosage. 1/
Reposted by UoY Digital Accessibility Unit
It's that time of year again... time for #DisabledInSTEM 2026 Mentorship applications! I'm so excited to be running this program for the sixth year and seeing the growth over the years!
Mentee form: forms.gle/um5DvYnBi3tn...
Mentor form: forms.gle/BvaxnQm8uhUR...
Applications due December 5th!
Mentee form: forms.gle/um5DvYnBi3tn...
Mentor form: forms.gle/BvaxnQm8uhUR...
Applications due December 5th!
October 20, 2025 at 4:44 PM
It's that time of year again... time for #DisabledInSTEM 2026 Mentorship applications! I'm so excited to be running this program for the sixth year and seeing the growth over the years!
Mentee form: forms.gle/um5DvYnBi3tn...
Mentor form: forms.gle/BvaxnQm8uhUR...
Applications due December 5th!
Mentee form: forms.gle/um5DvYnBi3tn...
Mentor form: forms.gle/BvaxnQm8uhUR...
Applications due December 5th!
Hello! We're going to be part of an ADHD awareness month stand in @uoylibrary.bsky.social library foyer today! The stand runs 12.30-14.30 - do drop by with any questions, to find out more about available university support or just to have a chat!
October 21, 2025 at 8:25 AM
Hello! We're going to be part of an ADHD awareness month stand in @uoylibrary.bsky.social library foyer today! The stand runs 12.30-14.30 - do drop by with any questions, to find out more about available university support or just to have a chat!
Whether digital or physical, universal design is the best approach. Building accessibility into your building, designs, product or service from the start is so much easier than trying to retrofit.
Queens library agrees to major accessibility upgrades after disability rights lawsuit - Gothamist gothamist.com/news/queens-... #a11y
Queens library agrees to major accessibility upgrades after disability rights lawsuit
The Hunters Point Library in Long Island City will undergo renovations to make all areas accessible to visitors with mobility-related disabilities, following a class-action settlement.
gothamist.com
October 20, 2025 at 3:12 PM
Whether digital or physical, universal design is the best approach. Building accessibility into your building, designs, product or service from the start is so much easier than trying to retrofit.
Reposted by UoY Digital Accessibility Unit
Vestibular disorders affect people's balance as well as their visual perception of their world around them. Don't make animations, sliders, videos, or rapid movement start automatically, as autoplaying elements could trigger a bad reaction in people who have vestibular disorders.
October 20, 2025 at 2:18 PM
Vestibular disorders affect people's balance as well as their visual perception of their world around them. Don't make animations, sliders, videos, or rapid movement start automatically, as autoplaying elements could trigger a bad reaction in people who have vestibular disorders.
Reposted by UoY Digital Accessibility Unit
The internet’s down and suddenly it’s chaos. Welcome to a day in the life of blind and partially sighted people trying to access websites that aren't accessible, it’s like the internet’s down all the time.
October 20, 2025 at 10:55 AM
The internet’s down and suddenly it’s chaos. Welcome to a day in the life of blind and partially sighted people trying to access websites that aren't accessible, it’s like the internet’s down all the time.
A reminder that the ADHD Awareness library stand is TOMORROW (Tues 21st October) in the library foyer, 12:30-14:30. If you're on campus west, do drop by to find out more and have a chat! And if coming to speak to us wasn't enticement enough, there may also be cake...
October is #ADHDAwarenessMonth! To help mark this, at Uni of York we're joining colleagues and students at a stall in the Library foyer on Tuesday 21st October, 12:30-14:30 to help raise awareness both of ADHD and of support available at the university. Do drop in and say hi! 1/
October 20, 2025 at 10:08 AM
A reminder that the ADHD Awareness library stand is TOMORROW (Tues 21st October) in the library foyer, 12:30-14:30. If you're on campus west, do drop by to find out more and have a chat! And if coming to speak to us wasn't enticement enough, there may also be cake...
Reposted by UoY Digital Accessibility Unit
Acq/ER folks, have you heard anything about how publishers are going to make journal articles and ebooks compliant with WCAG 2.1 AA level? #CripLib #libraries
October 16, 2025 at 4:49 PM
Acq/ER folks, have you heard anything about how publishers are going to make journal articles and ebooks compliant with WCAG 2.1 AA level? #CripLib #libraries
Reposted by UoY Digital Accessibility Unit
Oh hiii #OAWeek - we are still looking for a couple more presentations for this Green OA event 😁 You may know someone doing fantastic work related to Green OA which needs to be shared (open access is sharing and all) 💚
📣OA event idea for December! ALN are looking for speakers and presentations focusing on Green OA (such as promoting, challenges, journals vs books and discoverability) Please let me know if you are interested or would like further information.💚
October 20, 2025 at 7:51 AM
Oh hiii #OAWeek - we are still looking for a couple more presentations for this Green OA event 😁 You may know someone doing fantastic work related to Green OA which needs to be shared (open access is sharing and all) 💚