New documents shared in higher education institutes’ e-services must be accessible. Start by making your file accessible already in Word. If the file is stored in an electronic archive used by the university, the file must be accessible and also archivable. With the correct settings, you can convert a Word file to an accessible and […]

Besides online services, any files shared in the services must also be accessible by 23 September 2020 (applies to most services in the universities). The law applies to all files published on or after 23 September 2018. Therefore, it would have been wise to prepare accessible files for some time already. Files based on old […]

InDesign is an Adobe design program intended for professional use. InDesign is not available to everyone at the University of Oulu or Oamk; licenses are limited. If you use InDesign to create PDF files to be shared in any of the University of Oulu’s or Oamk’s online service, you should make them accessible. (Note: this […]

People who cannot see images must not be excluded. The above applies in particular if the image is important. An image may be an integral part of the content, support the content, or be used as a decoration. It is still allowed to use decorative images to make the content more engaging, except for scientific […]

Images can explain things, make the content more engaging, and arouse interest. After all, you would hesitate to buy a product from an online store without seeing a picture of it. A graph can help you to understand the associated information better and quicker than text alone. An image that supports the text content or […]

Web pages are in HTML-coded hypertext. Where possible, web pages are preferable to separate file attachments in public information sharing. Therefore, if you can write directly to the web service using the web editor, do that instead of attaching a separate file. However, sometimes it is necessary to share files over the internet. In the […]

1. Contrast requirements for the colour of the text and its background The interpretation of the content must not be based on colours alone. For example, you must not just write that “the approved measurement results are marked in green and the rejected in red” because not all people can distinguish between these colours. You […]

Text appearance affects readability If you create content directly on the web using a publishing tool, you may not be able to influence the appearance of the text very much. Even when formatting is available, it is usually better to stick with the default definitions: if the admin later changes the default definitions service-wide, items […]

Adjusting the text for better clarity The comprehensibility of content is one of the key principles of accessibility. Clear and easy-to-understand language is the single most important element of comprehensibility*. In higher education, it is sufficient to use clear standard language. Standard language refers to the language that is used in newspapers and textbooks, for […]

Accessible online services are a pre-requisition for successful digitalisation: when the service is accessible, as many people as possible can take care of their affairs online without outside help. The Act on the Provision of Digital Services obliges public bodies to produce accessible online services. The Act also applies to higher education institutions. If a […]