We love promoting all the wonderful things happening at the district. However, to do so, we need your help in following best practices to keep our public channels on brand, readable and accessible.
Let’s compare bad practice to best practice:
Unable to read that?
That’s one of the reasons why fliers with lots of text are not good formats for website reading. Plus, a user using the translate button would not be able to read that, because the text on the image would not translate. And, if a visually impaired user was using a screen reader to read content on the website, the screen reader would not be able to pick up the text.
Now, let’s compare the same information on the above image to what it looks like when formatted properly for the website.
Go here for a better web experience:
Depending on your operating system or browser, you may have been able to open the QR code. Or you may have had to hold your phone up to the screen and now are reading on a different device. Or, you may have had to screenshot it, save it to your photos, reopen your photos and click through there. Or, you may not have been able to open it at all on your device. Do you know what ALWAYS allows you to click through? A link! Please do not send QR codes, as not everyone can use them, and it’s much easier to just click on a link. click here for digital content reminders, as it looks when formatted correctly for the web.
Digital Content Reminders
Please remember that .pdfs and .jpeg fliers can not be posted to our website or social media. In addition, QR codes are only meant to be used on PRINTED fliers, not on the internet.
Moving forward, I can ONLY put content on the website/social media/district’s ParentSquare feed if it is given to me as:
- Plain text copied into the body of an email (just like what you’re reading now)
- No QR codes, just the actual link
- If you’d like to include a complementary image as an attachment, only about a headline’s worth of text should be on the image. (ex. “Inaugural Fun Run” NOT “Inaugural Fun Run at 123 Main Street on April 1 from 9 to 5 p.m. There will be food and drinks and prizes”)
NO
\
Yes:
AND:
Why?
- They are generally not accessible, meaning that users with special needs can often not access the information (for example, a screen reader used by a person with vision limitations will not pick up on the text within a flier image or a .pdf).
- They do not translate. We have more than 28 languages spoken in the district. Many of these users use translation apps or services to read our content in their native language. When you use a .pdf or image flier, they can not translate what is on the .pdf or image.
- They are difficult to read on a mobile screen, and must be pinched, enlarged and moved around to be read. Many of you staff members are viewing our website and social channels on a computer. The vast majority of our users are on a mobile device.
- Since many of our users are viewing on mobile screens, QR codes are useless since there is no way to take a photo of the QR code on a phone that you’re currently using.
FAQ:
What if I got the flier from another organization?
Ask them to re-send it to you as described above before sending it to me. If they have it posted to their own website, a link to the story on their website is also acceptable.
Couldn’t you just post the image and add the content as alt text?
Theoretically, this would make it accessible, but it would still not translate, and depending on the amount of text on the image, could still cause issues being read on a screen.
I worked hard on this/a student made this
You can absolutely still use your flier/.pdf as they’re intended to be used – as a printed, hard-copy to physically hand out to students or hang on the wall. If you want it on the website, I recommend keeping an email open while you’re creating the flier/.pdf and copying the text into the email as you create it.
Why do other organizations use .pdfs or flier images on social media or their website if they’re so bad?
I can’t speak to other organizations. But, I can tell you it’s not best practice and we don’t do it here.