WikiSpaces (Confluence)
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Synopsis
WikiSpaces, also known as Confluence, is a valuable tool for sharing collaborative online material, and includes tools that enable users to create reasonably accessible documents.
This page contains some general guidelines for making your WikiSpaces content more accessible, with a link to more detailed information at the end.
- For long documents, use the Heading styles (Heading 1 through Heading 6) to break passages of text into multiple sections.
- Use one of the list tools to create lists, instead of inserting list items manually.
- Make sure that any hyperlink text clearly describes its target page.
- All images, except those used for purely decorative purposes, should be equipped with alt text.
- Data tables should have a header row, each cell of which should clearly describe the content in the corresponding row or column.
- If you change the text color, ensure that there is sufficient contrast between the text and the background.
- Ensure that all files attached to your WikiSpaces document are as accessible as possible.
- A table of contents can help users navigate your document quickly, in addition to providing a preview of its content, both of which enhance its general usability.
Headings
Specifying headings helps screen reader users quickly identify the sections of a page. Page titles should be formatted with the Heading 1 option found in the drop-down Styles menu. Likewise, main section headings should be formatted with the Heading 2 option, and subsection headings with Heading 3.
Lists
Use the list tool to create bulleted or numbered lists, instead of manually inserting bullets, numbers or asterisks. As with headings, this tool enables screen readers to process list items more efficiently.
Numbered lists with multiple levels should use a different numbering scheme on each level. For instance, if the topmost level uses "1, 2, 3," the next level should use "a, b, c."
Hyperlinks
Screen reader users often scan a document for hyperlinks, so it is important to make sure your links make sense without their surrounding content. For example, a link should say "Readings for the week of February 14" rather than "Readings for the week of February 14. Click here." Use the Insert Hyperlink tool to create a hyperlink in WikiSpaces.
Images
Images, charts and graphs must have a description so that someone unable to see them will understand their purpose and content. This is what is known as alt text. Descriptions of images should be limited to approximately 20 words or 155 characters. Charts and graphs may require longer explanations.
Users will need to edit the Wiki Markup of their images if they wish to add alt text in WikiSpaces. The Wiki Markup can be edited by clicking on the corresponding tab above the formatting toolbar. Below is some sample markup for an image with alt text. Note that a vertical bar character ("|") separates the image url and the alt text.
!http://www.psu.edu/images/pennstate2.gif|alt="Penn State University wordmark"!
Tables
It is helpful for screen reader users if tables are equipped with a header row that describes the data in each column. This provision will help screen readers organize the table's content so that it can be read in a logical order.
When inserting a table, WikiSpaces gives users the option to create a header row (note the "First Row is Heading" check box in the image below), although the final product does not utilize the SCOPE tag, which would be preferable with regard to accessibility. Table headers can also be created manually using Wiki Markup.
Color Schemes
If you change text color, ensure that there enough contrast between the text and the background. If too little contrast is provided, colorblind or low vision users may have difficulty reading the content. Certain color combinations (often those with bright colors) can even cause headaches for some users.
Attached Files
All files attached to WikiSpaces pages should be made accessible. See the Accessibility and Usability Guide's pages on Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, and PDFs for more information creating accessible documents.
Creating a Table of Contents
Adding a table of contents can help screen reader users navigate your document quickly and easily, in addition to making the page more generally usable by providing a preview of upcoming content. You must designate headings to generate a table of contents, as these are what is used to determine the sections of the document.
To create a Table of Contents in WikiSpaces, select Table of Contents from the drop-down Insert menu.
WikiSpaces Quickstart Guide
For more information on WikiSpaces, and step-by-step instructions for implementing the provisions described above, download the "Creating Accessible Content in WikiSpaces" Quickstart Guide.