- United Spinal’s corporate partner Teladoc Health invited us to participate in its internal THRIVE/Accessible Champions for Change event, focusing on best practices for web accessibility and writing alt text this past July.
- At the virtual event, participants broke into small groups to write alt text descriptions for images of wheelchair users from diverse backgrounds found across United Spinal’s platforms.
- The lively event promoting web accessibility is one of the many ways that we advocate alongside our partners to champion accessibility for all people with disabilities.
- Learn how your organization can partner with United Spinal toward full disability inclusion.
Since its establishment in 1990, the Americans with Disabilities Act has implemented different requirements for physical and web accessibility guidelines. The purpose of the ADA is to prevent the discrimination of individuals with disabilities in their everyday lives, including in transportation, employment, and even web browsing!
The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines include elements that webpages must follow to make them compliant for individuals with disabilities. Some of these guidelines include having proper color contrast when it comes to designs on the page, fonts that would allow everyone to comprehend the message clearly, and having proper alternative text for every image or graphic that is not decorative.
What Is Alt Text?
Alternative text or ‘alt text’ is a description used to depict an image or its functions on a page. It has become an important factor that allows users with disabilities to access the web fully. Individuals, especially those with visual disabilities, will not have to depend on their vision to see what is presented but rather can hear a description of what the page is showing.
Anyone can write alt text, but there’s a big difference between just writing alt text and writing meaningful copy that conveys the message to the users. Prior to this volunteering event, volunteers attended a live training event with Meredith Tully, a manager at Teladoc Health, on how to write meaningful alt text before doing so on their own in groups during the event.
Over the one-hour event, volunteers actively participated in breakout rooms to write alt text for images from United Spinal’s website and then came together as a group to discuss. Josie Byzek, the Senior Director of Communications and Digital Experience at United Spinal, joined us as a guest speaker about United Spinal’s members and mission. It was amazing having Josie join us on the activity and hear her insights behind the different images on the blog she is partly responsible for. Her participation provided volunteers with context regarding the different images and allowed them to incorporate that into their writing.
Partnering with United Spinal
It has been a privilege to partner with the United Spinal Association, which already provides so much support and advocacy for individuals in wheelchairs and shows them that they can do anything. United Spinal and Teladoc Health’s THRIVE business resource group hold similar values in that they both advocate in ways that allow people with disabilities to reduce barriers to full accessibility.
While United Spinal ensures that wheelchair users receive equal opportunities and resources for their success, THRIVE aims to create an environment of awareness, support, and opportunity for all people at Teladoc Health to thrive. Both groups embrace neurodiversity and differing physical and mental abilities.
My partner Olly Davis says, “Multiple Sclerosis is an issue close to my heart, so I was somewhat aware of United Spinal’s work. But I learned much more about other kinds of SCI/D and the current advocacy work being done in the disability space. United Spinal’s commitment to accessibility across the board is evident. They want to make their content accessible to people with all kinds of disabilities, not just ones related to their organization’s mission.
Thanks to AJ Assaadi, United Spinal’s Vice President, DEIA Corporate Partnerships, and Josie, we had a fantastic experience working with the United Spinal Association. We hope to work with United Spinal again!”
It has truly been an honor to work with United Spinal and meet some amazing individuals who are so passionate about their work and advocacy!
For more information on how to partner with United Spinal Association, please contact Scott Lavery, Development Manager, at scott.lavery@unitedspinal.org.
