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Accessibility Adjustments

Accessibility Adjustments Help

  • Toggle High Contrast

    This button will darken the page's background color to black while making all text white. This high contrast will make it easier to read the website's content.

  • Toggle Page Zoom

    This button will increase the size of all elements on the page.

  • Toggle Focus State

    This button adds a visible focus state to all interactive elements when using the keyboard. This allows the user to know exactly where they are on a site while tabbing through with a keyboard. Note: this will only affect sites that do not currently have visible focus states.

  • Toggle Link Highlights

    This button will add an outline to all links and buttons on a page that a user can interact with.

Accessibility Checker Help

  • Check Images

    This triggers a check of all images on a page for either an 'alt', 'title', or an 'aria-label' attribute. Images that are purely decorative or do not include any information to convey to the user do not need alt text. In these cases, the alt attribute should still be present but should be left empty. Our checker will still flag empty alts as an error just in case.

  • Check Color Contrast

    This triggers a check of all text to ensure that it's color has a high enough contrast against the color of the background it is on. In some cases our checker will flag contrast errors for text that is on top of an image or when either the text or the background element has a position of 'absolute'. In these cases it is up to the site administrator's discretion to determine if the text is legible.

  • Check Links & Buttons

    This triggers a check of all the page's links and buttons. Links and buttons without text or an aria-label describing what the link or button accomplishes will fail. Without text (including hidden screen reader only text) or an aria-label, assistive technology will not be able to determine the purpose of the link/button.

  • Check For Duplicate IDs

    This triggers a search for all IDs on a page. Duplicate IDs will be flagged as an error. Duplicate ID errors are known to cause problems for assistive technologies when they are trying to interact with content. SVGs tend to be a major source of this failure. It's beneficial to remove all IDs from SVGs before placing them on a page.

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Debate vs. Dialogue

Everyone wants to be heard, but a conversation cannot be had if everyone is talking over each other. Use these tips to help navigate difficult conversations.

(Adapted from resources developed by Scarboro Missions)

DIALOGUE 

Mutual understanding of each other’s point of view

  • I listen to learn. I take seriously someone else’s point of view.
  • I listen for strengths, so that I may affirm and learn someone’s point of view.
  • I speak for myself. I use my own experiences and point of view. I try to examine my own assumptions.
  • I ask questions to clarify and increase my understanding of someone else’s point of view (I try to suspend judgment; and give my conversation partner a fair hearing).
  • I allow my conversation partner to complete a thought. I wait until she/he is finished to respond.
  • I concentrate on others’ words, feelings, body language, and other modes of communication.
  • I respect others’ experiences as true and valid for them. I desire to learn from these experiences to come to new understandings of my own.
  • I respect others’ feelings.
  • I honor silence.
  • I look for ways to extend the conversation.

DEBATE 

Argument of my position over that of another

  • I listen to counter. I am closed to someone else’s ideas.
  • I listen for weakness, so that I may discount and devalue someone’s point of view.
  • I speak for others. I assert my assumptions about others’ experiences and motives, in an effort to vindicate my point of view.
  • I ask questions to control the conversation, or to confuse my conversation partner. I look for ways to affirm my point of view. My goal is to win the debate.
  • I interrupt my conversation partner or change the subject. 
  • I concentrate on my response or my next point.
  • I interpret others’ experiences as naïve, incorrect, or distorted (while championing my own). I desire to bring my conversation partner to my point of view.
  • I distrust feelings as manipulative.
  • I use silence to my advantage.
  • I look for ways to end the conversation.
PDF of Debate vs. Dialogue