Digital Accessibility Toolkit 

Quick Reference Guides for Creating Accessible Content 

About this toolkit

This Digital Accessibility Toolkit provides City of Stamford employees with quick reference guides, checklists, and best practices for creating accessible digital content. Each guide focuses on a specific aspect of accessibility and provides practical, easy-to-follow instructions. 

The toolkit is designed to help you create content that is accessible to all residents, including people with disabilities, in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Section 508, and Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG).

How to use this toolkit

  • Browse the list of sections to find the guide that matched your current project
  • Follow the checklists to ensure your content meets accessibility standards 
  • Reference the examples to see accessibility principles in action 
  • Contact the Accessibility Support Team if you need additional assistance 

Quick Start: 5 Essential Steps

Quick Start: 5 Essential Steps 

1. Use Heading Styles (Not Manual Formatting) 

  • Word/PowerPoint: Home tab → Heading 1, Heading 2, Heading 3 
  • Why: Screen readers use headings to navigate documents 
  • Don’t: Make text bold and large manually 

2. Add Alt Text to All Images 

  • How: Right-click image → Edit Alt Text → Add description 
  • Good Alt Text: “Mayor Smith speaking at podium during city council meeting” 
  • Bad Alt Text: “Image” or “Photo” 

3. Check Color Contrast 

  • Minimum: 4.5:1 ratio for normal text, 3:1 for large text 
  • Safe Choices: Black text on white, dark blue on light gray 
  • Avoid: Light gray text on white backgrounds 

4. Create Accessible Tables 

  • Excel: Format as Table → Check “My table has headers” 
  • Word: Insert Table → Table Design → Header Row 
  • Avoid: Merged cells, blank header rows 

5. Run Accessibility Checker Before Sharing 

  • Location: Review tab → Check Accessibility 
  • Fix: All errors and warnings before publishing 

Social Media Accessibility Quick Guide