Accessibility

Buttons

Buttons should clearly communicate what will happen when someone selects them. People using screen readers may navigate through buttons independently of the surrounding page content.

• Use short, descriptive button labels that explain the action or destination.
• Avoid vague labels such as "Click Here," "Learn More" or "Read More" without sufficient context.
• Make sure buttons have unique, meaningful labels when they lead to different destinations.
• Use the approved Terminalfour button styles and do not create custom buttons with HTML.
• Do not rely on color, icons or visual appearance alone to communicate a button's purpose.

Good: Explore Our Programs

Avoid: Learn More

Learn More About Buttons in Text Blocks

Headings

Headings organize page content and help visitors quickly understand and navigate information. Screen reader users often navigate pages by jumping between headings, making proper heading structure especially important.

• Use headings to organize content into logical sections.
• Follow the correct heading hierarchy without skipping levels.
• Terminalfour provides the main page heading (H1). Start major sections within Text Blocks with H2 headings.
• Use H3 headings for subsections within an H2 section, followed by H4 when needed.
• Never select a heading level simply because you prefer its font size or appearance.
• Keep headings concise, descriptive and relevant to the content that follows.
• Do not use bold text as a substitute for a proper heading.

Good heading structure:

• H1: Admissions
  • H2: Undergraduate Admissions
    • H3: Application Requirements
    • H3: Application Deadlines
  • H2: Graduate Admissions

Avoid: Using an H4 immediately after an H2 or choosing heading levels based on visual appearance.

Learn More About Headings in Text Blocks

Images

Images must be accessible to visitors who cannot see them. Alternative text, commonly called alt text, provides a text description of an image that can be read by screen readers.

• Provide meaningful alt text for images that communicate important information.
• Describe the content and purpose of the image in the context of the page.
• Avoid beginning descriptions with "Image of" or "Picture of."
• Do not use image filenames, generic descriptions or keyword lists as alt text.
• Images used only for decoration should have empty alt text so screen readers can skip them. ("")
• Avoid using images containing large amounts of text. Important information should appear as accessible text on the page.
• Do not rely on an image alone to communicate essential information.

Good alt text: A geology student examines an exposed rock face with a rock hammer during a field session.

Poor alt text: Student photo.

For complex images, such as charts, diagrams or infographics, provide additional text on the page that communicates the important information.

Learn More About Images in Text Blocks

Links

Descriptive links help visitors understand where a link will take them without having to read the surrounding content. Screen reader users can navigate a page using a list of links, so each link needs to make sense on its own.

• Use descriptive link text that clearly identifies the destination or purpose.
• Avoid phrases such as "Click Here," "Read More" or "Learn More" when they do not identify the destination.
• Do not use a full URL as visible link text unless there is a specific reason.
• Use meaningful text rather than generic language such as "Visit this page."
• Avoid using the same link text for different destinations when that could confuse visitors.
• Do not use underlined text for emphasis because visitors may mistake it for a link.
• When linking to downloadable documents, identify the document type when useful.

Good: Review undergraduate admission requirements.

Avoid: Click here for more information.

Learn More About Links in Text Blocks

Source HTML

The Source Code editor allows you to view and adjust the HTML behind content in a Text Block. While this can be useful for removing unwanted formatting or adding iframe embeds, improper HTML can create serious accessibility barriers.

• Use Source Code only for basic HTML adjustments, cleaning up formatting and approved iframe embeds.
• Remove unnecessary HTML, inline styles and formatting copied from other websites or documents.
• Use proper HTML elements for headings, paragraphs, lists and links.
• Do not use custom fonts, colors, styling or layouts that override the approved Mines design system.
• Do not use HTML to visually imitate buttons, headings or other elements without their proper structure

Important: Content that looks correct visually may still be inaccessible if the underlying HTML is improperly structured.

Whenever possible, use the formatting tools available in the Terminalfour HTML editor rather than editing the source code directly.

Learn More About Source HTML in Text Blocks

Tables

Tables should be used to present structured data, not to control the visual layout of a page. Properly formatted tables allow screen readers to identify the relationships between rows, columns and data.

• Use tables only for information that belongs in rows and columns.
• Do not use tables to create page layouts, align images or position text.
• Include a descriptive table caption that identifies what the table contains.
• Identify column headers and row headers when appropriate.
• Review tables on smaller screens to make sure content remains readable and usable.

Terminalfour provides standard tables within the HTML editor as well as a separate Searchable/Sortable Table content type. Choose the option that best fits the information and make sure all required accessibility features are included.

Good: A table with a caption, clearly identified column headers and consistent data rows.

Avoid: A table used to position images and text side by side or one without identifiable headers.

Learn More About Tables in Text Blocks

Videos

Videos must be accessible to visitors who are deaf, hard of hearing, blind or have other disabilities that affect how they experience multimedia content.

Videos cannot be uploaded directly to Terminalfour and must be embedded from supported platforms such as YouTube or Kaltura.

• All videos must include accurate captions.
• Review automatically generated captions and correct errors before publishing.
• Captions must accurately represent spoken dialogue and important audio information.
• Provide a descriptive title in the required Title field when adding a video.
• The title should clearly identify the video's subject or purpose.
• Use accessible video players that support keyboard navigation and captions.
• Provide audio descriptions or an equivalent accessible alternative when important visual information is not communicated through the video's audio.
• Consider providing a transcript to make video content easier to access and reference.
• Avoid autoplaying videos, particularly those containing sound.

Important: Automatically generated captions are not always accurate. Content editors are responsible for verifying caption accuracy before publishing videos.

Learn More About Videos in Text Blocks