Accessible URL / Web Links

Working in online courses has many challenges with regard to accessibility, but also some benefits. This section will offer some best practices when working in your LMS.

If you include a link here (and in general), do not copy-paste long URLs, as they can be less accessible for people using screen readers. Instead, provide the link underneath the text, for example: View the linked guidelines for accessible links here. Remember to include the word “linked” to indicate a hyperlink is present, along with a description of where it leads, instead of something vague like “link” or “here.” 

Avoid putting long URLs in the text, as the screen reader will read every letter and number independently very slowly. Long URLs also clog up the text, making it more difficult to read, which makes the text more confusing and less accessible. If you need to include the URL as text and not an embedded link, use a link shortening service like the free linked TinyURL service.