{"id":133,"date":"2024-11-22T11:57:31","date_gmt":"2024-11-22T16:57:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/accessibility\/?page_id=133"},"modified":"2025-03-14T09:11:10","modified_gmt":"2025-03-14T13:11:10","slug":"creating-accessible-descriptive-links","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/accessibility\/guides\/creating-accessible-descriptive-links\/","title":{"rendered":"Creating Accessible Descriptive Links"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-umflint-templates umflint-template-default\"><div class=\"wp-block-umflint-jumbotron jumbotron jumbotron-fluid jumbotron-page mb-3\" style=\"background-color: rgb(255,255,255);\">\n    <div class=\"container\">\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading has-secondary-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-ba3d1c8c9f8ddb3216d6749e74701e14\">Creating Accessible Descriptive Links<\/h1>\n\n<\/div>\n    <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"jumbotron-image\" src=\"https:\/\/www-s3.umflint.edu\/wp\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Blue.UCEN_.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www-s3.umflint.edu\/wp\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Blue.UCEN_.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/www-s3.umflint.edu\/wp\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Blue.UCEN_-300x234.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www-s3.umflint.edu\/wp\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Blue.UCEN_-1024x800.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www-s3.umflint.edu\/wp\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Blue.UCEN_-768x600.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www-s3.umflint.edu\/wp\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Blue.UCEN_-1536x1200.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www-s3.umflint.edu\/wp\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Blue.UCEN_-2048x1600.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" alt=\"\" \/>\n    <\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wp-bootstrap-blocks-container container mb-2\">\n\t\n<div class=\"wp-bootstrap-blocks-row row\">\n\t\n\n<div class=\"col-12 col-md-3\">\n\t\t\t\n<button class=\"btn btn-section w-100 px-0 wp-menu-block-toggle mobile-nav-toggle d-none\" data-target=\"wp-menu-block-secondary-menu\">\n          <span class=\"h-100 mr-3 mt-1 d-block mobile-nav-icon\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"mb-1 transition bg-dark d-block mobile-nav-icon-line\"><\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"mb-1 transition bg-dark d-block mobile-nav-icon-line\"><\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"mb-1 transition bg-dark d-block mobile-nav-icon-line\"><\/span>\n\t\t  <\/span>\n          Accessibility<\/button><nav id=\"wp-menu-block-secondary-menu\" class=\"wp-menu-block sidebar-nav wp-block-umflint-menu-block\"><div class=\"nav-sidebar-title-container\">\n                <div class=\"nav-sidebar-title\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/accessibility\">Accessibility<\/a><\/div>\n                <a class=\"nav-sidebar-title-close\" href=\"#\" data-target=\"secondary-menu\" aria-label=\"Close\" aria-expanded=\"false\">\n                    <svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"100%\" height=\"50\" fill=\"currentColor\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\">\n                        <title>close<\/title><path d=\"M19,6.41L17.59,5L12,10.59L6.41,5L5,6.41L10.59,12L5,17.59L6.41,19L12,13.41L17.59,19L19,17.59L13.41,12L19,6.41Z\" \/>\n                    <\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n            <\/div><ul id=\"menu-secondary-menu\" class=\"menu nav nav-sidebar flex-column\"><li itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/www.schema.org\/SiteNavigationElement\" id=\"menu-item-499\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-has-children menu-item-499 nav-item\"><a title=\"Accessibility Tools\" href=\"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/accessibility\/tools\/\" class=\"nav-link\">Accessibility Tools<\/a>\n<ul class=\"subitems-menu\" >\n\t<li itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/www.schema.org\/SiteNavigationElement\" id=\"menu-item-500\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-500 nav-item\"><a title=\"Grackle\" href=\"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/accessibility\/tools\/grackle\/\" class=\"nav-link\">Grackle<\/a><\/li>\n\t<li itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/www.schema.org\/SiteNavigationElement\" id=\"menu-item-501\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-501 nav-item\"><a title=\"Panorama\" href=\"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/accessibility\/tools\/panorama\/\" class=\"nav-link\">Panorama<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/www.schema.org\/SiteNavigationElement\" id=\"menu-item-502\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-has-children menu-item-502 nav-item\"><a title=\"Accessibility Guides\" href=\"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/accessibility\/guides\/\" class=\"nav-link\">Accessibility Guides<\/a>\n<ul class=\"subitems-menu\" >\n\t<li itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/www.schema.org\/SiteNavigationElement\" id=\"menu-item-503\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-503 nav-item\"><a title=\"Adding Alt Text\" href=\"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/accessibility\/guides\/alt-text\/\" class=\"nav-link\">Adding Alt Text<\/a><\/li>\n\t<li itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/www.schema.org\/SiteNavigationElement\" id=\"menu-item-504\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-504 nav-item\"><a title=\"Checking Captions for Kaltura Videos\" href=\"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/accessibility\/guides\/kaltura-videos\/\" class=\"nav-link\">Checking Captions for Kaltura Videos<\/a><\/li>\n\t<li itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/www.schema.org\/SiteNavigationElement\" id=\"menu-item-505\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-505 nav-item\"><a title=\"Creating Accessible Descriptive Links\" href=\"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/accessibility\/guides\/creating-accessible-descriptive-links\/\" class=\"nav-link\">Creating Accessible Descriptive Links<\/a><\/li>\n\t<li itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/www.schema.org\/SiteNavigationElement\" id=\"menu-item-506\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-506 nav-item\"><a title=\"Creating Accessible Presentations\" href=\"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/accessibility\/guides\/creating-accessible-presentations\/\" class=\"nav-link\">Creating Accessible Presentations<\/a><\/li>\n\t<li itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/www.schema.org\/SiteNavigationElement\" id=\"menu-item-507\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-507 nav-item\"><a title=\"Creating Accessible Tables\" href=\"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/accessibility\/guides\/creating-accessible-tables\/\" class=\"nav-link\">Creating Accessible Tables<\/a><\/li>\n\t<li itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/www.schema.org\/SiteNavigationElement\" id=\"menu-item-508\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-508 nav-item\"><a title=\"Ensuring Basic Color Contrast for Accessibility\" href=\"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/accessibility\/guides\/basic-color-contrast\/\" class=\"nav-link\">Ensuring Basic Color Contrast for Accessibility<\/a><\/li>\n\t<li itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/www.schema.org\/SiteNavigationElement\" id=\"menu-item-509\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-509 nav-item\"><a title=\"Removing Redundant Links\" href=\"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/accessibility\/guides\/removing-redundant-links\/\" class=\"nav-link\">Removing Redundant Links<\/a><\/li>\n\t<li itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/www.schema.org\/SiteNavigationElement\" id=\"menu-item-510\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-510 nav-item\"><a title=\"Structuring Your Documents and Pages for Accessibility\" href=\"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/accessibility\/guides\/structuring-your-documents\/\" class=\"nav-link\">Structuring Your Documents and Pages for Accessibility<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/www.schema.org\/SiteNavigationElement\" id=\"menu-item-511\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-511 nav-item\"><a title=\"Recent Email News\" href=\"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/accessibility\/recent-email-news\/\" class=\"nav-link\">Recent Email News<\/a><\/li>\n<li itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/www.schema.org\/SiteNavigationElement\" id=\"menu-item-512\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-has-children menu-item-512 nav-item\"><a title=\"Rethinking PDFs\" href=\"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/accessibility\/rethinking-pdfs\/\" class=\"nav-link\">Rethinking PDFs<\/a>\n<ul class=\"subitems-menu\" >\n\t<li itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/www.schema.org\/SiteNavigationElement\" id=\"menu-item-513\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-513 nav-item\"><a title=\"Converting a PDF to Word\" href=\"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/accessibility\/rethinking-pdfs\/converting\/\" class=\"nav-link\">Converting a PDF to Word<\/a><\/li>\n\t<li itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/www.schema.org\/SiteNavigationElement\" id=\"menu-item-514\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-514 nav-item\"><a title=\"Myths and Paths Forward\" href=\"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/accessibility\/rethinking-pdfs\/myths-paths-forward\/\" class=\"nav-link\">Myths and Paths Forward<\/a><\/li>\n\t<li itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/www.schema.org\/SiteNavigationElement\" id=\"menu-item-515\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-515 nav-item\"><a title=\"PDF Alternatives\" href=\"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/accessibility\/rethinking-pdfs\/alternatives\/\" class=\"nav-link\">PDF Alternatives<\/a><\/li>\n\t<li itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/www.schema.org\/SiteNavigationElement\" id=\"menu-item-516\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-516 nav-item\"><a title=\"Sharing Read-Only Files\" href=\"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/accessibility\/rethinking-pdfs\/sharing-read-only-files\/\" class=\"nav-link\">Sharing Read-Only Files<\/a><\/li>\n\t<li itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/www.schema.org\/SiteNavigationElement\" id=\"menu-item-517\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-517 nav-item\"><a title=\"Shortcomings and Frustrations of PDFs\" href=\"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/accessibility\/rethinking-pdfs\/shortcomings-frustrations\/\" class=\"nav-link\">Shortcomings and Frustrations of PDFs<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/www.schema.org\/SiteNavigationElement\" id=\"menu-item-548\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-custom menu-item-object-custom menu-item-548 nav-item\"><a title=\"Accessibility Standard Practice Guide (SPG)\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/spg.umich.edu\/policy\/601.20\" class=\"nav-link\">Accessibility Standard Practice Guide (SPG)<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul><\/nav>\n\t<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"col-12 col-md-9\">\n\t\t\t\n<nav aria-label=\"breadcrumb\"><ol class=\"breadcrumb mb-3\"><li class=\"breadcrumb-item\"><a href=\"\/\">Home<\/a><\/li><li class=\"breadcrumb-item\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/accessibility\">Accessibility<\/a><\/li><li class=\"breadcrumb-item\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/accessibility\/guides\/\">Guides<\/a><\/li><li class=\"breadcrumb-item active\" aria-current=\"page\">Creating Accessible Descriptive Links<\/li><\/ol><\/nav>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-primary-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-fcd9be9e066b20a1828457ba99874f18\">Why Use Descriptive Links?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Descriptive links help all people, especially those using screen readers, understand where a link will take them without needing extra context. Instead of generic phrases like &#8220;click here,&#8221; descriptive links provide clear information that benefits all students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-primary-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-89ffa2bfe0b6c7862644eeb463966763\">What Makes a Good Descriptive Link?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Contextual Clarity<\/strong>: A good link tells the user what to expect. It should summarize the target content in a way that\u2019s meaningful on its own.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Avoid Vague Phrases<\/strong>: Phrases like &#8220;click here&#8221; or &#8220;more info&#8221; are ambiguous and should be avoided.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-text-color has-secondary-color has-alpha-channel-opacity has-secondary-background-color has-background mt-5 mb-5\" \/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-primary-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-a304e584d89dc1703f752c7dce39d0fd\">How to Create Descriptive Links<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-primary-color has-text-color has-link-color has-medium-font-size wp-elements-0bd3ccd1ed633f3e61b2fc997833b9b3\">Use Specific Descriptions<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Describe the content or action associated with the link.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Example<\/strong>: Instead of &#8220;Click here for syllabus,&#8221; use &#8220;Download the course syllabus.&#8221;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-primary-color has-text-color has-link-color has-medium-font-size wp-elements-467e20a629976acd9a3a312eae587b91\">Be Concise, but Informative<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Include enough detail to make the purpose clear, but avoid overly long link text.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Example<\/strong>: &#8220;Read the Accessibility Guidelines for Canvas&#8221; is better than &#8220;Click here to read about the guidelines for making content accessible in Canvas.&#8221;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-primary-color has-text-color has-link-color has-medium-font-size wp-elements-470dcaf24eedae754d7bf768acd3b595\">Integrate Links Naturally in Text<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Example<\/strong>: &#8220;For more information, refer to our online learning accessibility guide.&#8221;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Links should flow naturally in sentences. This helps users understand the context of the link.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\t<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-bootstrap-blocks-container container mb-2\">\n\t<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-cover is-light h-auto mt-5\" style=\"min-height:50px;aspect-ratio:unset;\"><span aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-cover__background has-background-dim-100 has-background-dim\" style=\"background-color:#dedfe1\"><\/span><div class=\"wp-block-cover__inner-container has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-block-cover-is-layout-constrained\"><div class=\"wp-bootstrap-blocks-container container mb-2\">\n\t\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading mt-3 mb-4\">Examples of Non-descriptive vs. Descriptive Links<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Non-descriptive<\/strong>: Click here to access the report.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Descriptive<\/strong>: Access the 2024 Annual Report.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Non-descriptive<\/strong>: For more details, click here.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Descriptive<\/strong>: Learn more about how to make your course accessible.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Tips for Faculty<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Review Existing Links<\/strong>: Go through your Canvas courses and other materials, and replace vague links with descriptive ones.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Consider the User Experience<\/strong>: Think about what students will know if they encounter the link without any surrounding text. A descriptive link should always make sense in isolation.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-cover h-auto\" style=\"min-height:50px;aspect-ratio:unset;\"><span aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-cover__background has-primary-background-color has-background-dim-100 has-background-dim\"><\/span><div class=\"wp-block-cover__inner-container has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-block-cover-is-layout-constrained\"><div class=\"wp-bootstrap-blocks-container container mb-2\">\n\t\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading mt-3 mb-4 has-white-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-1ed2018bae68966da32e607b52addc78\">What Can I Do Now?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"mb-2\">Ensuring that links are descriptive is crucial for preventing confusion and frustration for people using assistive technologies. Before adding a link, consider what it conveys and whether someone will understand its purpose without additional context. Creating specific, meaningful links helps everyone navigate content more smoothly. To verify that your links are descriptive, use tools like the Canvas Accessibility Checker. Regularly reviewing your links ensures they convey their purpose, making your materials more accessible and user-friendly for all learners.<br><\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p> [&#8230;]<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"btn btn-secondary understrap-read-more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/accessibility\/guides\/creating-accessible-descriptive-links\/\">Read More&#8230;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":38,"featured_media":0,"parent":95,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-133","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/accessibility\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/133","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/accessibility\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/accessibility\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/accessibility\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/38"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/accessibility\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=133"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/accessibility\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/133\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":318,"href":"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/accessibility\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/133\/revisions\/318"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/accessibility\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/95"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/accessibility\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=133"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}