Types of alternate formats
An alternate format is web or print content that has been converted into a different format so that disabled people can access and use the information.
The types of alternate formats that should be provided will depend on the accessibility needs of your target audience.
There are 5 types of alternate formats:
Audio
Many people with vision impairments and some people with dyslexia or learning disabilities need content provided in audio for them to be able to access it.
Audio is a recording of a person or computer reading written material and describing any images or graphics.
Digital copy
Digital content, such as web pages, can automatically be read out loud to users with text-to-speech or screen reader software. There are also browser plug-ins and extensions that will do this for users.
If a separate audio version of the content is prepared, it can be provided as a downloadable file on a website.
Hard copy
The audio version of the content can be provided as a file on a CD or USB drive.
More about audio format
To understand more about the needs of people who require audio as an alternate format, contact Blind Citizens NZ.
Braille
Many blind and visually impaired people need content to be in Braille for them to access it. For more details, see What is Braille? — Blind Low Vision NZ.
Digital copy
Digital content can automatically be read in Braille using special software and hardware.
Hard copy
Content can be typed or printed in Braille and delivered as a hard copy Braille document.
More about Braille
To understand more about the needs of people who require Braille as an alternate format, contact Blind Citizens NZ.
Easy Read
Many people with learning or intellectual disabilities need content to be provided in Easy Read format to make it clear and easy to understand.
Easy Read can also make content more accessible for Deaf people, people who are older, or people who have low literacy or English as a second language.
Two of the main characteristics of Easy Read information are that:
- text is broken into very short sentences, each expressing just a single idea using active, rather than passive, language.
- each sentence is accompanied by an image that represents the idea in the sentence.
Note: The images in Easy Read are visual prompts or representations provided explicitly for sighted readers with learning disabilities.
The function or purpose of each image is to help the reader understand the idea in the sentence located next to it visually. The image does not present any meaningful information on its own.
Since an Easy Read image represents its associated sentence, the sentence itself would be the best text alternative. However, that would simply repeat the sentence. In fact, coming at it from the other direction, the sentence is the image’s text alternative.
As such, whether in HTML, a PDF or office document, the image’s text alternative should be empty. In other words, the image should be treated as if it were decorative.
Meeting the Web Accessibility Standard
If an image in an Easy Read document represents an associated sentence, and the image has an empty text alternative — for example, alt="" — this meets WCAG 2 Success Criterion 1.1.1 Non-Text Content.
Digital and hard copies
Easy Read can be produced as a digital document, for example, a web page or a downloadable PDF. It can also be provided as a printed hard copy document.
More about Easy Read
To understand more about the needs of people who require the Easy Read format, contact People First NZ.
Large print
Many people with low vision need content to be in large print for them to be able to access it.
Large print is text content with a typeface or font that is larger than normal, typically a minimum size of 16 points in print.
Digital copy
The size of text in web pages and other digital formats can be automatically increased by the user to whatever size they prefer.
Hard copies
Large print content should follow best practice in print design to make sure that documents are well structured and easier to read — for example, the Guidelines for Producing Clear Print — Round Table on Information Access for People with Print Disabilities (PDF 804KB).
More about large print
To understand more about the needs of people who require large print as an alternate format, contact Blind Citizens NZ.
NZSL video
Many Deaf and hard-of-hearing people need content to be in New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) for them to access it.
NZSL is its own language. It’s a visual and gestural language, with its own syntax and grammar that is different to English. Unlike Braille, it’s not a representation of English or of any other spoken and written language.
For many Deaf people, English is not their first language so they find reading English more difficult and can access and comprehend content better in NZSL.
As sign languages are wholly visual languages, providing content in NZSL means showing a video of someone who is signing in NZSL. The video can include logos, fonts and other branding elements so it visually relates to the original content.
Note: As an alternate format, NZSL video is a translation of content already provided in another language, and in most cases, another format. No captions are required as there is no speech in the NZSL translation to caption.
In WCAG 2, videos need to be captioned unless the video is a media alternative for text and is clearly labelled as such.
When an NZSL video is a translation of existing content, it is a media alternative for text, and does not require captions as per WCAG.
Meeting the Web Accessibility Standard
If an NZSL translation video is not captioned but is clearly identified as an NZSL translation of other content on the page or website, this meets WCAG 2:
Digital copy
It’s typical for NZSL videos to be delivered on the web.
Hard copies
If needed, NZSL videos can be distributed via CD or USB drive.
More about NZSL video
To understand more about the needs of people who require NZSL video as an alternate format, contact Deaf Aotearoa.