{"id":135581,"date":"2026-09-21T01:58:00","date_gmt":"2026-09-21T06:58:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/newsroom\/?p=135581"},"modified":"2026-09-18T13:28:09","modified_gmt":"2026-09-18T18:28:09","slug":"what-do-you-hear-why-accessibility-matters","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/newsroom\/2026\/09\/21\/what-do-you-hear-why-accessibility-matters\/","title":{"rendered":"What do you hear? Why accessibility matters"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The following article is the first in a series on the importance of digital accessibility. The author is the interim executive director of digital accessibility and online learning.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Imagine opening an email from a coworker. An image appears at the top, followed by written instructions and several links to additional websites. But instead of looking at the screen, you are listening to the email. Your screen reader reads the text aloud as you navigate the email with your keyboard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You reach the image. \u201cImage.\u201d And then it moves on. But wait \u2013 what was the image of? Was it important? Did you miss something you needed to know? You continue and hear: \u201cClick here. Link.\u201d Then another: \u201cLearn more. Link.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You know the links are there, but without meaningful link text that tells you where they will take you, what do you do? Each link requires additional navigation away from the email, making what should be a simple task slower and more frustrating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For people who use screen readers, experiences like these are part of navigating digital spaces designed primarily for people who can see.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For Marley Doyle MD, associate professor in the UNMC Department of Psychiatry and director of the Behavioral Health Education Center of Nebraska, a screen reader is simply part of how she manages her work each day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cA screen reader allows me to work independently and efficiently by reading aloud the information on my computer,\u201d Dr. Doyle said. \u201cWhen content is designed accessibly, using a screen reader is simply another way of accessing the same information as everyone else.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When the content creates the barrier<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A screen reader reads the information on a screen aloud, allowing someone to navigate and interact with digital content by listening rather than relying on what they can see.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Without proper accessible formatting, a heading that looks like a heading only because the font is larger and bold may not be identified as a heading at all. Similarly, an image without meaningful alternative text may leave important information unavailable. A link labeled \u201cclick here\u201d provides little information about where it goes, especially when someone is navigating through a list of links. Properly structured headings, meaningful link text and alternative descriptions for images give assistive technologies the information they need to help people navigate and understand digital content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAn inaccessible document can turn a task that should take a few minutes into something that takes much longer,\u201d Dr. Doyle said. \u201cIt creates additional work that has nothing to do with the actual task I am trying to accomplish.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Accessibility is part of everyday work<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

At UNMC, digital content is created and shared every day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n