The Basics

In All UH Web Pages

  • The University of Houston logotype must appear in the header of all web pages.
  • No other logos or marks should appear in the header.

Web Accessibility/ADA

Executive Summary of UH Web Accessibility Standards: http://www.uh.edu/policies/ada/index.php.

All University web pages should be accessible in some form to those with disabilities, be they technological barriers (slow modems) or physical barriers (users with impaired vision). This is not just State law, but good sense: the more users who can access your information the better.

This is not a legal document. The information here is based on satisfying the State of Texas World Wide Web Design and Coding Guidelines, in particular the Web Accessibility Guidelines. To satisfy the legal requirements, UH web site pages should make every effort to adhere to the WC3 Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. The University guidelines below are derived from the W3C guidelines, and provide direct links to the W3C web site.

No matter what bells, whistles, or applets you wish to decorate your hypertext information with, ensure that no one is barred from i) navigating through your pages and ii) accessing the information on those pages. This is the same spirit as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which presently ensures no one is barred from accessing any physical University property (ie., access ramps, braille signs, etc.).

Note this isn't a dictate that all users experience your pages equally, only that all users can access them equally. For example, blind users surf the web using "readers" which speak the contents of a page, including the hyperlinks used for navigation. This does not mean you cannot embed pictures on pages, just that these pictures should also have text-equivalents embedded, such as "alt" tags on images or image maps.

UH Accessibility Coordinators

  • For students: Cheryl Amoruso - Director, Center for Students with DisABILITIES
  • For staff & faculty: Able Garza, Office of Affirmative Action

In General

  • 1.1 Provide a text equivalent for every non-text element (e.g., via "alt", "longdesc", or in element content). This includes: images, graphical representations of text (including symbols), image map regions, animations (e.g., animated GIFs), applets and programmatic objects, ascii art, frames, scripts, images used as list bullets, spacers, graphical buttons, sounds (played with or without user interaction), stand-alone audio files, audio tracks of video, and video.
  • 2.1 Ensure that all information conveyed with color is also available without color, for example from context or markup.
  • 4.1 Clearly identify changes in the natural language of a document's text and any text equivalents (e.g., captions).
  • 6.1 Organize documents so they may be read without style sheets. For example, when an HTML document is rendered without associated style sheets, it must still be possible to read the document.
  • 6.2 Ensure that equivalents for dynamic content are updated when the dynamic content changes.
  • 7.1 Until user agents allow users to control flickering, avoid causing the screen to flicker.
  • 14.1 Use the clearest and simplest language appropriate for a site's content.

Hyperlinks

  • Make certain every hyperlink on your page can be accessed with keyboard commands alone. For example, hitting the TAB-key on your keyboard should advance to every link on a page, whether the link is textual or defined on an image map or applet.
  • 13.1 Make hyperlinks descriptive. Avoid using the text "click here" for links, or include an "alt" or "title" tag inside the link with more descriptive content.

Images and Image Maps

  • 1.2 Provide redundant text links for each active region of a server-side image map.
  • 9.1 Provide client-side image maps instead of server-side image maps except where the regions cannot be defined with an available geometric shape.

Tables

  • 5.1 For data tables, identify row and column headers.
  • 5.2 For data tables that have two or more logical levels of row or column headers, use markup to associate data cells and header cells.

Frames

  • 12.1 Title each frame to facilitate frame identification and navigation.
  • 12.2 Describe the purpose of frames and how frames relate to each other if it is not obvious by frame titles alone.
  • 6.3 Ensure that pages are usable when scripts, applets, or other programmatic objects are turned off or not supported. If this is not possible, provide equivalent information on an alternative accessible page.

Multimedia

  • 1.3 Until user agents can automatically read aloud the text equivalent of a visual track, provide an auditory description of the important information of the visual track of a multimedia presentation. ●1.4 For any time-based multimedia presentation (e.g., a movie or animation), synchronize equivalent alternatives (e.g., captions or auditory descriptions of the visual track) with the presentation.

Forms

  • 4.11 Ensure that forms and form controls are accessible from keyboards and text-only environments.

And If All Else Fails...

  • 11.4 If, after best efforts, you cannot create an accessible page, provide a link to an alternative page that uses W3C technologies, is accessible, has equivalent information (or functionality), and is updated as often as the inaccessible (original) page.

For Further Information

In All UH News Releases

All news releases pertaining to the University of Houston are handled by the Office of Media Relations (713-743-8155).

UH Photo Credit Guidelines

When to include a photo credit:

  • If the photographer has specified that a photo credit be included OR
  • The photo(s) are to be used for journalistic or editorial purposes.
  • Photos used in marketing or advertising print or online pieces do not need photo credits unless specified.

How to add a photo credit:

  • If a photographer’s name is listed, the credit would read:
    • Photographer’s name/University of Houston.
  • If no name is listed, then your credit would read:
    • photo/University of Houston.
  • The credit line can be in very small but readable type and placed just under the photo. 7pt type is often sufficient.

Anything Else

The University of Houston Graphic Standards apply to anything bearing the university's name, logo, or other unique identifying mark.

Ad Approval Process & Guidelines

The purchasing department requires all printed ads, digital ads, and promotional items to be approved by UH Marketing & Communication. Purchasing needs to see the approval for the ad before they can release funds to pay the vendor, per MAPP 04.01.03, Section VII, Item N (http://www.uh.edu/mapp/04/040103.pdf).

Personnel ads must be approved by Human Resources at 713-743-5770 and the Office of Affirmative Action at 713-743-8835.

All forms of advertising, marketing, and promotional pieces, particularly those paid for by university or state funds, are subject to pre-approval before they are sent to the printer, publisher, or other 3rd party vendor. Creative for all advertising, marketing, and promotional pieces need to undergo the Ad Approval process. Approvals will be valid for six months from the orignal approval date. If it has been more than six months since the last approval date, the piece will have to be resubmitted to Ad Approval. This includes (but is not limited to) advertising created to support student organizations, student research, faculty research and items created with any University of Houston logo, mark, or symbol on it. Only non-graphic (text only) advertisements in the Yellow Pages, KUHT or KUHF are exempt from pre-approval.

UH Marketing & Communication has designated multiple Marketing representatives to approve ads. Please email your ad to adapproval@uh.edu.

The Ad Approval team is tasked with guiding all UH marketing in adherence to the Graphic Standards, execution of professional-looking design and appropriateness of representation of the university.

Please use the following guidelines when requesting ad approvals:

  • Please send proofs of all advertising, marketing and promotional items that are printed, digital, video, posted online, etc. at least 48 hours (business days only) before they are due to your printer, publisher, or other 3rd party vendor.
  • Please show proof that your ad has been reviewed and approved by your college or department’s Communications/Marketing Director or Dean’s office.
  • Please include at least one approved University of Houston logotype on all printed and digital ads. You may use an approved College or Department logo that includes the University of Houston logotype.
  • All UH marketing, communications and promotional pieces should uphold all applicable Graphic Standards.
  • Please insure that the graphic design of your piece is professional looking and is an appropriate of representation of the university.

By following these guidelines, you will insure that UH Marketing & Communication is able to process your work in a timely manner. If you have any questions, please contact Vanessa Colchado at vccolcha@uh.edu.