Inclusion: Gender neutral icons
Ensuring your content is accessible is part of an inclusive communication strategy. Icons are an effective way to present options and features on your web pages to reach a broader audience.
Label your icons
Just as images on a website should be given text alternatives for web accessibility, icons should be accompanied by visible labels to avoid ambiguity in meaning. An effective icon can help a visitor understand the content— international symbols should be used when available, as some of your audience may not read English as their primary language.
Gender neutral icons
Icons created by Digital Communications are intended to be gender neutral; if you plan to add icons to your website, please reach out to us at um.weboffice@maine.edu and our team can design icons for your website that fit our design.
Our recent update to the People List content block includes the display of a gender neutral silhouette when there is no photo portrait of the person available.