Steps to Accessibility:

Making your Word Documents Accessible

Objective

Learners will design a word document that will be accessible to students with visual impairments and various reading abilities.

Recall

What is your process in writing your syllabus?

Styles

  • Be sure to use “Styles”.
  • Modify your Styles to you liking.
  • Use Styles for emphasis instead of bold or italics.

Tables

  • Refrain from using Tables for organization.
  • If you use a table, include a heading row.
  • Use tab to verify the reading order of the table
  • Things to remember with tables:
  • Know how many columns and rows you need.
  • Make sure your table is not wider than the page.
  • Insert table, do not use the draw table option.
  • Don’t….
  • Create a page layout with tables.
  • Merge cells.
  • Split cells.
  • Use blank rows or columns.
  • Identify the header row and restrict to page width
  • Select top row of table
  • Right click
  • Choose table properties
  • Select row tab
  • Check box “repeat as header row at the top of the page
  • Uncheck “Allow row to break across pages.

Font

•Select basic, simple, easily-readable fonts. (Sans Serif)

•Use less then 4 fonts.

•Ensure sufficient contrast between the text and the background.

•Avoid small font sizes.

•Limit the use of font variations such as bold, italics, and ALL CAPITAL LETTERS.

•Don't rely only on the appearance of the font (color, shape, font variation, placement, etc.) to convey meaning.

•Avoid blinking or moving text. (Causes seizures for some people)

Color

  • Refrain from using color for emphasis
  • Make sure your background and text colors are compatible
  • Use a Color Contrast Checker
  • Webaim.org

Images and Graphic Texts

  • Include Alternative text for every image
  • Select image
  • Right click
  • Select “Format Picture”
  • Select Third icon from the left
  • Select “Alternative Text”
  • Write title of picture and then describe
  • Long Descriptions
  • Used when image cannot be described in an alt text.
  • Two ways: Link to another page in website or link to a PDF.
  • Inside the Description box
  • Add a hyperlink to either webpage or PDF.
  • Use a Descriptive Link
  • Only include text on long description
  • Use Headings, if needed.

Descriptive Links

  • Hyperlinks are titles of websites, avoid “click here” or URL/web address
  • Avoid using URLs
  • Name the link
  • Example
  • Use this: Learning what to write as proper link text can be confusing, but you can learn more by visiting Descriptive Links Accessibility.
  • Instead of: Learning what to write as proper link text can be confusing, but to learn more click here.

Check for Microsoft Suite Accessibility Using your PC

  • On PC:
  • Select “File”
  • Select “Info”
  • Select “Check Accessibility”
  • Review and Revise
  • Using your Mac
  • Currently does not have an Accessibility Checker.
  • Microsoft is working on this

Save to HTML

  • Best accessibility
  • Fits to the screen size of various mobile devices.
  • Using your PC
  • Select “File”
  • Select “Save as”
  • Select “Webpage”
  • Using your Mac
  • Select “File”
  • Select “Save as”
  • Select “Webpage (.htm)”
  • Does not format in LMS well.

Save as an Accessible PDF

  • Using your Windows Computer
  • Select “Save As”
  • Select “PDF” for file type
  • Select “Options”
  • Check the box next to “Document Structure tags for accessibility.”