@ONE Course Creating Accessible Online Courses Week 2

This week's content was very technical: making course (html, Word, PowerPoint, PDFs) content accessible, down to the nitty-gritty how-to.  Therefore, I have copied these instructions for further reference here, rather than having all this valuable information taking up space on my HD.

The main assignment for this week was to practice formatting a Word document to make it accessible.

Designing Accessible Text

A number of disabilities can make it difficult for students to access standard hard-copy print documents. When the student has an electronic text (e-text) document, many of these issues can be remediated using assistive computer technology because pages can be turned using a mouse, head-mouse, or even voice-activated technology;

text can be enlarged; colors can be changed; braille can be created.

The key to using all of this technology is e-text that has been designed with access in mind.

Designing for Access

Page Layout

Text is easier to read and comprehend in smaller blocks. Newspapers and magazines are printed with narrow columns because it is easier for the human eye to scan a narrow column.

The amount of information that could be gleaned from reading something on the computer was far less than could be understood when reading the exact same information on paper.  

There is limited evidence (see the work of Michael Trimmer) that when engaged in similar tasks on the computer and on paper, there is greater cognitive load associated with the computerized tasks.

Psychology has known since the '50s that short-term memory only holds a small amount of information at a time. It is easiest to process new information in manageable "chunks."

The necessity of presenting information in a manageable way is amplified exponentially for students who have visual processing issues—either low vision conditions or various learning disabilities.

What all this means for page layout is that presentation of the material influences how learners process information. Presenting material in short, logical sections will allow the student to process the material more easily.

You can use a number of tricks to make your content more easily read and understood

"White space" (empty areas without text or graphics, wide margins, short widely spaced paragraphs) makes the content feel “smaller” and more manageable.

Frequent headings break up and organize the text, as well as providing a sense of accomplishment.

Bulleting individual points helps to make content feel organized and easy to assimilate.

Creating an open, inviting document layout can make a huge difference in the ability of students who have visual or learning disabilities to access and learn the information.

Styles

Another aspect of document access is creating one document that can easily be transformed into other document types. It is possible, for instance, to create a document in MS Word that can be taken into large print, braille, HTML, or PDF. The basis for the flexibility in transformation is using styles during document creation.

A style is set of characteristics applied to a paragraph (paragraph level styles) or character (attribute level styles).

The characteristics built into styles include font style, point size, color, spacing, etc. All of these attributes have implications for access, and we will consider each below.

Fonts

A font is the typeface (shape and style) of a character.

 

Designers use different fonts to give different feels to text. Fonts are important in document access because different fonts have different readability.

There are two basic types of fonts: serif fonts and sans serif fonts. Examples of serif fonts include Times New Roman, Palatino, Garamond, and New Century Schoolbook.

Serif Font: Times New Roman

Sans (which means “without”) serif fonts do not have these decorative elements. Sans serif fonts look very smooth. Examples of sans serif fonts include Arial, Helvetica, Calibri, and Tahoma.

Sans Serif Font: Arial

In standard print materials (books, magazines, newspapers, etc.), serif fonts are used as “body text,” the main reading text, because they make reading faster and easier. Times New Roman, a classic serif font, was originally designed for use in The Times newspaper.

Sans serif fonts are used in hard-copy materials for headings, large type, and very small type.

The font style is important in a document because it affects readability. Electronic documents are displayed on computer screens or small portable devices. Those same serif fonts that are so readable on paper suddenly become fuzzy blobs onscreen. For individuals who have vision issues, this “fuzziness” can present an added challenge. In recognition of this issue, American Printing House for the Blind has designed a font (called APHont, pronounced Ay'-font) specifically designed for individuals who have low vision.

Sans Serif Font: APHont

(See http://www.aph.org/products/aphont.html for a free download of APHont)

APHont has some unique features that increase its readability for individuals with visual difficulties, including more even spacing, letters that are wider and more open, and larger punctuation marks.

Choosing Fonts

	Print on paper (standard vision)	Print on paper (low vision/LD)	Print on computer or projection screen
Body text (the main reading text)	Serif	Sans Serif	Sans Serif
Headlines (large, bold, used to organize and format text)	Usually Sans Serif	Sans Serif	Serif or Sans Serif
Small print (used for captions, footnotes, endnotes, etc.)	Sans Serif	Sans Serif	Sans Serif

Font Size

The point size of a font is literally the distance between the highest ascender and the lowest descender in a typeface. Point size measures only height, not width.

Fonts are measured in points, and in order to have a consistent measuring system, graphic designers work in points and picas, rather than inches. So what is a point?

·        There are 72 points in an inch.

·        There are 12 points in a pica.

·        There are 6 picas in an inch.

·        A standard 8.5 inch by 11 inch page is 51 picas by 66 picas.

·        The letter “p” stands for picas and measurements are written as a number of picas followed by the number of points. Half a pica (which is 6 points) would be written as 0p6.

Large print is generally defined at somewhere around 14-18 point. It is not uncommon for students to request even larger font. There is a limit, however, to how large it is reasonable to make text on paper. It is generally not recommended creating hard copy large print any larger than around 32 point. The student can use the computer to make the text as large as she or he might want.

Color

There are a number of very important considerations when it comes to color.

·        Contrast

·        Color blindness

·        Color processing issues

When you are creating a document, always be very aware of contrast. It is generally best for readability not to overlay text on top of a busy graphic. Similarly, it you are going to use a colored background, make sure that the text contrasts strongly with the background. Never use light text on a light background (for instance yellow text on white) or dark text on a dark background (for instance black text on dark blue).

Also remember that a significant portion of the population has some degree of colorblindness (most often red/green). If you are using green text for correct answers and red text for incorrect answers, some of your students may be completely lost. It is fine to use color as a reinforcement, as long as color is not the only indicator. You could, for instance, have the word “correct” in green and “incorrect” in red.

It is quite common for students with vision issues, including visual processing issues, to be affected in some way by color. Students can alter the color as necessary of a fully accessible document in the programs they use to access it.

Implications for Students

It is probably fairly clear why using a sans serif font and larger point size will make text more readable for someone who has low vision. What may be less clear is that similar adjustments can have a profound effect on the readability of text for students who have learning disabilities.

In our trainings, we teach instructors to encourage their students with learning disabilities to experiment with the following adjustments:

Use a sans serif font;

Increase the point size;

Increase the spacing between letters (expanding the character spacing);

Increase the spacing between lines (called leading); and

Play with different font and background colors.

For some students these changes make little difference; however, many students find that such adjustments can have a huge effect. Providing the student with an accessible document allows them to have the empowering experience of taking control of their reading environment.

Using Styles

When a style is applied to a paragraph in MS Word, other programs, such as the Duxbury Braille Translation (DBT) software, HTML, and PDF, will recognize that style and create the appropriate format. In addition, it is possible to create templates that use those same style names and apply different font and paragraph attributes that are exactly what a particular student needs. Styles are a very powerful tool in your accessibility arsenal.

Certain basic styles work well in Word, DBT, HTML, and PDF. These styles include the following:

·        Normal, body text

·        Heading 1-3

·        List, list bullet, list number

·        Index 1-9

Creating an Accessible Document in MS Word

Documents created in MS Word are inherently quite accessible, and there are some tricks that you can use to ensure that the documents you create will not only be accessible in Word but also be accessible when transformed into other formats (Web pages, PDF documents, braille documents).

The basic tips to keep in mind include the following:

·        Use styles

·        Use tabs, not spaces to move words

·        Use the column format, not tabs to create a columnar effect

·        Do not add additional spaces around punctuation

Selecting Text

Text can be selected in quite a few ways other than swiping with the mouse.

·        Double click on individual words to select them.

·        Triple click on a paragraph to select it.

·        Use the right- or left-arrow keys while holding the shift key to select individual characters.

·        Use the up- or down-arrow keys while holding the shift key to select lines.

·        Hold the shift key and tap home or end to select a line from the cursor point to the beginning (home) or to the end (end).

·        Use shift page up or page down to select from the cursor point up or down a page.

·        Use the “shift-click” technique to select text between two points.

·        To select all the text in the document, use Ctrl + A.

Applying Styles in Word

To apply a paragraph style, you simply need to have the flashing cursor (the I-beam) in the paragraph that you want to format and choose the appropriate style. You do not need to select the entire paragraph, and in fact, it is better not to do so. Simply click the mouse once in the paragraph you want to format.

Keyboard Shortcuts

If you are creating a lot of documents in Word, you can save a great deal of time and energy by learning to use keyboard shortcuts. The following styles have built-in keyboard shortcuts:

Heading One = Ctrl + Alt + 1

Heading Two = Ctrl + Alt + 2

Heading Three = Ctrl + Alt + 3

Remove manual formatting = Ctrl + Spacebar

Normal style = Ctrl + Shift + N

Change case = Shift + F3

Columns

If you need to use columns, it is crucial that you work with either tables or the column setting. Do not use tabs or spaces to get columns.  Columns look better if the text is justified.

Adding Alt Tags

My note: For Office 2013 Products see https://www.microsoft.com/enable/products/office2013/#create

Instant Large Print

Now that you have an accessible Word document, there is one more trick to learn. It is very easy to change the font size in Word. Simply select all the text in the document (Ctrl + A) and then use Ctrl + Shift + > to enlarge the text. Continue holding down the control and shift keys as you tap the right angle bracket (>) and the text in your document will enlarge proportionally. To make the text smaller, use the left angle bracket: Ctrl + Shift + <.

Accessible PDF

If you have used styles and included text descriptions in your Word document, those features will transfer into your PDF document.

For more information on creating accessible PDF documents and using PDF documents for alternate media, see the HTCTU training manuals and tutorials:

http://www.htctu.net/trainings/manuals/web/CreatingAccessibleAA8.pdf

Accessible HTML

Unfortunately there is no longer an easy way to directly copy and paste your carefully formatted Word.doc into an WYSIWYG HTML editor (unless you use a higher end HTML editor such as Dreamweaver) without creating messy code.

Long method:

1.     copy and paste your Word.doc into the TEXT MODE (or code) section of the the HTML editor.

2.     switch to the design or WYSIWYG side and you'll see just your content as simple text.

3.     add styles back into your content.

4.     If you now check the code for your re-styled text, you'll see it much cleaner.

Short method:
http://word2cleanhtml.com/

For more information on creating accessible Web pages, see the HTCTU training manuals and tutorials: http://www.htctu.net/trainings/manuals/tutmain.htm

Accessible PowerPoint

As long as you use the preloaded templates and styles in PowerPoint, you will be creating accessible documents. Add alt text in the same way as in Word.

If the PowerPoint document has been built on styles, it is even possible to go very easily from PowerPoint to braille. From the PowerPoint document, choose File and Save as Outline/RTF.

It is a simple matter to open the RTF document in MS Word and change the PowerPoint styles from headings to index (i.e., change Heading 1 to Index 1, Heading 2 to Index 2, etc.). The reformatted document can be saved as a Word doc and transferred into Duxbury to create a braille document.

PowerPoint also works well for large print. Each slide can be printed to a separate page, and the font size is usually very good for students with low vision.

The larger issue with PowerPoint is making sure that the design principles of layout and color are followed.

Not all the PowerPoint templates have good contrast. Choosing a template with a dark even background color and a sans serif font in white or light yellow will ensure readability. It is also wise to follow the “six pack” rule. Include no more than six lines on one PowerPoint slide.

Principles of Accessible and Universal Design

“Accessible Design” calls for design that includes the needs of people whose physical, mental, or environmental conditions limit their performance. “Universal Design” aims to extend standard design principles to include people of all ages and abilities, but remains at the level of generality, so it does not address all the specific needs of any particular disability.

But even for people who do not have any specific physical or mental characteristics that affect computer use, it has been found that adopting universal design principles can reduce fatigue, increase speed, decrease errors, and decrease learning time for all users. In many ways, universal design addresses the larger issues of usability by making things easier for everyone.

General Principles

Allow for flexibility

Provide choices in features and ways that tasks can be accomplished

Accommodate right- and left-handed use

Allow the user to customize settings whenever possible

Keep in mind that people may be using adaptive technologies

Be simple and intuitive

Do not design something differently from user expectations just to be different

Eliminate unnecessary complexity

Provide feedback

Minimize errors

Provide warnings

Build fail-safe features when possible

Do not establish patterns when you want people to pay attention

Include redundant modalities

Redundancy provides flexibility for different user preferences, system configurations, or user abilities. This can be accomplished by using more than one way to represent, display, and enter data, such as:

·        using both a beep and a menu bar flash to notify a user of an error

·        using text to label images

·        redundantly allowing a user to issue commands by typing or selecting something with a pointer

Avoid side effects

Side effects are actions that occur as the result of user actions that do not seem to the user to be related to the primary goal of the action. For instance, when starting a program that changes system configurations (such as screen and sound settings) it should change them back when the program is not being used.

Side effects should be avoided because they cause particular problems for novice users and disabled users who may have difficulty detecting or correcting certain types of side effects.

Web accessibility

The principles of design listed above apply to both software and web design. Below are more web-specific tips.

Tips for building accessible websites

Labeling and markup

1.     Provide a text equivalent (ex: ALT text, <LONGDESC>) for all non-text elements, especially those related to navigation. Provide NULL values for unimportant graphics (such as divider bars).

2.     Conform to current web standards: XHTML 1.0, HTML 4.01, CSS 1.0.

3.     Use cascading style sheets (CSS) to control presentation and layout rather than presentation elements and attributes, but organize documents so they can be read without style sheets.

4.     Identify row and column headers for data tables.

5.     Use the <LONGDESC> tag to summarize graphs and charts.

6.     Provide captions or transcripts and descriptions of multimedia used.

7.     Provide alternate content for scripts, applets, and plug-ins to compensate for the potential loss of information.

8.     Use the <LANG> attribute for screen readers that support it.

Formatting

1.     Use relative units in CSS—em or % instead of cm, pt, or px.

2.     Use ordered lists or number the lists on your web pages.

3.     When using tables, do not use structural markups for visual formatting.

4.     Validate your work either using a validation and/or correction tool.

Providing alternatives

Provide ways to skip over navigation links and get to the main content of your web pages.

Linking

1.     Create logical tab order through links.

2.     Avoid hyperlinks longer than 10 words.

3.     Use descriptive links rather than “click here” to insure that links make sense out of context.

Hyperlinks

The ability to create and present "links" to other documents and information is a major component of Web pages. While this is one of the simplest methods to direct individuals to other Web pages, documents, or to perform specific functions, hyperlinks can also have potential accessibility challenges. The issue is not how hyperlinks function, but rather the "name" that is used to identify the specific hyperlink itself.

One feature of screen readers is the ability to collect all the hyperlinks on a Web page and present this information to the individual. This allows the user to listen to a list of hyperlinks that are available on the page and navigate directly to the desired hyperlink as opposed to searching line-by-line.

Links list in JAWS (screen reader)

When hyperlinks have a descriptive name that identifies the purpose of the link, it is fairly easy for an individual to navigate the Web page and choose the appropriate hyperlink. However, hyperlinks may be named in such a way that either the purpose or destination of the link is unclear. For example, often times a news headline or teaser to a full news article will have the hyperlink text "Read More" for the rest of the article. An individual using a screen reader will be informed that there is a hyperlink called "Read More." On the Web page, we can visually infer that the "Read More" hyperlink will provide more information about the news headline that it is closest to. But for someone who is unable to see the page itself, the text "Read More" does not provide the context as to the name of the news headline. The problem is magnified when there are multiple "Read More" hyperlinks on a page that takes the person to different Web pages. A person using their voice to access the links on the webpage will be able to navigate more efficiently if descriptive names are used for links.

Best Practices for Hyperlinks

Generally speaking, it is beneficial to identify the purpose or function of the hyperlink as part of the hyperlink name. This often raises questions as to "how much is enough" and "how long is too long" regarding the name of the link itself. While there are no established answers, the name should be descriptive enough so that the user can understand or infer what information will be obtained by choosing that specific link. Example: "Read More about the Carl Brown Scholarship" rather than just "Read More."

For hyperlinks that take a user to different file types (e.g., QuickTime movie, PDF, Word document), it can be helpful to include the file type in the name of the hyperlink itself. This can be as simple as appending the file type to the end of the hyperlink name. For non-HTML based documents, you could also include the approximate file size. This is not specifically an accessibility issue, but allows the user to determine how large the file will be and whether or not the connection speed will support such a file size. Here are some examples of including the name and file information in a hyperlink: Adobe Acrobat Datasheet [PDF, 500K], Course Syllabus [PDF], Letter of Introduction [MS Word], View Memorial Service [Quicktime MOV]

 

4.     Clearly identify the target of each link.

Displaying

1.     Provide enough contrast between text and background color.

2.     Make sure that tables make sense when read left to right, top to bottom, as this is how screen readers work. Identify row and column headers, and use the <CAPTION> and/or summary attribute and headers to describe the contents.

3.     Provide a <NOFRAMES> option and use meaningful page titles if using frames.

4.     Use client side rather than server side image maps and provide redundant text links.

5.     Avoid blinking, flickering, or moving elements on your web pages.

6.     Provide closed captions for all audio content that contains useful information or provide transcripts for all audio content.

Tips for checking the accessibility of a website

1.     Turn off graphics

2.     Turn off sounds

3.     Check the contrast by viewing the page in grayscale

4.     Turn off style sheets

5.     Turn off scripts, applets, or other programmatic objects

6.     Use the largest font size allowed by a browser

7.     Resize the browser window

8.     Select all text and copy it into a word processor to make sure it makes sense

9.     Use an automated accessibility tool to check your website.
[Other: Navigate the webpage with your keyboard only.]

[Source: http://www.usabilityfirst.com/about-usability/accessibility/principles-of-accessible-and-universal-design/]

Web Accessibility and Usability Working Together

Web accessibility and usability are closely related; their goals, approaches, and guidelines overlap significantly. It is most effective to address them together in many situations, such as when developing websites. There are a few cases when it's important to distinguish between accessibility and usability, such as when looking at discrimination against people with disabilities and when defining specific accessibility standards.

[Source: 3C http://www.w3.org/WAI/intro/usable]

Accessibility

The Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) says that accessibility on the Web "means that people with disabilities can use the Web.” Read more about it at the Web Accessibility Initiative Web site, www.w3.org/WAI/intro/accessibility.php.

Usability

Usability on the Web (or in other environments, documents, etc.) means how easy it is to accomplish a given task, whether one is searching for information, filling out forms, or just reading.

NOTE: It is entirely possible that a document or a Web page can be accessible and yet still be very cumbersome and sometimes nearly unusable. Documents and Web pages should be created not only with accessibility in mind, but with both accessibility and usability in synchronous harmony.

[Source: Freedom Scientific (developers of JAWS)  http://www.freedomscientific.com/Training/accessibility.asp]

Usability and Accessibility - Everyone Learning

by David M. Peter

Define accessibility

If we are to speak of accessible web sites, it becomes evident that we do not mean access to technology. There is an understood assumption that learners will have access to technology, even though the quality and level of access can be somewhat varied. The assumption herein is that each person or learner will have access to a computer.

One key element in determining accessibility is discerning the perceptive abilities of the learner. While some may identify elements as accessible, this degree of accessibility is, in part, based on the perception of the learner (Winn, 1993).

While some would tend to limit the definition of accessibility only to those constraints of the learner, there are also accessibility issues that can be caused by technology (Salopek, 2001). And the technological limitations are extremely important, and should be considered within the scope of any web-based training. However, for the purposes of this presentation, accessibility will be limited to learner disabilities.

Define usability

While usability is more often thought of as user-related interface design, it is indeed this and much more. Usability is, in essence, the ability of the user to navigate through the site. It is the ability of a user, or in this case a learner, to concentrate more on the content that is presented, than on navigating through the site.

Nielsen's (1993) definition of usability, although originated in computer software design, illustrates the basic tenets that are included within web-based education: "Usability has multiple components and is traditionally associated with these five usability attributes: learnability, efficiency, memorability, errors, and satisfaction" (p. 26). A much more simplistic definition of usability is that "usability is not just a matter of whether or not it is possible for a user to perform a task. It is also a matter of how easy and fast it is for them to do so" (Nielsen, 2001).

In layman's terms, a usable web-based educational unit leads the learner; it does not push the learner through the experience. The elements of navigation are intuitive, and do not require a considerable amount of thought to use them the way the designer intended (Smulders, 2001). Many of the conventions that are associated with usability are somewhat intuitive, if the designer/developer can think more of the context in which the content will be presented.

[Source: http://david-peter.com/papers/dec2002/dec2002_paper.htm]

Web Usability

Posted July 16th, 2007 by Mel Pedley

The dividing line between web accessibility and web usability is often blurred and difficult to distinguish. Whilst there is no doubt that the two topics do overlap to a significant degree, it is important to differentiate between them. Unlike web accessibility which impacts directly upon disabled users, web usability affects all users, and can be defined as a measure of how easy it is for a generic site visitor to carry out a task such as finding a given piece of information or buying a certain product. However, there are accessibility benefits to be gained from applying web usability principles to your designs. So let’s take a few simply usability concepts, look at why they are important and see what effect they may have on overall accessibility.

[Source: Web Usability http://accessites.org/site/2007/07/web-usability/]

A Comparative: Accessibility and Usability

 [Source: A Comparative http://accessites.org/site/2007/09/a-comparative-accessibility-and-usability/]

Usability is a measure of how easy a system is to use.

Usability is made up of several key considerations:

·        Ease of learning—how steep the learning curve to use a site is.

·        Efficiency of use—how quickly a person can perform a task on a site, that may be finding a certain piece of information, using the navigation, getting a download and many other tasks (depending on what the site was created for).

·        Ease of memorization—how simple (or difficult) it is to remember how to perform a particular task.

·        Error trapping—ensuring errors are few in number and when they occur that the user experience is not completely broken. While this is most relevant to dynamic data-driven sites, small sites can often improve themselves with things like trapping of 404 errors or ensuring redirects are put in place when content is moved.

·        Satisfaction—a user is able to perform a given task on a site satisfactorily.

WAVE evaluation tool

WAVE is tool to help web developers make their web content more accessible. WAVE cannot tell you if your web content is accessible. Only a human can determine true accessibility. But, WAVE can help you evaluate the accessibility of your web content.

WAVE is easy to use. Go to wave.webaim.org, enter the web address of your page or browse to a file on your computer (images, styles, and other media may not display for uploaded files) and select WAVE this page!

[Source: WAVE Help http://wave.webaim.org/help]

What do all these icons mean?

WAVE will present your page with embedded icons and indicators. Each icon, box, and piece of information added by WAVE presents some information about the accessibility of your page. While WAVE is most effective when used by someone knowledgeable about web accessibility, people who are not web accessibility experts can also benefit from WAVE.

The report section at the top of the page indicates if WAVE detected any errors or not. The absence of errors DOES NOT mean your page is accessible. RED icons indicate accessibility errors. GREEN icons indicate accessibility features. The other icons and indicators indicate other elements that you should look at. WAVE brings the underlying accessibility information of a page to the fore-front so it can be easily evaluated in context.

You can view a brief overview of what each icon or indicator means by clicking it and viewing its documentation or by accessing the documentation panel.

[Source: WAVE Help http://wave.webaim.org/help]

Usability First - Accessibility

http://www.usabilityfirst.com/about-usability/accessibility/

Usability and Accessibility – Breaking Down the Difference

http://usabilitylab.walkme.com/usability-accessibility-breaking-difference/

Accessibility Principles for Electronic Documents

Headings

Headings within a document (e.g., Web page, PDF, Word document, etc.) can be used to separate content into "chunks" by identifying the main ideas or concepts of the page. Similar to chapters in a book, headings identify a change in the flow of information on the page and allow individuals to visually scan the document for the desired information.

From an accessibility perspective, headings are valuable as they provide individuals using screen-readers with a simple method to navigate within the document. In a recent study investigating the browsing habits of screen-readers users, over 75% of individuals claimed to use headings (when available) always or often to navigate Web pages (http://webaim.org/projects/screenreadersurvey/#headings). Rather than navigating line-by-line through a document or Web page, the use of headings allows individuals to move through the information based on heading topic.

Newer Web browsers are also incorporating such functionality for all users by incorporating key strokes that automatically scroll the Web page to the next or previous heading on the page (as opposed to having to scroll up and down to search for the next heading level). Headings also provide a different method for individuals to "skip" navigational menus and move the focus directly to the desired content.

Web designers can also use cascading style sheets (CSS) to differentiate the presentational aspect of each heading on a Web page without removing the meaning of the heading element to assistive computer technology. The application of CSS to headings should not affect the ability of most assistive computer technologies from interacting with the Web content.

More information about headings and semantic structure is available at:

·        Semantic Structure and Headings (WebAIM - http://webaim.org/techniques/semanticstructure/)

·        Screen-Reader Survey (WebAIM - http://webaim.org/projects/screenreadersurvey/#headings)

Images and Descriptions

An important component of developing accessible electronic documents is to add a text description to images. This allows individuals who are visually-impaired or blind using screen-reader software to "hear" the description of the image. Additionally, for individuals who are using a text-only Web browser or other mobile device, the text description still provides access to the information when the images are not displayed.

Adding the alt-attribute is required under the WCAG 2.0, Level A and the Section 508 Standards.

Assistive computer technology relies on the "alternate text" attribute of an image to communicate the meaning/purpose of the image. This alternative text in provided by the author. Depending on the type of image you insert into your document, you will need to specify the type of alternate text appropriate for the image.

When providing alternative text for images try the following:

·        Keep the alternative text brief, but be descriptive

·        If there is text content in the image, include that information in the alternate text box

·        Do not use the word "image" to begin your description – instead identify the type of image being used if it is relevant to the image content (e.g., photograph, painting, screenshot, etc.)

·        If the image is very detailed and cannot be summarized in a few sentences, consider placing additional information about the image into the page text preceding or following the image

More information about alternative text is available at:

·        Writing Alternate Text (http://jimthatcher.com/webcourse2.htm)

·        Creating Accessible Images (http://www.webaim.org/techniques/images/)

Naming Hyperlinks

The ability to create and present "links" to other documents and information is a major component of Web pages. While this is one of the simplest methods to direct individuals to other Web pages, documents, or to perform specific functions, hyperlinks can also have potential accessibility challenges. The issue is not how hyperlinks function, but rather the "name" that is used to identify the specific hyperlink itself.

One feature of assistive technology is the ability to collect all the hyperlinks on a Web page and present this information to the individual. This allows the user to listen as to what hyperlinks are available on the page and navigate directly to the desired hyperlink in question (as opposed to searching line-by-line).

When hyperlinks have a descriptive name that identifies the purpose of the link, it is fairly easy for an individual to navigate the Web page and choose the appropriate hyperlink. However, hyperlinks may be named in such a manner that either the purpose or destination of the link is unclear. For example, often times a news headline or teaser to a full news article will have the hyperlink text "Read More" for the rest of the Web page. An individual using assistive technology will be informed that there is a hyperlink called "Read More". On the Web page, we can visually infer that the "Read More" hyperlink will provide more information about the news headline, but for someone who is unable to see the page itself, the text "Read More" does not provided context as to the name of the news headline. The problem is magnified when there are multiple "Read More" hyperlinks on a page that takes the person to different Web pages.

In the screenshot above, there are multiple "Read More..." hyperlinks that do not provide any real information as to what content the user may expect or to which specific news article the third "Read More..." hyperlink will take them. Hyperlinks with more descriptive names can improve the ability of a user to navigate and select the desired information.

Best Practices for Hyperlinks

Generally speaking, it is beneficial to identify the purpose or function of the hyperlink as part of the hyperlink name. This often raises questions as to "how much is enough" and "how long is too long" regarding the name of the link itself. While there are no established answers, the name should be descriptive enough such that the user can understand (or infer) what information will be obtained by choosing that specific link.

For hyperlinks that take a user to different file types (e.g., QuickTime movie, PDF, Word document, etc.), it can be helpful to include the file type in the name of the hyperlink itself. This can be as simple as appending the file type to the end of the hyperlink name. For non-HTML based documents, you could also include the approximate file size. This is not specifically an accessibility issue, but allows the user to determine how large the file will be and whether or not the connection speed will support such a file size. Here are some examples of including the name and file information in a hyperlink:

·        Adobe Acrobat Datasheet [PDF, 500K]

·        Course Syllabus [PDF]

·        Letter of Introduction [MS Word]

·        My Summer Vacation [QT Movie]

Additional Readings for Hyperlinks

·        Links and HyperText (http://webaim.org/techniques/hypertext/)

·        Hyperlink Titles (http://www.arizona.edu/uaweb/accessible/accessible-titles.php)

·        HTML Best Practices: Links (http://html.cita.illinois.edu/nav/link/)

Microsoft Word for Windows and Macintosh

Structure your documents with styles (Windows)

Applying Styles in Word 2008 & 2010 for Windows

Using MS Word, it is possible to impose some structure to the document in order to separate the heading information from the various paragraphs. These headings can be retained if later converting to a Web page or a PDF document.

1.     Move the cursor to the text information you wish to identify as a heading.

2.     Under the Home menu, choose the appropriate heading style from the Style menu.

3.     If the heading level you need does not appear, click on the small arrow in the lower right corner of the Style ribbon.

4.     The text formatting may change from the normal or default style. The presentation of the text size, color, and font style can be manipulated by opening the Styles palette (click on the small arrow in the lower right corner of the Style ribbon). Click on the heading you wish to change and select "Modify". This will allow you to modify the presentation of that heading.

References

Styles basics: Word 2007

http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/word-help/style-basics-in-word-HA010230882.aspx

 

Styles basics: Word 2010

http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/word-help/style-basics-in-word-HA102647012.aspx?CTT=1

Microsoft Word Accessibility from WebAim.org

http://webaim.org/techniques/word/

Word 2003 – Word 2007

http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/word-help/interactive-word-2003-to-word-2007-command-reference-guide-HA010074432.aspx?CTT=5&origin=HA010229584

Styles in Word 2011

1.     Select the text to be formatted.

2.     On the Home tab, under Styles, point to any style, and then click the arrow that appears.

3.     If you don’t see the Styles group on the Home tab, click on the Manage Styles that are used in the document .

Styles in Word 2011

1.     Select the text to be formatted.

2.     On the Home tab, under Styles, point to any style, and then click the arrow that appears.

3.     If you don’t see the Styles group on the Home tab, click on the Manage Styles that are used in the document .

Alt Text for Images (Windows) Word 2010

1.     Open the document in Microsoft Word 2010.

2.     Select the image and perform a right-mouse button click. Choose the "Format Picture" option from the menu, then the "Alt" tab in the dialog box.

3.     Under the "Alt Text" tab, enter a short text description of the image. Include information about the content and/or function of the image. Try to keep your alt text under 7 words.

WYSIWYG HTML Editors

What You See Is What You Get HTML editors are very commonly used to enter content into CMS (Course Management Systems). Although the examples that follow are from Moodle and Blackboard, many of the same functions can be found in other WYSIWYG Editors.

Headings in HTML

Using a WYSIWYG editor, it is possible to impose some structure to the document in order to separate the heading information from the various paragraphs.

1.     Move the cursor to the text information you wish to identify as a heading.

2.     Choose the appropriate heading option (e.g., Heading 1, Heading 2, etc.) or select Paragraph to identify the text passage as a paragraph.

3.     The text formatting may change. The presentation of the text size, color, and font style can be manipulated independently from the heading information.

WYSIWYG HTML Editors

Alt Text for Images

Most WYSIWYG editors for learning management systems provide the option to include a text description for images during the upload process. The screenshots below are of the Moodle and Blackboard image upload interfaces. The "Alternate Text" entry is where you would include your text description for the image. When adding content-based images to your instructional materials, include a text description that specifies the content and/or function of the image.

Blackboard Image Interface

[INSERT BB Image]

Formatting a table in Word.

1.     Select the header row.

2.     Right click in that row and choose Table Properties.

3.     Select the Row tab.

4.     Check “Repeat as header row at the top of each page.”

[insert formatting row image]

Microsoft PowerPoint

Using Slide Templates for Layout

The simplest way to ensure accessibility of the information you put into Power Point is to utilize the standard templates included with Power Point. While you can drop content any place on the slide in a variety of ways, only when you use the "Title" and "Content" areas can you ensure the information will be presented to assistive technology.

Power Point provides templates with many different configurations, allowing for many different types of content to be placed in your presentation. To the left is an example of a standard empty template.

With this template, you could type in content, or click on the media objects in the center of the main content area to import that type of media. By using this template, you can ensure that your accessible information can be presented to students using assistive technology.

It is highly recommended to avoid the use of Text Boxes (from "Insert" on the menu bar). Any content placed in these boxes may be lost to assistive technology. In the best case scenario, content within Text Boxes will simply be added to the bottom of the presentation when converted to a Web page and may not be interpreted in the intended logical reading order of the page. If you must use text boxes, please note that while the content may be converted to the Web-based version of the presentation, the text box will simply be added to the bottom of the converted Web page and not recognized as part of the overall slide reading order.

Alt Text for Images

Microsoft PowerPoint allows document authors to include text descriptions for images, on both Mac OS and Windows OS. This method should be used for image content that is relatively simple and does not require extensive description of the image. If a longer description of the image is necessary to fully explain its content, consider inserting a more detailed description of the image within the document text that precedes and follows the image.

When adding images in PowerPoint, it is important to provide a description of that image so that a student who is blind or visually-impaired can be provided information about the image. Descriptions for images should be brief, yet succinct, and convey the meaning of the image. This is similar to adding the "text description" for an image on a Web page (aka. alternative-text, or alt-attribute).

Images that contain animation (animated .gifs) will not retain their animation in the final Web-based version of the presentation. If your presentation requires the sequential demonstration of the animated image, you may want to consider showing the animation over several slides.

Microsoft PowerPoint 2010 (Windows OS) and PowerPoint 2011 with Service Pack 1 (Mac OS)

1.     Open the document in Microsoft PowerPoint.

2.     Select the image and perform a right-mouse button click.

3.     Choose the "Format picture..." option.

4.     Locate the "Alt Text" tab, and click on it.

5.     Type your description in the "Description" field.

6.     The Title field is optional.

Tables

Tables in PowerPoint are one way to organize information visually. However, such organization should be for data and not simply for presentational elements. Data tables can be inserted into MS PowerPoint using either the slide layout tool or by selecting "Insert" on the menu bar and choosing "Table". Both options will give you a data table that you may then insert information. Tables should contain text content; if using images or other elements within a data table, then the table may lose its structure when converted to the Web-based format.

Charts and Graphs

Charts and graphs are another way in which tabular data can be organized to demonstrate relationships (or a lack thereof) between different values. When inserting charts and graphs, it is necessary to use the chart function in MS PowerPoint in order to retain the underlying tabular data. For individuals who are unable to view the chart or graph of the information, the tabular data can provide additional information.

If you are using Excel (or another spreadsheet application) and copy/paste the chart/graph into PowerPoint, you will need to reenter the table data during the export process. Because the copy and paste process does not retain the tabular data from the spreadsheet, it will be necessary to use the step-by-step process to add the correct information.

Quick and Accessible Slide Creation

Begin in the Outline View

You can create the majority of your presentation within the Outline view of PowerPoint. Simply use the ENTER key to create a new slide title, and the TAB key to add sub-topics, you can easily create the primary points of your presentation. By using this technique you ensure that the main points are in the placeholders for title and slide content, and will be accessible to assistive technologies.

Quick Keyboard Commands

Here are the keyboard commands for navigating within the Outline View:

Promote a paragraph: SHIFT+TAB or ALT+SHIFT+RIGHT ARROW

Demote a paragraph: TAB or ALT+SHIFT+RIGHT ARROW

Move selected paragraphs up: ALT+SHIFT+UP ARROW

Move selected paragraphs down: ALT+SHIFT+DOWN ARROW

Show heading level 1: ALT+SHIFT+1

Expand text below a heading: ALT+SHIFT+PLUS SIGN

Collapse text below a heading: ALT+SHIFT+MINUS SIGN

Show all text or headings: ALT+SHIFT+A

Turn character formatting on/off: SLASH (/) on the numeric keypad.

Meta Data

Go to the FILE menu and access the PROPERTIES for the document. Filling in the metadata for the presentation will make the presentation easier to index and process by different technologies, including search engines, alternate media conversion systems, and assistive technologies.

Design Styles

Once you have the outline portion of your presentation completed, select a design style template and apply it to your presentation. Make any adjustments that may be necessary to ensure your content fits on each slide and is clearly visible with good contrast and separation between elements.

Non-Text Content

Finally, add images, graphs, charts, and any other non-text content that you need to include in the presentation. Make sure to add appropriate descriptions to all of these elements, and to provide an accurate description of any tabular content within the notes field for the slide containing the table.

Tooltips for Hyperlinks

PowerPoint allows you to insert hyperlinks to other slides in the presentation as well as to websites on the Internet. When inserting hyperlinks, be sure to make the action of the link the clickable anchor, and avoid the use of "click here" as the clickable hyperlink. By using descriptive text for your hyperlinks, individuals using assistive technologies can make better sense of your content and more effectively navigate through the content.

Also, when using hyperlinks in your presentation, it is recommended to include tooltips for the links via the hyperlink creation dialog (CTRL+K).

Distributing Accessible PowerPoint Presentations

Power Point 2010 for Windows can do an automated check of your document to find commonly missing elements. To perform the automated check, go to the "File" Menu, and then select the "Info" option.

From the "Info" screen, select the "Check for Issues" button to reveal the Accessibility Checker. The Accessibility checker will help find commonly missing elements and issues, but it is not sufficient to guarantee accessibility.

Maximizing the accessibility of your PowerPoint presentation as described above can help users of assistive technologies better access your materials, but it might be insufficient to provide equally effective access. Sometimes it is better to convert your PowerPoint presentation to another format for distributing over the web, such as PDF or HTML, or even digital video.

Saving as PDF

Saving your PowerPoint presentation as a PDF is a good option when there is no accompanying audio for the presentation slides. You can configure the PDF to have a single slide per page, or multiple slides per page, and you can then use the tools in Acrobat Pro to ensure that the images for each slide have appropriate al­ternate text. For more information on creating accessible PDF documents, please visit the HTCTU website: www.htctu.net.

Saving as HTML

Saving your PowerPoint presentations as HTML is a great way to provide the same functionality as the PowerPoint SlideShow tool, allowing you to link each slide to the next, and create an interactive experience that mimics the sequencing of PowerPoint, minus the animated transitions and effects.

While the latest versions of PowerPoint limit your ability to create an HTML export directly, there are automated tools available to assist you with the process of creating accessible HTML versions of your presentation, such as LecShare Pro, which is a 3rd party program available at substantial discounts for educators (more information at: http://lecshare.com/). With all of these tools for converting to the HTML format, you will need to ensure that the proper standards for web accessibility are followed for you content.

By converting to HTML you have the greatest potential to add accessibility while maintaining an interactive and rich digital environment, but there can be a tradeoff in terms of time and ease of creation.

Rich Text Format or Outline

Saving your presentation as an Outline or RTF document (essentially the same thing) will create a trext document with the content entered in the main placehold­ers for each slide. Assuming you created the presentation by using the default placeholders, saving as RTF or Outline will effectively provide a complete rendi­tion of your presentation, minus the non-text content and design style templates.

Digital Video

If you are including a narration of your presentation, the best strategy is to create a digital movie of your presentation, using your recorded voiceover as the narration for the movie. There are a variety of tools and strategies that can be employed in converting a PowerPoint presentation to a digital movie, but regardless of the tool you use, you need to ensure that the converted media file has captioning support, utilizes headings, includes image descriptions, and is keyboard accessible.

Microsoft PowerPoint

Concepts for USABLE PowerPoint Presentations

While there are many techniques and strategies for ensuring the usability of your PowerPoint presentations, the following list summarizes some of the more important common issues:

·        Use Headings

·        Describe content-based images

·        Name hyperlinks descriptively (examples below illustrate good usability practices for labeling links).

o   Well-labeled, clear directions as part of the link:
                        Course Outline available here

o   Unclear, directions come after the link:
                        Click Here for Course Outline

·        Include symbols with color to *emphasize differences*

·        Navigate the presentation using the keyboard.

Color Concerns

PowerPoint features a simple means for examining the color usability of your presentation. Click on the "View" menu, and then select from the "Color/Grayscale" section.

Summary of Solutions for Ensuring Usability in MS PowerPoint

While there are many different types of PowerPoint presentations that may require specialized strategies based on their specific content, the following list provides a simple summary of the general best practices:

·        Use the PowerPoint templates

·        Add your text descriptions to images

·        Avoid using the Save as Web page option as the only delivery method, you can save as PDF using Microsoft Save as PDF plug-in OR Adobe Acrobat

·        If recording PowerPoint as a video, you need to develop a captioned version.

Adobe Dreamweaver

Accessibility Preferences

Dreamweaver provides built-in accessibility features to help in the creation of accessible content. By enabling the options for form objects, frames, images and media, Dreamweaver will automatically prompt you for the requisite accessibility information whenever you insert these types of content.
You can access the accessibililty options through the main program preferences option panel.

For Windows systems:

Go to Edit>Preferences>Accessibility.

Headings

Using Dreamweaver, it is possible to impose some structure to the document in order to separate the heading information from the various paragraphs. The specifics of how to control the structure within Dreamweaver continues to change as the program evolves, but regardless of which version of Dreamweaver you have, you should be able to use the following process to control the structure of your textual information.

Text is the basic starting point for accessible Web content. Adding style and structure to your text allows it to be even more useable and accessible. By using the “Format” menu, you can apply the heading and other styles necessary for accessibile content.
You can also add Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) to further enhance or alter the appearance and layout of your content.
By accessing the “Format” menu, you can apply any of the selected styles to the content you currently have selected in the editor.

NOTE – it is highly recommended to keep the same formatting for the same structure elements (i.e., all the Heading 1's look the same, etc.) throughout your Web pages. This can be controlled using the Format menu or by using Cascading Style Sheets if creating Web pages.

1.     Move the cursor to the text information you wish to identify as a heading.

2.     Refer to the Properties pane and ensure that you are looking at HTML properties (as opposed to CSS).

3.     With the HTML properties toggled on, you can find the "Format" menu where the heading styles are located.

4.     Choose the appropriate heading option (e.g., Heading 1, Heading 2, etc.) or select Paragraph to identify the text passage as a paragraph.

5.     The text formatting may change. The presentation of the text size, color, and font style can be manipulated by selecting Text on the menu bar and choosing the Color option. Alternatively, if you are using cascading style sheets (CSS), then you can modify your CSS values to alter the visual presentation of the headings.

Alt Text for Images in Dreamweaver

1.     Place your cursor at the appropriate location to insert an image and choose Insert from the menu bar. Select the "Image" option.

2.     If the accessibility preferences have been enabled, a prompt will appear to enter the appropriate text description for the image. Enter the description and select the "OK" button. This will provide the necessary accessibility information for assistive technology.

3.     If the image is of no consequence (aka. eye candy) and does not contain information pertinent to the information, then you can use the drop-down list to select the <empty> option.

Data Tables

Tables used for presentation purposes are generally referred to a "layout tables" while tables used to organize information are referred to as "data tables". In the past (and to a certain extent today), layout tables were used to control the layout of the page to insure a similar site presentation across different Web browsers. Assistive computer technologies initially had difficulty with the use of layout tables for the Web, however, this is not as much an issue in recent practice. Today, most assistive computer technologies can interact with Web pages that have been created using layout tables without additional work on behalf of the Web page developer. For word processing or PDF documents, using layout tables for presentational purposes is not recommended and should be avoided. Layout tables for word processing and PDF documents can cause a number of accessibility challenges and limit the ability of assistive computer technology to interact with the document content.

Data tables are exactly what the name implies - a table that contains data about some information sequenced in a specific format. For example, if you have a list of days, a list of appointments on specific days, and a list of specific times for those appointments on specific days, it would make sense to develop a table to display that information. For the Web, data tables require additional code and information in order to effectively communicate the information to the Web page visitor using assistive computer technology. By choosing the appropriate options in the Table window, Adobe Dreamweaver can automatically include the appropriate code and simplify the process of creating accessible data tables.

1.     Select Insert from the menu bar and choose Table.

2.     Enter the number of rows and columns for your table. You can also determine the Width of your table (it is recommended to use percentages instead of pixels for specifying table width).

3.     Select the box with the type of heading information that is appropriate for your data. You should choose a header type for either the row, column, or both.

4.     If necessary, you can enter a brief description for screen reader users in the Summary field. This is not necessary unless the table is overly complicated or might contain visually-oriented data that needs extra explanation to be understood in a non-visual context.

5.     By choosing the appropriate "Header" option, Adobe Dreamweaver will automatically code the table with the necessary accessibility information. All that is left is for the document author to add the actual data to the table in Adobe Dreamweaver. If you need additional rows or columns, simply add the rows or columns as necessary and the accessibility information will be included.

Adobe Acrobat PDF Documents

Accessible PDF documents can be created using the Adobe Acrobat software application in conjunction with Microsoft Office 2000/XP/2003/2007/2010 applications for the Windows platform. Adobe has also provided support for the creation of accessible PDF documents using other software applications (e.g., Adobe InDesign, Open Office, Adobe LiveCycle Designer, etc.). Using the appropriate Adobe tools, PDF documents can be created that support the interaction of assistive computer technologies used by students with disabilities.

For users of the Mac OS, you will need to have MS Office 2011 with the 1st service pack installed. Unfortunately there is not currently a surefire way to automate the process of transforming your accessible Office document into an accessible PDF- you will need to perform manual checks and be prepared to work with the Acrobat Pro application to create an accessible PDF document.

Note - the PDF documents that will be created are often called "tagged-PDFs". Tagged PDFs provide the most flexibility and usability for assistive computer technology. PDF documents created using third-party tools (e.g., CutePDF, PrimoPDF, etc.) are not tagged-PDFs and would need to be evaluated using the methods described in the Fixing PDF Documents section.

Note - while it is possible to create PDF documents that are accessible, primary consideration should be given to HTML-based versions when creating accessible electronic documents. If HTML-based documents are not appropriate, then an accessible version of the PDF document type may be considered. For more information about the use (and abuse!) of PDF documents, please read http://www.alistapart.com/articles/pdf_accessibility (page will open in a new browser window).

Creating accessible versions of PDF documents begins with integrating accessibility into the document authoring workflow. Most of the steps necessary to creating accessible PDF versions are identified in the Microsoft Word 2007 section. The steps in this section identify methods for adding accessibility information into the PDF document after it has already been produced. It is highly recommended to add the appropriate accessibility information into the document during the authoring phase (e.g., when in Microsoft Word, etc.) instead of retrofitting the PDF version.

 

Adding Tags to PDFs

Note - it is highly recommended that the first step in creating an accessible PDF is to use the original word-processing version of the electronic document (e.g., the Microsoft Word version). Manually repairing PDF documents can be time consuming when compared to using the original version of the file. If you are creating a PDF document using the steps specified in the section "Creating Accessible PDF Documents", then you do not need to perform the following procedures. The following is applicable only if you are starting with an untagged PDF document, for example, from a Mac OS based version of Word.

Manually Adding Tags to a PDF

Adding tags manually to a PDF document using Adobe Acrobat does have some limitations. While Acrobat can automatically add tags to a PDF document, there is no guarantee that the document content will be tagged in the correct reading order. Documents that contain regions of high complexity, such as visually-rich layouts, may not result in a tagged structure that follows the logical reading order of the original document. Any graphics or charts in the PDF document may not be processed correctly and may be rendered as "Figures" or "Inline Shapes". It is necessary to identify these items and add the appropriate alternative text descriptions.

One suggested workflow may be as follows:

1.     Add tags to the PDF, if they do not already exist

2.     Evaluate the reading order of the PDF document

3.     Use the TouchUp Reading Order tool to reclassify content, add headings, and manipulate the overall reading order of the document.

The above workflow is just one suggestion. As you become more familiar with the PDF documents you interact with on a regular basis, you may need to alter this general workflow to better suit your production environment.

Adding Tags with Acrobat X (10)

Acrobat X allows you to add tags to an untagged document, such as is created with Microsoft 2011 on the Mac OS. To enable the Tags panel, right click (or <CONTROL> + click for Mac) on the left-side border of the Acrobat program window. You should see something similar to the screenshot below:

To add tags to your PDF, there are a couple of methods you can employ:

1. With the Tags Panel displayed, you can right click the top-level icon in the tags panel (displayed above next to the highlighted text "No Tags avaiable") and choose "Add Tags to document".

or...

2. Access the Accessibility Tools from the "View" menu (View\Tools\Accessibility) and select the option to "Add tags to document".

Your PDF document will be assigned tags based on the program's ability to assess your content. You will likely need to use the Touch Up Reading Order Tool to modify some of the tag types, and enter alternate text descriptions for images, as well as declaring headers for your columns/rows in any tables you use.

Adding Tags with Acrobat 8.x and 9.x

Adobe Acrobat 8.x and 9.x allows users to create a tagged PDF document from untagged PDF files. Adding tags to a PDF will allow you to add the appropriate accessibility information to the document (i.e., headings, image descriptions, etc.). After you have added tags to a PDF document, it may be necessary to that the document reading is correct.

1.     Open the PDF document that does not contain the tagged structure.

2.     Select Advanced from the menu bar.

3.     Select Accessibility.

4.     Choose "Add Tags to Document".

5.     After the program finishes processing the document, use Save As and save the file with a new name.

6.     Open the new PDF document to check the logical order of the tagged file.

For very large PDF documents, it may be better to separate the file into several smaller PDF files before running the "Add Tags to Document" function.

Checking the Reading Order of your PDF Document

Checking Reading Order

It is important to assess the reading order of a tagged PDF document, especially if you are unsure if the "Add Tags to Document" function performed correctly (generally, this is not an issue with simple, single column documents with no tables, but should be checked for multi-column layouts or documents with tables).

An effective method to assessing the logical reading order of the tagged PDF is to save the PDF as a text file. This will present to you a file similar to how assistive computer technologies will read the document. Check the logical reading order of the text file as to where there may be errors in order of the tags in the PDF document.

1.     Open the PDF file in Adobe Acrobat, and select File from the menu bar.

2.     Choose "Save As..." and you will receive the Save As window.

3.     In the drop-down box "Save as type:" choose the option Text (Accessible). This will create a text file that can be opened in any text editor or word processing application.

4.     Review the text file for errors in the logical reading order of the text.

If you are using Adobe Acrobat 8 or later, then this same functionality is also available by choosing File > Export > Text > Text (Accessible) from the button toolbar.

Repairing or Changing the Reading Order with Acrobat Pro X

If the reading order for your document is not as you intended, you can use the TouchUp Reading Order tool to fix the situation.

You can open the TouchUp Reading Order tool from the Accessibility Tools, available from the Tools submenu located under the View menu. Once you have accessed the Accessibility Tools from the View menu, they should appear as a shortcut toolbar under the "Tools" shortcut menu on the right hand side of Acrobat X.

Once you have opened the TouchUp Reading Order tool, you will notice your content becomes outlined and numbered. The numbering reflects the reading order, or the sequence in which the information will be presented to other technologies, including the assistive technologies used by students with disabilities. To change the reading order, click on the "Show Order Panel" button from the bottom of the TouchUp Reading Order tool (or you can right-click on the left-hand side of the Acrobat Pro X program window).

Once you have the Order Panel displayed, you can drag and drop the numbered content into the desired location within the list of content displayed within the Order Panel.

PDF Headings

For PDF documents, it is possible to add heading information when using Adobe Acrobat after the PDF has been produced. However, when possible, it is recommended to add headings while authoring the content - that is, while using Microsoft Word, Open Office, or another word processing application. If it is not possible to use the original word-processing application to add the headings, then heading structure may be added using Adobe Acrobat.

1.     Open the TouchUp Reading Order tool (Acrobat Pro X: Under the "Accessibility Tools"; older versions of Acrobat: Advanced > Accessibility > TouchUp Reading Order).

2.     Identify the region of text content that is to be a heading.

3.     Using the cross-hair pointer, draw a box around the text information. Make sure that all the text information you wish to include is encompassed by the blue highlight. In the example below, the text "Geology 2.3 - Volcanoes" has been outlined in blue.

Specify the heading level (e.g., Heading 1, Heading 2, etc.) using the TouchUp Reading Order panel. Repeat the steps as necessary to identify the headings throughout the rest of the PDF document. In the example provided, the text "Geology 2.3 - Volcanoes" is the main topic of the document and would be assigned as Heading 1. If there are more than three headings in the document, then use the Heading 3 option in the Touch Up Reading Order panel for the remaining headings.

 

Image Descriptions in PDF

If you can describe the images in your source document, they might be able to automatically convert inot PDF-based images with descriptions. However, if you need to add image descriptions to the images in your PDF document, the following steps are for you.

In order to add descriptions to your PDF document, you need to have a tagged document!

After adding tags to a PDF document, it may be necessary to add text descriptions for relevant images. The "Add Tags to Document" function will process the PDF and mark content as text, table, or a figure. Once an image has been identified and properly tagged, it is possible to add the text description. If a figure does not warrant a text description, then you can mark the element as "Background".

1.     Make sure the document you are working with is a tagged-PDF. Turn on the TouchUp Reading Order tool (Acrobat Pro X: Under the Accessibility Tools; Older versions of Acrobatr Pro: Advanced > Accessibility > TouchUp Reading Order)

2.     Identify the image/figure in question and perform a right-mouse button click.

3.     Choose "Edit Alternative Text...". Enter the appropriate text description for the image/figure you selected.

4.     Choose OK to return to the main document.

Additional Resources for Adobe Acrobat Accessibility

Here are additional resources Adobe provides about accessibility for their products (all links will open in a new browser window):

1.     Presentation on Adobe Acrobat Presentation 10/20/2010 that uses Adobe connect http://asib.na3.acrobat.com/p92389420/

2.     Main Adobe accessibility page: http://www.adobe.com/accessibility/

3.     Adobe accessibility blog http://blogs.adobe.com/accessibility

4.     Acrobat X information: http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobatpro.html and PDF

Notes from CCC Confer Web conference:

Directions for the PPT accessibility checker:   file --> info --> check for issues --> check for accessibility

Short Videos on Applying Styles in Word

http://youtu.be/s995aPKoVDI
Applying Styles in Word for Windows
[In this video, I suggest using the Title Style. This is incorrect. Please use Heading 1 for your main heading(s).]

http://youtu.be/uZ1LJ-ZSLGI
Applying Styles on a Macintosh
[In this video, I suggest using the Title Style. This is incorrect. Please use Heading 1 for your main heading(s).]

http://youtu.be/xR7ccc7olL4
Accessibility and Styles in Word

Training Manuals

High Tech Center Training Center Training Manuals

 

Other info from instructors of the course:

Keep in mind that there is no requirement to design your exams this way, but I think you may find these examples interesting as they illustrate a different perspective when reading your own exam.

Here is an example of the typical exam question.

 

6: An audience member is worried about an upcoming exam and is unlikely to

remember much of what the speaker says. This is a type of

a. external noise         b. internal noise

c. physical noise         d. educational noise

 

Notice the lack of a colon at the end of the question and the lack of periods at the end of each answer. While this LOOKS fantastic and is very typical of exam design, this is what it would sound like to a student using a screen reader:

 

"SIX<pause>an audience member is worried about an upcoming exam and is unlikely to remember much of what the speaker says. This is a type ofAexternalnoiseBinternal noiseCphysical noiseDedicational noise"

 

In other words, the screen reader will, quite literally, read what is on the screen: without proper sentence structure and punctuation, the screen reader will run everything together.

 

This is how I would modify the test to make it more accessible to screen readers.

 

6: An audience member is worried about an upcoming exam and is unlikely to

remember much of what the speaker says. This is a type of:

a. external noise.

b. internal noise.

c. physical noise.

d. educational noise.

 

This next example shows how an alternate media specialist from your DSPS department might alter an exam for a screen reader:

 

The original version of the question:

 

15: Our beliefs, values, and moral principles by which we determine what is

right or wrong are our _____.

a. laws

b. ethics

c. truths

d. rules

 

The modified version:

15: Our beliefs, values, and moral principles by which we determine what is

right or wrong are our BLANK.

a. laws.

b. ethics.

c. truths.

d. rules.

 

Notice that I again make sure every word has a period at the end. I also replaced the underline used to visually represent a blank spot and I replace it with the word BLANK.

 

I’m trying to help the exam sound the way it would in your own head when you read the question. I’m also trying to remove any visually clear items that might make no sense to the student. That is, while we see an underline representing a fill in the blank, a student may hear “UNDERLINEUNDERLINEUNDERLINE” or some other odd sound by their screen reader, depending on what they are using.

For syllabus:

Disabled Students Programs & Services (DSP&S): If you have a documented disability and wish to receive services including special testing conditions, you must register with DSP&S and inform me of your needs at least 1 week prior to the assignment requiring accommodations. All information regarding accommodations are confidential. For more information, call XXX.