Train the Trainer: Promoting Accessible Document Development Terrill Thompson, Technology Accessibility Specialist Gaby de Jongh, IT Accessibility Specialist UW-IT Accessible Technology Services uw.edu/accessibility

Example: Text with no structure Introduction to Physics Course Syllabus Textbook Our sole text for this course will be Introduction to Physics, Second Edition, authored by the instructor. Course Objectives to offer students exposure to basic principles of Physics to provide students with rich, thought-provoking discussions during lecture sessions to provide students with experiential learning opportunities during laboratory sessions. Class Schedule Week Topic Reading Assignment 1 Course Introduction Chapter 1 2 Inertia, equilibrium, kinematics Chapters 2-3 3 Newton’s laws, vectors, momentum, energy Chapters 4-7 4 Matter, elasticity, scaling Chapters 8-10 5 Wave kinematics, sound, electricity, magnetism, induction Chapter 11-15 6 Light, reflection and refraction, emission Chapters 15-18 7 Review, final exam Grades Grades will be assigned on a ten point scale (90 to 100 is an A, 80 to 89 is a B, etc.). Homework, exams, and projects will be weighted as follows: Homework Exams Projects 1 2 Final 1 2 Final 15% 15% 15% 20% 10% 10% 15% Ce programme es également disponible en français sur demande. Example: Text with no structure How many class objectives are there? What is the reading assignment for Week 5? What % of your final grade is the Final Exam?

Example: Syllabus with structure

Which document format is most accessible? Rephrased: Which document format is best at communicating document structure and semantics?

HTML Comprehensive set of semantic tags Fully accessible forms Headings, lists, tables, much more via ARIA Alt text + long description on images Fully accessible forms Labels, fieldsets with legends, "required" attribute Supplemental help with aria-describedby Feedback via ARIA live regions Accessible math via MathML Accessible video via <video> with <track> Accessibility features are well-supported by browsers and assistive technologies

Microsoft Word Stylistic features have been repurposed for accessibility Heading styles, table headers Alt text on images Forms are not accessible Simple tables can be accessible, complex tables cannot Accessible math via the MathType plugin Built-in accessibility checker (recent versions) Well-supported by assistive technologies Easy to fix accessibility problems

Adobe PDF Three types Tagged PDF is similar to HTML Image Document with text but no underlying structure Tagged, well-structured document Tagged PDF is similar to HTML Forms have minimal accessibility (tooltips) Supports accessible complex tables Does not currently support accessible math Built-in accessibility checker Well-supported by screen readers in Windows only Sometimes difficult to fix accessibility problems

Creating Accessible MS Word Documents Focus on low hanging fruit

Use Styles Editing Styles Headers Lists Q: Why is it important to use Heading Levels? Screen reader users have the ability to call up a list of Headings which allow them to navigate a document more efficiently, similar to visual users who scan a document

Alt Text for Visuals In most versions of Word, you can enter alternate text by right clicking an image and selecting Format Picture. Within the Format Picture dialog, select Alt Text.

Use Tables Wisely There are limits Simple tables are OK Identify Column Headers Select Row Table > Select > Row Right click > Table Properties Use tables to convey table data information, do not use them for layout purposes. For simple tables, the only step necessary for accessibility is to identify which row contains the column headers. To do this in Word, select that row (Table > Select > Row), then right click the row and select “Table Properties”. This brings up the Table Properties dialog. In this dialog, click the Row tab, and check the checkbox that says “Repeat as header row at the top of each page”. Avoid complex tables, one row of column headers, no nested rows or columns.

Accessibility Checker MS Word Tools > Check Accessibility Inspection Results Errors Warnings Tips Word provides an Accessibility Checker for identifying and repairing accessibility issues. The checker's Inspection Results classifies accessibility issues into three categories: Errors: content that makes a document very difficult or impossible for people with disabilities to access. Warnings: content that in most—but not all—cases makes the document difficult for people with disabilities to access. Tips: content that people with disabilities can access, but that might be better organized or presented. Why Fix: explains why the issue impacts accessibility. How to Fix: suggestions for repairing the issue. HOMEWORK: next Word doc that you come into contact with, run the Accessibility Checker. See what you find out!

Export to PDF from Word Preserve Accessibility File > Save As… > PDF This isn't going to make a perfectly accessible PDF document, but it will preserve the integrity of the accessibility of the document. Some remediation may be necessary.

Creating Accessible MS PowerPoint Presentations

Use Built-in Slide Templates Design/themes

Edit Styles in Slide Master View > Master > Slide Master Built-in slide layout templates are designed so the reading order is the same for people with vision and for people who use assistive technology such as screen readers. They also contain all the formatting, such as theme colors, fonts, and effects. Theme layouts should be adjusted in the Slide Master to maintain accessible formatting for screen reader users.

Reading Order of Slide Contents Use unique slide titles Individuals who use a screen reader skim slide titles to navigate, they can quickly scan through a list and go right to the slide they want. Screen readers read the elements of a slide in the order they were added to the slide. To make sure everyone reads the contents in the order intended, check the reading order by using the Selection Pane. Slide authors' choices are: 1. Use only the content placeholders that are built into the template (don't add anything). 2. It's ok to add stuff (including text boxes), but if you do so, go to the Selection Pane and make sure everything is in reverse order from top to bottom.

Make Hyperlinks and Text Accessible Alt text for visuals and tables Links should provide a clear and accurate description of the link destination. Rather than providing the URL of the link, consider creating a hyperlink with text to describe it. Again, use tables to convey table data information. Keep them simple and use Alt text to describe the intention of the table data presented.

Export to PDF from PowerPoint Preserve Accessibility Except on Mac File > Save As… > PDF This isn't going to make a perfectly accessible PDF document, but it will preserve the integrity of the accessibility of the document. Users of PowerPoint for Mac should be cautioned that exporting to PDF will not yield an accessible, tagged PDF document, it must be remediated using Acrobat Pro.

Accessibility Checker MS PowerPoint Tools > Check Accessibility Inspection Results Errors Warnings Tips

Remediating Inaccessible PDF docs with Acrobat Pro Again, focusing on low hanging fruit here

Does the Document Have Text? Convert scanned image to text Tools > Enhance Scans > Recognize Text > In This File Recognize Text > Correct Recognized Text Make accessible Tools > Action Wizard > Make Accessible AutoTag document Tools > Accessibility > AutoTag Document

Fix Lingering Errors with Accessibility Checker Tools > Accessibility > Full Check The report lists items in various categories such as Document, Page Content, etc. Each item is preceded by an icon indicating that the item either passes, fails, or requires manual inspection. Right click on any item to see a list of options for fixing the problem or learning more about it.

Does the Reading Order need to be touched up? Accessibility > Reading Order “Background” Decorative Images Add Alt Text

Does the Mark Up Need to be Fixed? Tags Panel View > Show/Hide > Navigation Panes > Tags The Tags Panel shows a tree of tags that is very similar to HTML. Headings should be marked up with tags that are equivalent to HTML headings tags (i.e., <H1> for the main heading, <H2> for subheadings, then <H3>, <H4>, etc.  To change a tag, right click on the tag, select Properties, then choose an appropriate tag from the list. Make sure Lists are tagged as lists, etc.

UW Document Conversion Service https://depts.washington.edu/uwitats/conversion/ Limitations of this service: Source file needs to be GOOD quality Most file outputs may require additional editing after conversion This service is intended to provide a quick temporary solution, it is not the final solution for accessibility The service is free to anyone with a UW NetID, and can be accessed at the link listed.

Resources Lynda.com learning videos MOOC MicroSoft Accessibility Creating Accessible PDFs (2014) Acrobat DC: Creating Accessible PDFs Advanced Accessible PDFs MOOC Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Accessibility MicroSoft Accessibility Word PowerPoint Adobe Acrobat Training Resources WebAIM PAVE???

Questions???