Disability Resource Center Learning Module 3 Assistive Technology Document and Online Accessibility Disability Resource Center

Topics Include Technology in the Classroom Auditory Access to Digital Documents Speech to Text Accessible Document Guidelines and Creation Converting Hardcopy to Electronic File with Proper Formatting Adobe PDF Accessibility Accessibility Considerations in Online Environments Further Resources to Explore

Technology in the Classroom The following are examples of technology used for classroom accommodation: Audio recorder Sonocent note taking software with computer or smart phone Laptop computer FM hearing systems Augmentative and alternative communication devices Mobility devices

Auditory Access to Digital Documents A document can be read aloud once it is in electronic format by a screen reading software. Individuals with vision loss can use a screen reader to navigate a computer desktop environment with key commands without a mouse. Windows Narrator is proprietary to the windows operating system as document reader with partial screen reading capabilities. It can be found in Windows Ease of Access Center with other built in accessibility applications. Apple’s Voice Over is its counterpart. Examples of more robust commercial screen readers include JAWS, NVDA and Central Access Reader.

Speech to Text Speech Recognition and Dictation Control over the computing environment and software as well as verbal dictation into a word processor can be handled with a speech recognition program. This type of program can benefit individuals with visual disabilities and those who have limited physical dexterity. Both Windows and Apple operating systems have native text to speech applications. Popular text to speech applications also include Dragon Dictate and the Google Docs Dictation Chrome extension.

Accessible Document Guidelines and Creation Accessible Word Documents It is easier to structure an electronic document in Word and then convert those documents to PDF then the other way around. Setting the heading structure of a Word document assists document navigation for individuals who use screen readers. Use “Heading 1” style for the main heading, and “Heading 2” for sub-headings under Styles in the Home tab. For lists use the proprietary formatting tools for ordered (numbered) and unordered (bulleted) lists instead of manually typing them. This helps screen readers properly recognize and announce them. To apply alternate text for an image right click on it and select “Format Picture” and then select the “Alt Text” dialog box.

Accessible Document Guidelines and Creation Continued Tables can be challenging for screen readers to announce properly. If possible present the same information in a different format or a descriptive summary of the information contained. If using a table is the only option be sure to identify the row that contains column headers. Select the column headers row, right click on it and then select “Table Properties” and “Row” from the dialog box. Select the option for “Repeat as header row at the top of each page”. You can convert a Word document into PDF format and maintain its structure by selecting “PDF” from the “Save As” drop down box and selecting “Options” to ensure “Document structure tags for accessibility” is selected.

Converting Hardcopy to Electronic File with Proper Formatting Converting Hardcopy to Accessible Electronic Files Scanning A computer using an application that supports Optical Character Recognition (OCR) can scan a document into an electronic file format such as Word or Adobe PDF with searchable text. Adobe Acrobat Professional will allow you to OCR scan a hard copy document into accessible electronic format. To confirm that recognizable text has been created in a PDF document, try to select the body text with your mouse curser. If the text cannot be selected the PDF is an image file only. You can select "Recognize Text" under the "Tools > Enhance Scans" to create a PDF with searchable text. You can then export your PDF with searchable text into a number of other formats such as Word or Text (Accessible) that can be utilized by accessibility software.

Converting Hardcopy to Electronic File with Proper Formatting Continued It is good practice to provide multiple document output formats from source material for use with screen readers. Examples RTF, Word, PDF and Plain Text (Accessible). These OCR recognized documents can be enlarged by a computer screen magnifier and/or read back by in synthetic speech by a computer screen reader. Both Windows and Apple computers have proprietary screen magnifiers and readers. Use high quality source documents for the conversion process. Use documents that are high contrast with clearly defined text that is free of underlining, highlighting and handwriting. Excessive italics can reduce OCR accuracy. Ensure that no text has been cut off in the source document and that pages are straight without excessive darkness in the margins that can obfuscate text.

Adobe PDF Accessibility Reviewing Adobe PDF’s for Accessibility PDF security features should remain unlocked. Locked PDF’s interfere with screen reader functionality. There is a built in accessibility checker in Acrobat Professional (as well as MS Word). To run a “Full Check” go to the Accessibility menu under Tools. Check to see if the PDF has searchable text, if it does not use “Recognize Text” under the Tools Menu. Review the PDF for tags. The Document Properties dialog box will state whether a PDF is tagged or not. Tags can be added and changed by selecting View > Tools > Accessibility > “Add Tags To Document”. Tags can be changed by right clicking on them, selecting properties and then choosing the appropriate one form the present list of alternatives.

Adobe PDF Accessibility Continued You can locate a tag by choosing “Find tag from selection” in the Tags pane by selecting a section of text. Tag heading levels can be changed in the Tags Panel. Choose View > Show/Hide > “Navigation Panes” > Tags. The “Touch Up Reading Order” tool under the “Accessibility” tab can be used to see what order a screen reader will announce a PDF in. The tagged reading order can be changed in the “Show order panel”. To add alternate text to an image right click on it and select “edit alt text”. Images that don’t convey information can be hidden from screen readers by clicking on them and selecting “background”. Table accessibility features can be accessed by clicking on the table and selecting the “Table Editor”.

Accessibility Considerations in Online Environments Information Perceivability General guidelines for accessible print materials can be taken into consideration when formatting online resources. Remember to use multiple modes of transmission for the presentation of important information. All electronic documents uploaded should contain searchable text. If the document is an image a text based description of the image should be included as well. Provide descriptive text equivalents with any images, charts, graphs and important non-text elements that are presented. Use high color contrast between font text and the background and color should not be the primary way that information is conveyed or interacted with.

Accessibility Considerations in Online Environments Continued Multimedia should not auto play when a page is opened and users should have the ability to adjust playback and volume levels of content. Background audio can be turned off is necessary. All multimedia video and audio content should be presented with captions or have a transcript made available. Additionally, a descriptive text track which describes on screen action and visual details is sometimes available for multimedia content. It is good practice ensure captions or a transcript are already available for specific media content prior to their adoption in a course.

Accessibility Considerations in Online Environments Navigation of Online Content for Individuals with Disabilities Content that is well organized with descriptive titles and headings will allow a user to easily find important information. It is important to provide textually based navigation cues as to where they are within the flow of information. Remember to give users meaningful textually based navigation aides not reliant on color/size/aesthetics to imply meaning. Web links utilized should make sense out of context and should describe where and where they’re linking. Don't use "click here" or "email me" Avoid underlining text when possible due to its association with hyperlinks. Try focusing navigation though keyboard interactions and short cut keys vs relying on visually based mouse operations Keyboard accessibility an environment that is equally functional by keyboard or mouse. All content can be navigated and interacted with using a keyboard alone without a user being trapped on any specific element.

Further Exploration Universal Design: http://www.universaldesign.com/ Accessible Print Documents: https://www.aph.org/research/design-guidelines/ http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/word- help/create-accessible-pdfs- HA102478227.aspx   Assistive Technology: http://catsweb.cuny.edu/ Web Accessibility: https://www.w3.org/standards/ https://accessibility.osu.edu/resources/how-to-evaluate-accessibility/