WORD DOCUMENT ACCESSIBILITY Documents than everyone can read and understand. Learning to use word the way it was intended. These tips are tools to make using word easier and the bonus is its also accessable. Why it is important, color blindness, screen reader, dyslexic (there is special font, use less words), cognitive delay (easy to understand, bullets), organizational delay

What makes an accessible word document Heading structure by using styles List structure Alternative text Data table – basic Appropriate link text

What makes an accessible document continued… Color use Color contrast Document title Plain Language and Fonts Columns Multimedia (audio and video)

Styles & Heading Structure Styles create document structure Styles menu can be accessed by Home tab -> styles menu -> click on the icon in the bottom right corner. Headings H1-H6 Not showing 6 headings? In the style menu click options in the bottom right corner and check “show next heading when previous level is used.” *Styles or document structure allows for the document to be navigated by assistive technology in an efficient way.*

Lists and Columns Lists are ordered (numbered) or unordered (bulleted) Columns help break up the layout of a page full of text

Alternative Text (Alt Text) Alt Text describes the content or function of an image Alt Text is necessary for anything that conveys information Alt Text needs to be concise and meaningful The following elements can hold Alt Text Pictures Illustrations Images of text Shapes Charts SmartArt Embedded objects

Alt Text – capture meaning Article about photography “Close up, greyscale photography of a man outside, face in focus, unfocused background.” Article about a TV-series “Star of the show, Adam Lee, looking strained outside in the rain.” If this image was featured in an article about photography, the alt-text could be something along the lines of: If the image is on a website about a TV-series, an appropriate alt-text could be completely different: Alt-texts: The Ultimate Guide - Axess Lab." 15 Oct. 2017, https://axesslab.com/alt-texts/.

Alternative Text in Word To access the Alt Text in Word Application Menu (right click on picture) Format Picture (left click) Layout and Properties (third icon) Describe the image in the description box. Do not use the title box. Add images for people to do alt text.

Data Table - BASIC Tables are used to display data in an organized way When using tables in word make it simple No merging or splitting cells Always insert a table or use the graph paper to create your table DO NOT draw a table Table property settings Right click on the table Left click table properties Under the row tab, uncheck “allow row to break across pages Under the row tab, check “repeat as header on the top of each page”

Appropriate Link Text Confusing Link https://montech.ruralinstitute.umt.edu/mtdb/account_request.asp Helpful Link Text Create a MonTECH account Bitly.com https://bit.ly/2IwpfX8 For Print or non-digital text…use bitly, this will turn a webpage into a shorter link to type. It is important to make links that describe the function, destination, or purpose Typing a full URL can be confusing for users of assistive technology

Link Text To set appropriate link text Go to the insert tab and click on hyperlink Highlight the words you want linked (ex. Create a MonTECH account) and right click. Then click on hyperlink Once you are in the hyperlink box enter the “text to display” and the “address” then click ok

Color Contrast Color contrast is the difference in perceived brightness between two colors The terms typically used are foreground and background The minimum color contrast is 4.5:1 Tool: Colour Contrast Analyzer Logos are exempt from color contrast

Colour Contrast Analyser You can use the dropper to pick up the color or the number of the color. It will tell you the contrast ratio and if it passes or fails.

18:1 The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog 4.5:1 2.8.1 1.5:1 The top one is great quality Second is minimum quality The last 2 should not be used

Only Color Conveying Meaning Ask about excel tables in word This could be hard for someone who is color blind to see or even someone in the back of the room.

If you couldn’t see color or were sitting too far away you may see this. There are no distinguishing factors to know which lines mean what. The lines all virtually look the same.

Same line chart but again in color, now with blue line plus triangle shapes, red plus diamonds and green plus squares. Shapes also distinguish lines.

Same chart as in last slide in black and white Same chart as in last slide in black and white. Lines still distinguished by shapes.

Adding Title in Word Go to File, Info and then click on “add a title” Title easy way to search and use a different identifier.

Plain Language Before When the process of freeing a vehicle that has been stuck results in ruts or holes, the operator will fill the rut or hole created by such activity before removing the vehicle from the immediate area. After If you make a hole while freeing a stuck vehicle, you must fill the hole before you drive away.

Sans serif means without the decorative line USE THIS NOT THAT Arial Verdana Tahoma Calibri Courier New Century Schoolbook Palatino Times New Roman Sans has a curl at the bottom sans serif does not

Built in Microsoft Accessibility Checker Microsoft Word has a tool that will help you check the basic accessibility of your word document  The accessibility checker is a place to start - it is not always right and can make the novice worry about things that are unnecessary

This tool checks against three sets of possible issues Word – Built in Checker This tool checks against three sets of possible issues Errors – Content in the file makes it very difficult or impossible for someone with a disability to use Warnings - Content that in most (but not all) cases makes the document difficult to understand for people with disabilities  Tips - Content that people with disabilities can understand but that could be presented in a different way to improve the user’s experience

File…Save As…PDF Click File, Save as and then PDF Save as type is PDF Do not save in print