1. Microsoft Word Accessibility
Headers/Titles, Paragraph Styles, Images, Links, Tables, & Accessibility Checker

2. What is accessibility and why do we care?
Accessibility means access. It refers to the ability for everyone, regardless of disability or special needs, to access, use and benefit from everything within their environment. It is the “degree to which a product, device, service, or environment is available to as many people as possible.”
Accessibility is the right thing to do. Accessibility represents an important step toward independence for individuals with disabilities. Accessible content provides access to fundamental information. In addition, accessibility allows users with disabilities to participate in day-to-day activities many of us take for granted.
1-5 out of 18 students have some type of disability

3. What is accessibility and who says so?
Accessibility is the law for many institutions. With new national requirements in the United States there are numerous legal mandates for accessibility. These policies will likely expand in scope. In the United States, Section 508 of the U.S. Rehabilitation Act sets standards for web pages designed or maintained by federal agencies. State and local governments as well as educational and nonprofit institutions around the United States need to be in compliance.

4. What is Delta doing?
Delta College and 508 Compliance are a work in progress.
What has been done so far?
Accessibility Task Force
New website (in development)
Faculty Training
Institutional Wide Training (coming)
Policy (in development)
eLearning Procedures and Best Practices

5. Best Practices Structure
Headings should be used to convey structural information about a document
Use styles to create titles and section headings
Use paragraph styles to continue proper formatting
Best Practices

6. Fonts
One or two fonts should be used throughout a document
Use commonly used fonts; Arial, Times, Helvetica, Courier, Verdana, Tahoma, Georgia, Palatino, Garamond and few others
Pay close attention to font color on buttons or backgrounds
Best Practices

7. Images
Include alternative text for images, charts and diagrams
Do not use textured/patterned backgrounds
Use color as an enhancement, not as the only means of conveying information
Best Practices

8. Best Practices Backgrounds
Use text and page background color combinations of significant brightness and contrast
Best Practices

9. HEADERS Headings are an important tool for screen readers
They assist with navigating to different parts of a document
Assistive technologies ignore text size and emphasis unless styles are used
Headings can be used to automatically generate a TOC
HEADERS

10. Headings
By default, Heading 1 and Heading 2 can be seen and selected in the Styles section of the Home ribbon in Word
Select the text you wish to make a heading, then left-click the heading level you wish to assign to this text
Word will automatically add Heading 3 to the menu after Heading 2 is used in a document and so on
Should be selected based on their hierarchy
Start the page with a heading (Heading 1)
Follow it with sub-headings (Heading 2)
And so on, sub-sub headings (Heading 3)
Items of equal importance should be equal level headings
Heading levels should not be skipped

11. PARAGRAPH STYLES Paragraph styles give structure to a document
They can be used in the same manner as the Heading tags
Pieces of text can be selected individually to be styled
PARAGRAPH STYLES

12. Styles By default, Normal is selected
There are several paragraph or word styles that can be selected, including:
Subtitle
Emphasis
Strong
Quote
Book Title
List Paragraph
Should be selected based on their use
Can be used on sections of text not only full sentences

13. GRAPHICS Graphics are Images, Charts and Tables
Graphics are great representations of what you want to say
Graphics can create an emotion or feeling for the user
Graphics are useless to those that are visually impaired unless some sort of assistive adjustments are made
GRAPHICS
Alternative text for images, charts, graphs, and tables is vital to ensuring that users with visual impairments have access to information included in these visuals. This descriptive text should be limited to 120 characters for simple images, while the alternative text for graphs, tables, and complex images (such as detailed maps and diagrams) should give a brief summary of the included information.

14. Images 1. Right-Click image and select Format Picture
In the Format Picture dialog box, select the Layout & Properties icon
Add a title and description to the ALT TEXT 1 2
Should be used with purpose
Images need Alternative Text to accompany the images

15. Charts – Alternative Text
Right-Click the outer edge of the chart box and select Format Chart Area
In the Format Chart Area under Chart Options tab dialog box, select the Layout & Properties icon
Add a title and description to the ALT TEXT 1
Should be used with purpose
Charts need a caption and alternative text to accompany them 2

16. Charts – Captions
Right-Click the outer edge of the chart box and select Insert Caption
In the Insert Caption dialog box add a caption to the chart to describe the graphic 1
Should be used with purpose
Charts need a caption and alternative text to accompany them 2

17. Links can assist with instruction
Links can assist with instruction. Send the user out to another site to continue to convey a message or support
Links can be descriptive or secret if they are shortened
Links can be long and difficult for screen readers
LINKS

18. Links
To add a hyperlink, place cursor where you want the link or highlight the text you want to convert and right click and select Hyperlink
In the Hyperlink dialog box in the Address: section type the web address you want the link to go to starting with 1
Hyperlink text should provide a clear description of the link destination
Using Click Here or Visit are not sufficient ways to describe a link 2

19. Data arranged in rows and columns creates and easy way to organize content
Always try to construct simple tables
Only use one row in the Header
Never Merge or Split cells
Try not to leave any cells, rows or columns blank
Tables

20. Tables
To create a table, select the Insert tab, and click on the Table menu
Select the number or rows and columns by using your cursor and dragging the number of boxes or by selecting Insert Table in the options below the visual
In the Insert Table dialog box, enter the number or rows and columns 1
It is recommended that a description or explanation of the table contents be included in the text of the document
Format a table correctly to allow screen readers to jump from column or row in the correct order 2 3

21. Tables - Continued
After a table has been created and populated with data, a Header Row needs to be identified to allow the heading text to be distinguished from the data area of the table. Identifying a Header row is also important if the table spans more than one page. To identify the Header Row.
Select the first row of the table, Right Click, and select Table Properties, Row tab
Ensure the options “Allow row to break across pages” and “Repeat as header row at the top of each page” are check and then select OK to close the dialog box.
Avoid blank cells. Using blank cells can mislead someone using a screen reader
Structure layout tables for easy navigation 2

22. Tables – Continued 2
In addition to adding to specifying the Header Row, Alt text should be added to explain the table. Give the Table a name and description.
Select the table, Right Click, and select Table Properties, Alt Text tab
In the Alt Text tab, add the title and description.
Lastly, check the table for easy navigation by checking the reading order to be sure it makes sense.
Verify the reading order by tabbing through the cells to check that the information is presented in a logical order. 2
Avoid blank cells. Using blank cells can mislead someone using a screen reader
Structure layout tables for easy navigation

23. Accessibility Checker
When your document is complete, use the Accessibility Checker
Like the spelling checker, the Accessibility Checker will show if errors are present
Fix errors before publishing your document
Accessibility Checker

24. Accessibility Checker
Like the spelling checker tells you about possible spelling errors, Accessibility Checker in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint tells you about possible accessibility issues in your Office file so you can fix these issues so someone with a disability can read and get to your content.
Click File and then Info
Select the Check for Issues button and select Check Accessibility to check for issues
If the Accessibility Checker finds errors, your Word file will reappear and the Accessibility Checker task pane shows the inspection results.
Click a specific issues to see Additional Information and steps you can take to change the content.
The Accessibility Checker is a built into Microsoft Word
Documents should be checked each time a document is created
Using the Accessibility Checker can save the user with a screen reader a lot of time when navigating your document 2 3