1. Creating ADA Compliant Resources
Mastery Level Training Workshop

2. Purpose
provide information on designing ADA (Americans for Disabilities Act) compliant content for online courses
demonstrate simple ways on how you can transform your courses to be more ADA compliant
explore areas such as creating accessible PDF documents, appropriate font, style, and color choices, video captioning, and graphics considerations
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3. What is Accessibility?
how users with disabilities access electronic information
how web content designers and developers enable web pages to function with assistive devices used by individuals with disabilities.
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4. Why We Need to Design for Accessibility
It is the right thing to do
It’s the smart thing to do
It’s the law
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5. Application to Higher Education
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act apply to almost all colleges, universities, and trade schools
Web accessibility is one of the most critical issues facing higher education
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6. What is ADA Compliance?
Section 508 of the Rehabilitation act of ensures that millions of Americans with disabilities have equivalent access to information regardless of how they access it.
Vision Impairment
Hearing Impairment
Motor Impairment
Physical Impairment
Psychological Impairment
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7. Webpages & ADA Compliance
The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 are becoming the industry standard for accessible websites. It outlines standards to be met but organizes them according to 4 main principles of accessibility
4 Principles of Accessibility
Perceivable
Operable
Understandable
Robust
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8. Guidelines for Accessibility
Keep page layout simple and consistent
Keep backgrounds simple
Use standard HTML: Hypertext Markup Language is the code used to create web pages
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9. Audio/Video
The goal is that all new produced videos need to include close captions that are synchronized to appear when the audio is heard.
If a video has visual content that cannot be understood through audio alone, an audio description will make your video accessible to users who are visually impaired.
Transcripts of videos are helpful for making the them accessible to people who have disabilities
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10. Documents
Use sans-serif fonts designed for legibility on the computer screen (e.g., Arial, Verdana, Helvetica).
Use bold or italic text to display emphasis.
Don’t underline words since on a web page this indicates hyperlinks.
Avoid using colored text (such as red) for emphasis since screen readers will not indicate it is there.
Avoid writing whole sentences in CAPITAL letters. Lengthy segments of capitalized text are more difficult to read for everyone, not only for individuals who are visually impaired.
Avoid including moving or blinking text.
Keep the number of fonts used in a document to a minimum
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11. Navigation and Links
Best example: Please visit the WilmU Admissions web page. Fair example: Here is the WilmU Admissions web page. Worst example: Click here to view the WilmU Admissions web page.
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12. Links Links should be accessible for users not using a mouse
Link text should use words that briefly convey what the person will get if they click the link.
Don’t use “Click Here,” “More” or the URL as link text
Always fill out the Title field for each link you create
Content from Title field will hover above link when moused over.
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13. Images Alt tags provide text to describe images on your web page
Make sure to convey any meaning in the alt tag that the picture would provide for a sighted user.
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14. Images and Graphics Adding a text equivalent to every image
An alt text description
Captions for images that describe the image
Try not to use only images and/or graphics to convey important content.
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15. Tables
Tables that present data in a column and row format must be appropriately marked up in the CMS.
Include a Caption Tag for the whole table
Insert/Edit Table > Select Table Caption check box
Insert Caption on New Table
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16. Tables, again Tables are read from left to right and line by line
Any column or row headers must be marked so the content is read correctly
Right-click in the header
Select Cell > Table Cell Properties
Set Cell Type to Header
Set Scope to Either Column or Row
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17. Backgrounds and Color
Choose solid-colored, rather than textured backgrounds.
Choose color combinations with high contrast so the image still makes sense when viewed without color.
Do not use color alone to convey meaning; e.g., use and asterisk (*) or other symbol; and if color is used, use it very sparingly.
Not sure, check
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18. Working with Microsoft
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19. Heading Styles
Create a uniform heading structure through use of styles in Word.
Adding and Editing Headings
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20. Alternative Text for Images
Images can be given appropriate alternative text in Word.
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21. Columns and Lists
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22. Adding Hyperlinks
Word automatically creates a hyperlink when a user pastes a full URL onto a page
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23. Checking Accessibility in Word, Excel, & PPT
All 2010 and above Microsoft Office programs have an accessibility checker
Click the File tab in top Ribbon
Check for Issues > Check Accessibility
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24. Evaluating Your Document & What to Do Next
Take a look at the results
Use the Inspection Results dialog to click through all the issues
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25. Tips for Creating Accessible Documents
Create proper file names
Fill out Document Properties
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26. Tips for Creating Accessible Word Documents
Templates solve most problems
Create headers to organize content
Automatic Bullet lists
Utilize tabs instead of repeat spacing
Page Breaks instead of returns
Insert images in-line with text
Rules
Use built in headers to organize content
All Images Need Alt Text
All Links Need Descriptive
Tables Need Captions
Tables Need Column and Row Headers Designated
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27. Creating Accessible PDFs
Start with a document (Word, Powerpoint) that is already accessible
File > Save As > Select Location
In the Save as type dropdown select PDF
Click Save
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28. Creating Accessible Excel & PowerPoint files
Follow recommendations for creating accessible Word Docs
Avoid blank rows for formatting
Give all sheet tabs unique names that describe what is in the sheet
PowerPoint
Follow recommendations for creating accessible Word Docs
Use slide layouts
Place proper titles in proper places
Don’t insert text boxes
Use arrange tool to order elements
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29. Evaluating Your Document & What to Do Next
Take a look at the results
Use the Inspection Results dialog to click through all the issues
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30. Questions
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