1. Web Accessibility Creating Accessible Files and Documents
Anne Bartlett, Public Communications Specialist
Pat Broderick, Multimedia Designer
Today’s presentation will give a brief overview of web accessibility, focusing on how to create accessible files and documents (specifically Word and PDF documents) for our website.
December 4 and 18, 2018

2. What do we mean by accessible?
Perceivable
Operable
Understandable
Robust
What do we mean by accessible?
An accessible website supports web visitors who are blind, have low vision or color blindness, are deaf or heard or hearing, are unable to use a mouse, have limited fine motor control, cognitive learning disabilities, distractability, or the inability to remember or focus on large amounts of information. This is based upon four principles: Perceivable, Operable, Understandable, and Robust. Below are descriptions of each as background information.
Note: most of this affects how the website is designed, which we (SMCOE staff) don’t have much control over. We can, however, have an impact on how perceivable, operable, and understandable the website is. Below are some reflective questions to ask yourself when creating your online content.
Perceivable:
Starting at the most basic level, users must be able to process information. Information that is not presented in a processable format is not accessible. Among other affordances, this means providing text for those who cannot hear, and audio for those who cannot see. It does not mean creating audio for all text, but content must be consumable by screen readers and other assistive technologies. Websites and apps that require sight or hearing won't pass the test of perceivability.
Ask yourself: 
Is there anything on our website that a blind, deaf, low vision, or color blind user would not be able to perceive?
Do all images have alternative text?
Do videos have captions?
Does audio have transcript?
Are visual characteristics avoided (click the circle on the right, required fields are in red)
Is there sufficient contrast between text color and background color?
Are images of texts avoided?
Operable:
People with disabilities need to be able to operate websites and applications with a variety of tools. Many users with disabilities cannot operate a mouse. Alternatives like keyboard-based operation should be implemented. To help users with cognitive disabilities operate a website, animations and media should be controllable, and time limits for completing an action should be generous or configurable. Most importantly, sites and apps should be forgiving. All people, not just those with disabilities, make mistakes. Offer second chances, instructions, cancellation options, and warnings to help all users.
Do pages or documents have a title that describes its topic or purpose?
Is link text meaningful, independent of context?
Understandable:
Understandable websites use clear, concise language and offer functionality that is easy to comprehend. If a user takes an action, the connection between the action and the result should be obvious. Navigation should be used consistently across a site. Forms should follow a logical flow and provide clear labels. If a user must go through a process — like a checkout — adequate guidance should be provided. If this feels like usability and not accessibility, that's because usable websites are inherently more accessible.
Is all of the text on our website clearly written?
Are all of the interactions easy to understand?
Robust:
Within limits, websites should work well-enough across platforms, browsers, and devices to account for personal choice and user need. While users cannot expect a website to support Internet Explorer 1.0, sites should not dictate the technology users can use. When sites dictate supported technology platforms, they restrict access for any non-conforming user. One of the best ways to meet the principle of robustness is to follow development standards and conventions. Clean code is generally more robust and consumable across platforms.
(POUR)

3. What do we mean by accessible?
Perceivable
Operable
Understandable
Robust
What do we mean by accessible?
An accessible website supports web visitors who are blind, have low vision or color blindness, are deaf or heard or hearing, are unable to use a mouse, have limited fine motor control, cognitive learning disabilities, distractability, or the inability to remember or focus on large amounts of information. This is based upon four principles: Perceivable, Operable, Understandable, and Robust. Below are descriptions of each as background information.
Note: most of this affects how the website is designed, which we (SMCOE staff) don’t have much control over. We can, however, have an impact on how perceivable, operable, and understandable the website is. Below are some reflective questions to ask yourself when creating your online content.
Perceivable:
Starting at the most basic level, users must be able to process information. Information that is not presented in a processable format is not accessible. Among other affordances, this means providing text for those who cannot hear, and audio for those who cannot see. It does not mean creating audio for all text, but content must be consumable by screen readers and other assistive technologies. Websites and apps that require sight or hearing won't pass the test of perceivability.
Ask yourself: 
Is there anything on our website that a blind, deaf, low vision, or color blind user would not be able to perceive?
Do all images have alternative text?
Do videos have captions?
Does audio have transcript?
Are visual characteristics avoided (“click the circle on the right,” “required fields are in red”)
Is there sufficient contrast between text color and background color?
Are images of texts avoided?
Operable:
People with disabilities need to be able to operate websites and applications with a variety of tools. Many users with disabilities cannot operate a mouse. Alternatives like keyboard-based operation should be implemented. To help users with cognitive disabilities operate a website, animations and media should be controllable, and time limits for completing an action should be generous or configurable. Most importantly, sites and apps should be forgiving. All people, not just those with disabilities, make mistakes. Offer second chances, instructions, cancellation options, and warnings to help all users.
Do pages or documents have a title that describes its topic or purpose?
Is link text meaningful, independent of context?
Understandable:
Understandable websites use clear, concise language and offer functionality that is easy to comprehend. If a user takes an action, the connection between the action and the result should be obvious. Navigation should be used consistently across a site. Forms should follow a logical flow and provide clear labels. If a user must go through a process — like a checkout — adequate guidance should be provided. If this feels like usability and not accessibility, that's because usable websites are inherently more accessible.
Is all of the text on our website clearly written?
Are all of the interactions easy to understand?
Robust:
Within limits, websites should work well-enough across platforms, browsers, and devices to account for personal choice and user need. While users cannot expect a website to support Internet Explorer 1.0, sites should not dictate the technology users can use. When sites dictate supported technology platforms, they restrict access for any non-conforming user. One of the best ways to meet the principle of robustness is to follow development standards and conventions. Clean code is generally more robust and consumable across platforms.
(POUR)

4. Why have an accessible website?
Legally required (Section 504, Rehabilitation Act of 1973)
Promotes equitable access to information and engagement
Benefits people without disabilities
Legally required
SMCOE is legally obligated to ensure people with disabilities are able to acquire the same information, engage in the same interactions, and enjoy the same benefits and services within the same timeframe as their nondisabled peers, with substantially equivalent ease of use; that they are not excluded from participation in, denied the benefits of, or otherwise subjected to discrimination in any SMCOE programs, services, and activities delivered online, as required by Section 504 and its implementing regulations; and that they receive effective communication of SMCOE’s programs, services, and activities delivered online.
Under Section 504, public entities are required to ensure equal access to all programs, services, and activities for individuals with disabilities, unless doing so would result in undue financial and administrative burden or fundamentally alter those programs, services, or activities. These requirements also apply to online programs, services, and activities.
Promotes equity
An accessible website promotes equitable access to information and engagement in SMCOE’s programs. Since SMCOE’s vision is excellence and equity in education, accessibility is at the very core of our vision and values.
Benefits everyone
An accessible website can help those without disabilities. For example, an accessible website can benefit:
people using mobile phones, smart watches, smart TVs, and other devices with small screens, different input modes, etc.
older people with changing abilities due to ageing
people with “temporary disabilities” such as a broken arm or lost glasses
people with “situational limitations” such as in bright sunlight or in an environment where they cannot listen to audio
people using a slow Internet connection, or who have limited or expensive bandwidth

5. Steps to an Accessible Website1
Build Accessibility into Design
Meaningful heading structure for screen readers
Contrast in colors for visually impaired
Use Accessibility Tools When Editing
“Description” field for alternative text
Select proper headings
Use tables for tabular data only
Link to/Embed Accessible Files
Photos (e.g. no text, just the image)
PDFs (using program tools)
Videos (e.g. captions) 2
How do we build an accessible website?
There are three major levels to an accessible website. The first, building accessibility into the website’s design, will be handled by our website developer, The Grossbauer Group. The second is for web editors to use accessibility tools when editing their pages. This was discussed at the September web editing meetings. The final level is linking to/embedding accessible files. Guidelines around photos were shared at the September meeting; please review the September PowerPoint for more information. Today, we will be discussing how to create accessible Word documents and PDFs. In regards to captions for videos, we recommend engaging a third party organization to create these. 3

6. Why are accessible files important?
2:13 minutes long

7. Steps to an Accessible Website
DISCLAIMER:
A fully accessible website
is a moving target.
Acknowledge that because content changes, web editors change, needs change, a fully accessible website is a moving target.
We need to work together to do our best to make it accessible, and do our best to train our staff and keep them knowledgeable. This is our first step towards building an accessible website.

8. When You Find Non-Accessible Content
Take one of 4 actions:
Remediate
Remove
Turn the document into a web page
Post a disclaimer if document is important but can’t be removed
Suggested disclaimer: “We are in the process of updating our documents and files to improve accessibility. If you are experiencing any issues accessing or reading our documents, please reach out to __________.”

9. Creating Accessible Files
Today, we’re going to focus on creating accessible Word Documents and PDFs. Guidelines for creating accessible files can be found on the Web Editing section of our internal website. We will go through the major sections of each guideline. Then, we will complete a test Word document and PDF.

10. Elements for Creating Accessible Word Documents
Document title
Descriptive text for images
Correct use of heading styles, lists, and tables
Clear, unique text for links
No extra paragraphs
Run Accessibility Checker to catch mistakes
Title
A title lets the screen reader know which document is being read.
Images
Screen reader users will not get any information about an image unless you use alternative text.
Headings
Headings create an outline structure to the document which allows screen readers to scan a page or jump to content.
List
If a bulleted, numbered, or multi-level list isn’t set up correctly, the screen reader will not recognize the list.
Tables
Screen readers will have difficulties reading tables used as a design element or tables that are complicated with nested tables.
Spaces
Screen readers read every return. If you hit return between paragraphs or elements, instead of adjusting spacing, screen readers will read these empty spaces out loud.
Check Accessibility
Run a check to make sure there are no further issues.

11. Elements for Creating Accessible PDFs
Run the Action Wizard Tool to make accessible
Specify reading order
Check accessibility
Fix errors: title, alternative text, heading, table
Action Wizard Tool
The tool ensures the document has a title, the language is recognized, and images have descriptive texts.
Specify Reading Order
Specifying the correct reading order helps the screen reader to read the page elements in the intended order.
Check Accessibility
Run a check to make sure there are no further issues.
Title
A title lets the screen reader know which document is being read.
Alternative Text
Screen reader users will not get any information about an image unless you use alternative text.
Headings
Headings create an outline structure to the document which allows screen readers to scan a page or jump to content.
Tables
Screen readers will have difficulties reading tables used as a design element or tables that are complicated with nested tables.

12. More Resources Everyone is Different! - UX Mastery & A11y Bytes
3:56 minutes long

13. January Web Editing Meetings
Tuesday, January 8 10:00 – 11:30 a.m. Laurel and Eucalyptus Thursday, January 24 2:30 – 4:00 p.m. Pelican webeditinggroup eventbrite.com

14. Thank you!

15. Sources