Providing accessible instructional materials for your classes benefits all students by removing barriers students may face while obtaining the information you provide as a professor. Making you instructional materials accessible allows assistive technology - such as screen-reading software - to read aloud content for users who cannot see the content. Screen-reading software is commonly used by people with visual impairments and/or those with a learning disabilities as well as by some simply for the convenience of hands-free listening.

Adding accessibility in your instructional documents and content can be accomplished with features and tools in Microsoft Word or Adobe Acrobat Professional. Though the actual implementation may differ between software applications, a number of concepts are similar and provide the technical foundation of document/content accessibility.

The five general components listed below are important to keep in mind when creating accessible course documents.

1. DOCUMENT STRUCTURE -

Structure In a document refers to creating and maintain a logical reading order for your documents. Sighted users can scan a document for a certain information and automatically bypass information not pertinent to what they are looking for. Non-sighted users rely on assistive technology such as screen-reading software to have the contents read to them. Use heading and paragraph tags consistently to provide a logical reading order for the document.

-To locate heading and paragraph tags, look the top right of the information bar for the appropriate heading or paragraph tag

Access. pic. #1.PNG

2. Alternate Text/Captions for Images-

Images in documents are effective for conveying visual data. In order for the information to still be useful to someone who cannot see the image, it is necessary to explain the image as completely as possible. This can be done using alternate text or captions to provide a title for the image or a brief description of what the image depicts.

How Add alt text to images

Add alt text to images, such as pictures, screenshots, icons, videos, and 3D models, so that screen readers can read the text to describe the image to users who can’t see the image.

Do one of the following:

Select an image and press the Alt Text button in the Format ribbon tab.

Right-click an image and select Edit Alt Text.

Access. pic. #2-1.PNG

The Alt Text pane opens on the right side of the document body

Type 1-2 sentences to describe the image and its context to someone who cannot see it

Ex.

Access. pic. #3.PNG

3. Document Navigation Assistance-

Providing a table of contents, bookmarks, and list styles will assist users in navigating your documents better. Table of contents and bookmarks work together with document structure to allow users to find the information they need quickly.

4. Text and Color choices-

When choosing colors for your documents, remember some users may have trouble seeing certain colors or distinguishing between contrasting colors. Therefore, check that your text has strong contrast to allow low vision or color-blind users to distinguish between color differences. Another suggestion is to consider how the document would appear when viewed on a black and white screen. Use more than color to denote differences, emphasis, and content meaning such as shared and patterns or software program’s bold, Italic, and underline choices.

5. Web Links-

If you are providing links to outside resources on the web, ensure that you create meaningful labels to adequately describe the link you have included. Avoid using phrases such as Click here; use phrases such as Click here for information on Universal Design for Learning instead.

Ex.

Access. pic. #4.PNG

Visit the Microsoft Office support web site at https://bit.ly/2mxr7Um to find specific directions on using the above accessibility components in WordThe Ferris Stat eLearning team offers many resources to help you create accessible materials as well as design your course using Universal Design for Learning principles to provide the best possible instruction for al of your students. For additional accessibility resources, please visit Ferris' FLITE Adaptive Technologies Lab web site.

Visit the Ferris state eLearning web site at http://ferris.edu/eLearning Accessibility for Instructional Material: General Guidelines for Documents Developed by Bob Moyce (Center for Teaching and Faculty Development at http://ctfd.sfsu.edu) Modifies here by Dr. Tracy Amalfitano, Ferris State University