Easy Steps to Getting Started with Accessibility

Let’s get started by taking a few easy steps…

• Contrast
• Link Descriptions
• Accessible Documents
• Alternative Text
• Captions

Let’s share ideas to help make a better product for everyone!

When and How to Best Use Alternative Text

All content images should include descriptive alternative text (alt-text) through the alt attribute. For purely decorative and artistic graphics, the alt attribute is set to be empty or null (alt=””) to enable those who use a screenreader or text-only web browser to bypass them. For example, elements such as spacers, bullets, and arrows do not add anything beyond visual emphasis and do not need to be described. People using screen reader software do not need to know that red bullets mark list items. When blank alt-text is used for such images, the software will skip over the image.Some linked images use the title attribute to describe the link for the image in greater detail; this information is displayed in most visual web browsers when the pointing device is placed over a linked image and is also available to those who use a screenreader.

 

 

Also, images that appear alongside text to provide visual emphasis or clarification need not be communicated to nonvisual users. For example, text links are often paired with icons to help people quickly identify the link purpose, such as an arrow next to a “next page” link, or an email icon next to an “email this article” link. In these cases, the text link does a sufficient job of conveying the link function to nonvisual users. Generally, when images are used to reinforce text links, providing the functional equivalent via alt-text only results in redundancy.

 

here’s some great tips for how to use alt-text.

How to Determine If a PDF Contains Machine Readable Text

Even if you can open a file and read text on the screen, it doesn’t mean that the file contains machine readable text. The most common pdf file is more like an image or snapshot of the content. If this is the case, then a screen reader will not be successful.

1. Open the PDF file in Adobe Reader.
2. Click and drag your mouse pointer to select an area of text.
3. If you can select text, then the document contains machine readable text. 
4. If your mouse pointer draws a box or else highlights the whole page, then the document DOES NOT contain machine readable text. 

Captions vs Subtitles

What is the difference between captions and sub-titles?

1. Captioning is the rendering of speech and other audible information in the written language of the audio. Captions are usually closed by default and to be used, must be turned on.
2. Subtitling is mainly for translation of dialogue and certain onscreen elements in visible words.
3. Captions were initially intended for the hearing impaired audience.
4. Subtitles are mainly intended for an audience who do not understand the language of the dialogue.
5. Captions move to denote who is speaking.
6. Subtitles are almost always set at the bottom of the screen
7. Captions describe sound effects and other dramatically significant audio.
8. Subtitles assume you can hear the phone ringing, the sound of footsteps, or birds chirping.

Google has a product called CaptionTube which allows you to add closed captioning but was really cumbersome and i did not like it.

YouTube has a tool that allows you to upload a transcript for an option to add closed captioning to a video. YouTube uses speech technology to match the transcript to the speech on the video. After completed, the video will now have a CC button and also an interactive transcript button as well. Nice, i like this tool.

How to Create an Accessible PowerPoint

Note: These instructions were written from a Windows environment. Mac instructions will be coming soon!

1. Open Microsoft Word
2. Click View in the Ribbon and choose Outline View
3. Enter your text and choose desired heading levels
4. Once finished entering content, go back to Print Layout or Normal View
5. Add desired formatting
6. Now Save the Word document
7. In the small toolbar located at the top left of the screen, click the down arrow
8. Click to choose More Commands
9. Click the down arrow to choose All Commands
10. Click to add the option called Send to Microsoft Office PowerPoint
11. Click OK
12. Now you’re ready to click the new PowerPoint button you’ve just added to the Quick Access Tools
13. This will convert your Word document to a PowerPoint Presentation
14. In the Ribbon, click the Designs tab and choose a nice Design for your presentation
15. Make any needed edits and you’re done!
16. Save your new Incredible Accessible PowerPoint

Alternative Text in Microsoft Word

Only four steps to add alternative text to images in Microsoft Word.

1. Right-click the image
2. Choose the Format Picture option
3. Click Alt Text and enter a Title and Description
4. Click Close