Post #2: Accessible Documents and Websites

Even though I have taken courses in special education, the concept of accessible documents and websites was never brought up until I began the Designing Educational Media course. I find it somewhat ironic that we live in a world full of technology integration and pushes for diversity and inclusion, yet the knowledge of creating accessible documents for individuals with disabilities is not more common place. 

As it turns out, creating accessible documents is much easier than you may think. Many programs, such as Microsoft Word, are already equipped with tools to help achieve that goal. With just a few considerations, you can dramatically improve the accessibility of any document or website:

• Organize your content so that it is more easily navigated by screen readers. The easiest way to accomplish this is to make sure that that the headings of each section follow a hierarchy. Microsoft Word already has built-in features so that you can adjust the font of your texts to Headings 1, 2, 3 or 4. For example, the title of the document will be Heading 1. Every major section will be Heading 2. If there is a sub-section within a major section, it will be Heading 3, and the pattern continues. Avoid skipping headings (such as using Heading 1 then skip to Heading 3 for the next section).
• Provide alternative texts for images. Any time a document includes pictures, graphics, or charts, an alternative text should be provided for the said images that describes the image in words (usually a short, one-sentence description). Sighted readers will not see the alternative text, but the alternative texts will be picked up by screen readers for those who rely on this technology.
• Consider the use of fonts and other visual cues. Is the font easily readable? Are the font sizes large enough? Is there enough contrast between the background color and text? (Keeping in mind that sometimes too stark of a contrast can also cause difficulties for certain individuals). 

If you would like to learn how to make your document and/or website more accessible here are some great resources:

• Creating Accessible Documents in Microsoft Word by the University of Washington: This page provides a quick guide to adding accessible features to your Word document and is perfect for anyone who may be new to creating accessible documents.

• Best practices for Creating Accessible Microsoft Office Documents by California Polytechnic State University: This page provides a brief overview of how to create accessible features not just in Microsoft Word, but also PowerPoint and Excel.

• 10 Examples of ADA Compliant Accessible Web Design by DBS Interactive: This page provides 10 concrete examples of what accessible websites look like as well as what is NOT considered accessible.