When creating content, there are a few basic steps that should be followed in order to assure your content is accessible. It is recommended that documents are started in Microsoft Word and then appropriately exported into PDF. A checklist is provided, with detailed instructions for each step outlined below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To see why creating accessible documents is important, check out this 3 minute video<\/a> of a screen reader going through accessible and inaccessible Word Documents.\u00a0 And here is an example of a screen reader<\/a> going through an inaccessible PDF.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Use the built-in Heading styles like \u201cHeading 1\u2033 and \u201cHeading 2\u2033, available under Styles <\/strong>in the Home <\/strong>tab of the Ribbon in Office versions 2010 and higher. Making text larger and bold does not make it a heading. Try not to skip headings. After a heading has been selected, you are able to edit the font, size and other attributes if you do not like the built-in look.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Use the built-in options like bullets or numbers, available under the Paragraph <\/strong>in the Home <\/strong>tab of the Ribbon in Office versions 2010 and higher. Without using these, a list is not really a list to those using an outside program to read the document. Both numbered and bulleted lists are customizable. Just click on the arrow adjacent to the desired list button and select \u201cDefine New Bullet\/Number Format\u201d for a different design if you do not like the built-in options.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In most versions of Word, you can enter alternate text by right clicking an image and selecting Format Picture.<\/strong> Within the Format Picture<\/strong> dialog, select Layout and Properties<\/strong>, then select Alt Text<\/strong>. To enter alt text in Office 2007, right click an image and select Size and Positioning<\/strong>. Then select Alt Text<\/strong>. It\u2019s recommended to provide the description of the picture in the \u2018Description\u2019 field; you should only enter a \u2018Title\u2019 if your \u2018Description\u2019 field text is long and detailed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In Office 2010 for PCs, within the Review <\/strong>tab, select the Language <\/strong>button, then select \u201cSet Proofing Language\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In Office 2011 for Macs, select Tools > Language from the application menu to define the default language. To define a different language for part of the document, select each foreign language individually, then select Tools > Language to define the language for each.<\/p>\n\n\n\n NOTE:<\/strong> Currently language settings only effect accessibility of the Word document itself. They do not<\/strong> survive when exported to PDF. If PDF is the final format in which you intend to distribute your document, you will need to define language in the PDF directly using Adobe Acrobat Pro.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Word has limitations when it comes to making tables accessible. Tables can be very difficult for screen reader users to understand unless they include markup that explicitly defines the relationships between all the parts (e.g., headers and data cells). For a simple table with one row of column headers and no nested rows or columns, Word is up to the task. However, more complex tables can only be made accessible within HTML or Adobe PDF (accessible table markup can be added to the PDF using Adobe Acrobat Pro).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Often complex tables can be simplified by breaking them into multiple simple tables with a heading above each.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For simple tables, the only step necessary for accessibility is to identify which row contains the column headers. To do this in Word, select that row (Table > Select > Row), then right click the row and select \u201cTable Properties\u201d. This brings up the Table Properties<\/strong> dialog. In this dialog, click the Row <\/strong>tab, and check the checkbox that says \u201cRepeat as header row at the top of each page.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n There are right ways and wrong ways to export to PDF. The steps required depends on which version of Microsoft Word you\u2019re using. Do not print to PDF<\/strong>. This method of creating a PDF does not preserve the document\u2019s accessibility features. The correct method of exporting to PDF depends on which version of Microsoft Office you\u2019re using.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Go to File > \u201cSave As\u2026\u201d and select PDF from the choices provided. By default this produces a PDF that preserves the document\u2019s accessibility features.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When saving, select Options <\/strong>and be sure that \u201cDocument structure tags for accessibility\u201d is checked. This is checked by default, but could become unchecked under certain circumstances.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you select \u201cMinimize Size\u201d to reduce the size of your PDF, be sure to repeat the preceding step, as this option might uncheck the \u201cDocument structure tags for accessibility\u201d checkbox.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Prior to Office 2010, exporting to an accessible PDF requires a plug-in. The Adobe PDF Maker Plugin ships with Adobe Acrobat Pro, and the plugin is installed into Office and appears as an Adobe toolbar and menu item. With this plug-in installed, use the Adobe toolbar or the Adobe menu item to Save As PDF. By default this produces a PDF that preserves the document\u2019s accessibility features.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As of Word 2011, it is unfortunately not yet possible to export to accessible PDF from a Mac. You can create an accessible Word document in Word 2011, but if you ultimately need to export the document to PDF that final step must be taken in Windows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The checklist specifically applies to Acrobat Pro X and XI. Many of the same principles applied in earlier versions of Acrobat as well, but the steps for completing them are different. For additional information about fixing accessibility using Acrobat, see WebAIM\u2019s tutorial<\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0NOTE:<\/strong>\u00a0Modifying PDFs can have unpredictable results, and there is no undo. \u00a0Save often!<\/p>\n\n\n\n How to test:<\/strong> Try selecting text using a mouse, or select all text using Edit > \u201cSelect All\u201d from the Acrobat menu.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If No:<\/strong> This is an image file and is not accessible. Covert to text using View > Tools > \u201cRecognize Text\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n How to test:<\/strong> Go to File Properties (Ctrl+D in Windows, Command+D in Mac). In the bottom left corner of the Document Properties dialog, see the \u201cTagged PDF\u201d field.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If No<\/strong>: this document needs to be tagged. Tags provide the structure on which accessibility is built. Add tags by selecting View > Tools > Accessibility > \u201cAdd Tags To Document.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n How to test:<\/strong> Use View > Tools > Accessibility > \u201cTouch Up Reading Order\u201d to see the order in which content on the current page will reflow if the document is viewed in a small window such as on a mobile device. This can also provide a fairly (though not entirely) accurate representation of the order in which screen readers will read the content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Some accessibility fixes can be made using this tool. Here are a few:<\/p>\n\n\n\n How to test: <\/strong> First, study the document visually to determine what the heading structure should be. Next, open the Tags Panel by selecting View > Show\/Hide > \u201cNavigation Panes\u201d > Tags. The Tags Panel shows a tree of tags that is very similar to HTML.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There are a variety of ways to explore the tag tree. For example, use Acrobat\u2019s text selector tool to highlight text in the document (for example, a heading) then click the menu icon at the top of the Tags pane and choose \u201cFind tag from selection\u201d. This will expand the tag tree if needed and highlight the selected tag.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Alternatively, click the menu icon at the top of the Tags pane and be sure \u201cHighlight Content\u201d is checked. Then click on any tag to see the content associated with that tag highlighted in the document.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Headings should be marked up with tags that are equivalent to HTML headings tags (i.e., <H1> for the main heading, <H2> for subheadings, then <H3>, <H4>, etc. Some authoring tools may create tags that have heading-like names (e.g., \u201c<Heading_Level_1>\u201d). However, these are not recognized by screen readers and will need to be changed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To change a tag<\/strong>, right click on the tag, select Properties, then choose an appropriate tag from the list. If you know what the correct name should be for a particular tag, you can also double-click the tag and type in the correct name.<\/p>\n\n\n\n How to test:<\/strong> <\/strong>Follow the same instructions as in the previous step. However, rather than focusing specifically on headings, consider the overall structure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In some cases, the tag tree of a document is a total mess, and it might be easier to delete all tags and start over building them from scratch rather than try to fix the existing tags.<\/p>\n\n\n\n How to test:<\/strong> <\/strong>Try clicking a link to see if it attempts to open the target resource in a web browser.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If not:<\/strong> go to Tools > \u201cDocument Processing\u201d > \u201cCreate Links from URLs\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n How to test: <\/strong> <\/strong>Go to File > Properties > Advanced > Language.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If not:<\/strong> If no language is specified, select one and save the document.<\/p>\n\n\n\n How to test:<\/strong> Run the accessibility checker that is built in to Acrobat Pro. Select Tools > Accessibility > \u201cFull Check\u201d then read the report and follow the prompts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is the final step in our checklist, rather than the first step, because some documents generate dozens of errors that can easily be addressed with the first seven steps. This way, the accessibility checker will report fewer problems and will be easier to read and work with.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" When creating content, there are a few basic steps that should be followed in order to assure your content is accessible. It is recommended that documents are started in Microsoft Word and then appropriately exported into PDF. A checklist is provided, with detailed instructions for each step outlined below. To see why creating accessible documents ...more about Creating Accessible Documents – Word and PDFs<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":168,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":8,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"class_list":["post-1278","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bellevuecollege.edu\/drc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1278","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bellevuecollege.edu\/drc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bellevuecollege.edu\/drc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bellevuecollege.edu\/drc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/168"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bellevuecollege.edu\/drc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1278"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.bellevuecollege.edu\/drc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1278\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8198,"href":"https:\/\/www.bellevuecollege.edu\/drc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1278\/revisions\/8198"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bellevuecollege.edu\/drc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1278"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Checklist when starting in Word<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Accessible Fonts<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Use headings<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Use lists<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Add alternate text for Images<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Identify document language<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Use tables wisely<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
When exporting to PDF, understand how to preserve accessibility<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Word 2013 and Word 2010 (Windows)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Word 2007 and Word 2003 (Windows)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Word for Mac<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Checklist when using an existing PDF<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Step 1 Does document have text?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Step 2 Is document tagged?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Step 3 Does document need to be \u201ctouched up\u201d?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Step 4 Are headings marked up as headings at appropriate levels?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Step 5 Does other markup need to be fixed?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Step 6 Are URLs encoded as links?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Step 7 Is the language of the document defined?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Step 8 Check for any lingering errors<\/h3>\n\n\n\n