Use lists

• Use the applications’s List features to create a true list. This will allow students using assistive technology to navigate through the list quickly and efficiently. Lists can be customized with formatting, bullets, and numbering conventions.

Use Alternative text to describe images

• Alternative text, also called Alt text for short, is different from a caption for an image. Alt text is only presented to someone using a screen reader, and allows them to hear a description of an image. Alt text should be kept short, but informative, so that students who cannot see an image can still understand the information it conveys. See Microsoft Word tutorial on adding alternative text or Microsoft PowerPoint tutorial on improving image accessibility.

Use descriptive text for hyperlinks

• Make sure any links in your course materials have descriptive text which informs the students what they will access by clicking the link. If the link destination has a clear and meaningful name, you can use that name. See Microsoft Word tutorial on creating descriptive hyperlinks.

Use proper formatting and captioning for tables

• Tables are often used for displaying complex information in easy-to-see ways. To make sure students using assistive technology can engage with the content, make sure you follow the proper guidelines for the platform you are using to create and format a table. Tables with headers or fixed columns should use the Header feature. Use the Captions and summary features to provide an overview to the table. This is a chance to highlight significant information that might be lost to those who cannot see the table clearly. See Microsoft Word tutorial on creating accessible tables.

Use headings consistently

• Using headings in your document will allow students to orient themselves and navigate through the document. This is especially important for students using a screen reader or assistive technology for navigation. This is different from using formatting such as increasing the size or adding bold for emphasis. See Microsoft Word tutorial on creating headings.

Accessible presentations

Creating an accessible presentation follows much of the same guidelines for creating an accessible document. Clear, consistent formatting and organization of your slides will make them accessible to everyone. Use images when necessary to add context or highlight topics, but avoid too much unnecessary decoration. If you are using slides heavily, considering providing students with access to the slides before the lecture. If students need to use assistive technology, they can follow along. It will also help students with cognitive issues focus and engage on your content.

Use clear formatting and organization

• While you are creating your slides, remember less is often more. Aim for clear, concise slides with a standard layout to present information to students. Consistent formatting and structure will make it easier for students who have cognitive disabilities to absorb and understand information. Avoid unnecessary text and images, and large blocks of text.

Use large and readable fonts and colors

• For presentations, using a simple sans-serif font set to 24pt or large will ensure your slide is easy to read for you students, including those in the back of the room and those students who are low-vision. If you are using colors, make sure you use high-contrast colors so differences can be seen from afar. When using color, make sure it is not the only source of information, so that students who cannot see color or highlights still understand the importance of the content.

Set the reading order of slide contents

• Setting the reading order will allow students to access the content in a logic order that you specify. This way, they will be able to keep up with your description of the slides and information.

Use titles to orient students

• Applying a meaningful and unique title to each slide will allow a student to quickly navigate through your content and find relevant information.

Accessible audio and video

Accessible media requires several components. Depending on the media that is produced, and the platform that is used, the process for creating accessible media will be different.

Create a transcript for audio-only content

• A transcript provides a copy of the words and sounds from content like a podcast or an audio lecture. If you are using a script to pre-record lectures, it will be easy to produce a transcript. Transcripts should always be accurate, identify changes of speakers, and any non-verbal sounds that are important to the content. Some players and services allow for synchronous and interactive transcripts, but timestamps are not required for audio-only transcripts to be accessible.

Add captions to video content

• Captions are text representations of audio happening in video media. Captions are different from subtitles; captions are in the same language as the original media, subtitles are a translation of the original media’s language into another language. They can take the form of Open Captions (OC) which are always on, and Closed Captions (CC) which can be turned on and off by a user. Unlike transcripts, captions provide text on a screen synchronously with the audio. Captions should follow ADA guidelines to be 99% accurate and be available as soon as the video is available to any students. If you have the ability, captions should be added to the bottom of the screen, and be high-contrast or on a background to make them visible. Caption locations can be adjusted to make sure they do not cover important content on the screen. Note: A transcript of dialogue provided for video content does NOT meet accessibility guidelines. Professional captioning can be very expensive. See options for Automatic Speech Recognition: