Written by Bonnie Kenney, MEd
Creating course materials that are accessible for all students is important. This article will attempt to address a few of the most common mistakes made when creating materials that will be disseminated electronically.
PDFs
- When using PDFs, follow these suggestions:
- Make sure the document has a title. You can check this property in Adobe Acrobat Pro by going to File > Properties > and click the Description tab. Look at the field labeled “Title” and add one if it is missing. Then click OK.
- Tables should include “header” rows. Proper headers help readers understand how tables are organized into columns and rows.
- Untagged PDFs do not contain any of the hidden labels that clarify the structure of a document (e.g., table, heading, paragraph, lists, etc.) and this can cause the content to be misinterpreted. To remedy the situation, open the document in Acrobat Pro > click the “Accessibility” icon > and select “Autotag Document.”
- You can also run a complete accessibility check on an entire PDF by clicking “Accessibility Check” under the Accessibility icon.
Microsoft Office
Microsoft Word and PowerPoint provide built-in accessibility checkers. To access these open either program > select the Review tab > and select the Check Accessibility icon.
- Suggestions for Word include:
- Use heading styles
- Use built-in formats for bulleted lists, columns, and tables
- Avoid floating text boxes
- Include alternative text (alt tags) for images
- Suggestions for PowerPoint include:
- Use built-in slide layouts
- Compose in Outline view (or check Outline view to make sure all slide text is in Outline view)
- Add alternative text (alt tags) for images