Basic Guidelines For All Material

When working with templates, it’s important to start with a clean document. If a template has been used for years and through upgrades to source document software such as Microsoft Word (e.g. Word 2013 to Word 2016), meta-data piles up. This meta-data impacts the overall accessibility of a document. To create a clean template, begin with a new document and avoid copy/paste from previous versions. It may take longer to retype the document, but this will save time when using the template to create accessible documents. Once the template is saved, it is important not to alter it with each use. Always use “Save as” vs “Save” to keep the template clean. To use:

Open the template

> File

> Save As

Name appropriately and only then make desired changes to the document.

Consistent navigation aids understanding; the predictability decreases time spent by users. When creating an accessible document, be sure to use heading styles to format headings that emphasize text vs. font changes. Format lists using the lists options and keep the design and navigation consistent by using the same templates. When using columns or multiple text areas, verify assistive technology reads in a logical order. If using a background, ensure that colors have high contrast and that color alone is not used to convey information or navigational cues.

General Guidelines:

• Use clear, direct, and logical language and ensure that page titles accurately describe content of each page
• Paragraphs are not to be justified and are to be a maximum of 80 characters wide
• Line spacing must be at least half the height of text with 1.5 times line spacing between paragraphs

All text in a document should be true and is accomplished by using a keyboard to type in text. No pictures of text or SmartArt should be used in lieu of typing information into a document.

The purpose of the contrast ratio is to ensure that users can read text over a background. The 7:1 contrast ratio is for solid color background and text letter size. There are numerous contrast ratio analyzers available online that can be used to ensure text has a contrast ratio of 7:1.

Options to check contrast ratio:

• Download Paciello Color Contrast Analyzer
• Use WebAim Color Contrast Analyser online. If there is not an option to use the eyedropper to pick colors, try using it in the Chrome browser.
• Install tota11y

Color is often used to convey information to people who can see color by emphasizing important concepts, dates, to-do items, etc. If font color is used to convey information, be sure to add a second way to highlight meaning. For example, important information shouldn’t only be red font; instead pair the red font with italics or Strong style. Test your content by printing in black and white: does the instructions and or information make sense in the absence of color?

Headings provide a structure to the document that allows navigation for assistive technology. When creating headings to indicate subsections of documents, presentations, etc., most tools (Blackboard, Microsoft, HTML editors, G-Suite etc.) include pre-set styles (Heading 1, Heading 2, Heading 3 etc.). Heading styles ensure that assistive technology can determine the hierarchy of document structure. Using bold or italics or changing font and color to indicate headings is not compliant because assistive technologies don't recognize the altered text as a heading. Headings must nest in order (i.e. Heading 2 follows Heading 1 and Heading 3 follows Heading 2) and skipping headings is not allowed (e.g. jumping from Heading 1 to Heading 3). Headings are similar to an outline; headings larger in number can follow a lower number, provided they maintain proper hierarchy throughout the document. By convention, there is only one Heading 1 in a document and it is the title of the document.

All objects require alternative text (alt text). If the object is decorative or does not add to the meaning of a document, it can be tagged as “decorative.” Alt text should convey the meaning of the object to the document and any words on the object must be included in the alt text.

Alt Text Rules:

1. Every image must have alt-text
2. Context over picture; focus on you want the image to convey
3. Active images must include information about the action
4. Information contained in the image must be included in the alt text

Alt Text Best Practices:

• Focus on function-use it as a guide
• Avoid redundancy
• Keep it succinct and grammatically correct
• Use Description vs Title dialogue boxes
• Include all text that appears in the image
• Alt text for links must include destination
• Charts, graphs, and tables must have alt text unless the same information is provided in a Table or Figure description

To add alt text in Microsoft Products (PC):

Right-click on the image, chart, graph, etc. and select Format Picture

> Layout and Properties icon

> Alt Text

Use the Description dialogue to input appropriate alt text

To add alt text in Microsoft Products (Mac):

From the Home ribbon >Picture Format

> Format Pane

> Layout and Properties icon

> Alt Text

Use the Description dialogue to input appropriate alt text

To add alt text in Google-Suite (docs, sheets, slides, etc.):

Right-click on the image, chart, graph, etc. and select Alt Text

Use the Description dialogue to input appropriate alt text

> OK

Assistive technology searches for underlined text when looking for hyperlinks. Users of assistive technology may assume that a link is missing when words or phrases are underlined for emphasis rather than linking to external content.

Lists

Do not use the tab key or tables to create lists, rather use the default or custom settings. Lists can be numbered, bulleted, or multi-leveled lists. Use numbers when order is important (ordered lists) and bullets when order is not pertinent (unordered lists).

To create lists in Microsoft Products (PC):

From Ribbon

> Home

> Paragraph

To create lists in Microsoft Products (Mac):

From Ribbon

> Home

To create lists in Google-Suite (docs, sheets, slides, etc.):

Use the Main Menu Bar

Columns

Columns are often used for formatting and can help determine reading order when created appropriately. Do not use the tab key or a table to create columns, rather use custom settings. NOTE: creating columns inserts a section break before and after the selected text that has been put into columns.

To create columns in Microsoft Products (PC):

Select text to put into columns

From Ribbon

>Page Layout

>Columns

To create columns in Microsoft Products (Mac):

Select text to put into columns

>Format

>Columns

To create columns in Google-Suite (docs, sheets, slides, etc.):

Select text to put into columns

>Format

> Columns

Tables

Tables should never be used to organize content in a document; doing so makes it nearly impossible for those who use assistive technology to understand the information on the page. Tables should be used for data only and should be as simple as possible.

Create tables using the Insert Table tool and enter the number of rows and columns needed; do not create a table by highlighting the number or rows and columns needed in the grid. Tables should always include a header row and contain no split, merged, or empty cells. Do not adjust table spacing by using the tab or enter keys. To adjust the size or rows or columns use Table Properties to increase or decrease the height and or width of cells.

To create tables in Microsoft Products (PC and Mac):

> Insert

> Table

> Insert Table

Enter desired number of rows and columns

> OK

Highlight the header row(s) and then check the box for Header Row or First Column as appropriate in the Table Design Ribbon.

R > the highlighted cells

> Table Properties

In the Row tab, check the box beside Repeat as header row at the top of each page

> OK

To create tables in Google-Suite (docs, sheets, slides, etc.):

> Insert

> Table

Use the grid to select the number of rows and columns

NOT SEEING HOW TO SET HEADERS EVEN WITH GRACKLE-COME BACK

Charts

need blurb about charts...

To create charts in Microsoft Products (PC and Mac):

> Insert

> Charts

Choose desired chart type

> OK

To create charts in G-Suite (docs, sheets, slides, etc.):

> Insert

> Chart

Choose desired chart type

The Accessibility Checker in Microsoft products only works in versions 2013 and higher. If a document was created in a previous version, the Accessibility Checker will not work. The Accessibility Checker has two main sections: Inspection Results and Additional Information.

The Inspection Results has three categories: ERRORS, WARNINGS, and TIPS. Errors are serious problems that highlight content that people who use assistive technology will be unable to read. These must be fixed. Warnings highlight content that people who use assistive technology will find difficult to read. Tips highlights content than any person might have difficulty reading.

Additional Information provided information on why a particular error, warning, or tip should be fixed and provides instructions or links to instructions on how to fix the issue.

Clicking on each element in the Inspection Results section highlights the corresponding information within the document and once the issue has been fixed it will no longer be in the Inspection Results section.

To run the Accessibility Checker in Microsoft products (PC):

> File

From the Info page that opens

> Check for Issues

> Check Accessibility

A dialogue box will open in the right side of the screen as a list of "Inspection Results". As you work through the issues and make changes in the document, the list automatically updates.

To run the Accessibility Checker in Microsoft products (Mac):

> Review

> Check Accessibility

To check accessibility in the Google-Suite (docs, sheets, slides, etc.):

> Add-ons*

> Grackle [docs, sheets, slides etc.)

> Launch

A similar dialogue box will open in the right side of the screen. Issues found will have a red x, making changes in the document, the red x changes to a green checkmark.

*To install the Grackle add-ons:

> Add-ons

> Get Add-ons

In the search bar type Grackle Docs, Grackle Sheets, or Grackle Slides

Select the appropriate add-on for the file type you are working on

> Install

> Continue

type in your @alaska.edu email address

> Allow