Accessibility

The 2024 web accessibility rule requires WCAG 2.1AA compliance for the college's website, intranet, course content, apps, and social media. The WTCS Compliance Collaborative session on web accessibility is a great resource about the requirements of this rule, as is the Overview of Web Accessibility session (register in Red Hawk Tech).

Accessibility and Google Workplace Committment

Department accessibility audit and remediation plan template (makes a copy)

• How to make your Site Accessible (video)

• Google Slides Accessibility Best Practices

• Grackle Slides Step-by-Step Guide

WI DHS Accessibility Quick Cards (printable)

Accessibility Cheat Sheet: Everything Accessibility in One Place

Accessibility Checklist

You will need Adobe DC or Pro to make an existing PDF accessible. To do so, use these videos to understand how to test and remediate accessibility issues or use Adobe's guides.

• Converting a Google Doc into an accessible PDF

• Converting a Word into an accessible PDF

Here's an additional resource from the University of Arizona.

• Greg's Google Document Accessibility Walk Through

• Creating Acessible Google Docs (recommended training)

• MSU Creating Accessible Document Explainer

• Creating Accessible Word Documents

• Creating Accessible Word Documents (under 10 minutes)

• Creating Accessible Excel Spreadsheets

• GrackleDocs, GrackleSheets, and Grackle Slides Demo

• Accessible Google Docs and Slides - Quick Guide

• Quick tips on making all types of documents accessible

• Creating Accessible PDFs from PPTs

What is Alt text and how to write descriptions

Image Accessibility Creator

Brief overview of audio descriptions (video)

Intro to Audio Descriptions (recorded webinar)

WCAG 2.1 Success Criteria for video and audio

Frozen trailer with audio descriptions

• Conducting software reviews

• Making Google sites more accessible

• WAVE for static/informational web IT

• axe DevTools for dynamic web applications

• Word Accessibility Checker for MS Word Documents

• Acrobat Pro Accessibility Checker for PDF documents

• ACE ePub Checker for ePub books

Video and audio need to be accessible to those with hearing and visual disabilities. These resources will help you create accessibility videos and audio files.

• Using WCAG 2.1 Guidelines to Plan Your Audio and Video Media

• Closed captioning guide

• Closed captioning policy, H-151 - Viewable in MyPolicies

Closed Captioning Contact

Contact Lisa Sadowski (262-564-2564 or sadowskil@gtc.edu) for questions about closed captioning. If you need a video captioned, please submit a help desk ticket.

The ability of those with disabilities to access your class materials can be impacted by the size of the text on the whiteboard and screens, the way you describe visual elements, and the size of the font in your handouts. 

• Use this guide to create accessible virtual learning environments.

• This guide walks you through the process of creating an accessible learning environment.

• Faculty can use Blackboard Ally to increase Blackboard accessibility. Log into Blackboard and click on Faculty Support in the top menu. You will find the training videos and documentation under the side menu.

The size and choice of font, the level of contrast, nd the size of your sign or poster impact the ability of various audiences to see and understand your media.

• Guide to accessible signs and posters

• Creating accessible posters

Make sure everyone can participate in your meetings, whether they are virtual.

• Accessible meetings

• Accessible online meetings

• Tips to create accessible meetings

You can use the Guide to Accessibility or one of these resources to make your documents accessible.

• Creating Accessible Word Document 

• Creating accessible documents in Nitro

• Creating accessible PDFs in Adobe  Basic (video) Advanced (video)

• Creating accessible documents in Microsoft Word (video)

• Creating accessible PDFs from Microsoft Word 

• Making your Google docs and presentations more accessible

• Guide to accessible social media

• Best practices for accessible social media (video)

• Memo on social media accessibility
  
  Legal reminder: Gateway is a government institution and cannot remove comments on social media and cannot block users except in very limited situations (file a Maxient at gtc.edu/eeo for concerning comments so they can be reviewed) .

Gateway has established a process to review software accessibility. The procedure applies to any software program that is purchased or used by anyone at Gateway except when the software is purchased for a limited number of individuals (e.g. an individual employee uses a software program that isn’t fully accessible but is able to do so without any issue). For questions about any other types of exceptions, contact the Office for Equal Opportunity and Civil Rights. Jon Watson and Dave Mahdasian, Student Accommodations and Accessibility Coordinators with SAAS (Student Accommodations & Accessibility Services), are also available to assist with questions about the software evaluation process.

Create a copy of the software accessibility review to use in completing this review.

Create a copy of just the self-assessment checklist.

Software Accessibility Review Process

1. Prior to purchasing or renewing a license for a software product, locate or request a Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT) from the company. Many companies post the VPAT on their website.  Almost all companies produce and provide a VPAT. Sonoma University developed a guide to interpreting a VPAT.

2. Conduct a review of the VPAT and make sure that it meets all WCAG Level AA requirements.

3. If the VPAT doesn’t meet all Level AA requirements, contact the vendor to find out if they can provide a roadmap for when the software will be fully compliant. Complete a self-assessment of the software using the checklist below. Request that the company walk through the accessibility features of the software using the VPAT or checklist starting on page 3, completing the accessibility checklist as the software accessibility features are demonstrated. If the company is unable or unwilling to demonstrate the accessibility of their product, request access to the software to conduct the assessment yourself using the checklist starting on page 3.

4. Upon completion of the review of the VPAT and the self-assessment checklist, provide it to Student Accommodations and Accessibility Services (saas@gtc.edu, use subject line: Software Accessibility Review Request) for final review and approval. Do not procure any software, whether it’s paid or free, new or renewed, that isn’t fully compliant unless approved by the Office for Equal Opportunity and Civil Rights (See H-150: College Accessibility and H-190c Technology Procurement).

5. SAAS will provide an approval email to the requestor and store the email and a copy of the checklist in a Google folder. 

Please note that procuring inaccessible software is against college policy and violates Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Use this tool to check text and background contrast.

• Gateway must comply with WCAG 2.1 AA standards for web accessibility.

• Gateway's Web Accessibility Compliance Plan Overview (video).

• Overview of the WCAG 1.2 Standards (recorded webinar)

• WCAG 2.1 AA Crash Course (recorded video)

• Guide to Writing Descriptive Links

• If you need assistance with accessibility after reviewing these resources, please contact the Office for Equal Opportunity and Civil Rights at compliance@gtc.edu or 262-564-3062.