Core Skill 7: Create accessible digital content that conforms to good standards of readability, accessibility and branding

Digital content is defined as web content, including text, images, sounds, videos, controls, animations, and conventional electronic documents. Every Extension employee is required (by Federal law) to properly create and format accessible digital content when collaborating with colleagues, and sharing with external audiences.  Extension content must also be properly branded. The core skills in this section include applying the  UMN 7 Core Skills of Accessibility to create accessible content and using the Extension templates to ensure proper branding of your content. 

Digital Accessibility Skills

1. Complete the 1 hour digital accessibility: Foundations course

2. Learn about the 7 Core Skills of Accessibility on the Office for Digital Accessibility (ODA) website.

3. Review Extension's Digital Accessibility Support webpage. 

4. Sign up for Extension's self-paced 7 core skills refresher course Get in your digital accessibility era: IT Goldy version 

5. Watch Extension's how-to webinars:

   • Accessibility tips and tools for Word and Google Docs

   • Smarter Slides: Accessibility Tips and Tools for Presentations (if applicable to your job)

6. (optional) Attend University accessibility events sponsored by the Accessibility Ambassadors and other community groups. 

Creating documents skills

• Structure and format accessible documents using Extension Communications templates as appropriate

• Apply headings/styles (ex: h1, h2, h3) to documents

• Know how to properly format links and email addresses in documents and email 

• Adjust line spacing, align text, add bullets, numbering, headers & footers, tabs and indentation in Microsoft Word and Google Docs

• Use the built-in accessibility checker in Microsoft Word and install Grackle Docs to check Google Documents, Slides and Sheets

• Understand and manipulate the basic structure of spreadsheets in Microsoft Excel and Google Sheets

• Create and present accessible slide decks using PowerPoint and Google Slides

• Create simple forms and surveys with Google Forms and Qualtrics

Multimedia creation, captioning & transcripts

• Refer to the Extension's Video Production Guide when creating educational video

• Understand how to create, edit or request captions and generate transcripts for your media