Accessibility Features Overview

Early on in my career I have always felt that everyone deserves the opportunity to access all that life has to offer, regardless of innate abilities. As an educator, I feel it is my responsibility to do everything in my power to create a learning environment that is accessible cognitively, physically, socially and emotionally. Assistive technology's function is to aid users to reach their full potential and "is not compensatory and NOT remedial" (Tate,2020).

• ALT Text : My eportfolio contains images that have ALT Text, as it describes images and provides context for "visually impaired users to get information about a picture" (Tate, 2020).

• Font Theme and Size : Font size and style is a simple and quick way to create text which is easier to read. I have used the Calibri font style in size 16 for the body of my eportfolio, whereby headings and titles are larger for emphasis. This ensures that Sans Serif font style is much easier to read.

• Headings and Subheadings : The content in my eportfolio contains headings, titles, as "organizing your content (on websites, word docs, google docs, etc.) allows people who use screen readers to find and access information quickly and efficiently" (Tate, 2020).

• Hyperlinks : Creating quick access or a shortcut to access the web using Hyperlinks is a useful function that creates more points of access in a document. I have used hyperlinks throughout my eportfolio. For example, I added hyperlinks to images and other pertinent information to maintain a balanced focus of all the material.

• Use of Colour and Backgrounds : Contrast between text and the background needs to provide visual perception that makes it easy to read the text. This is especially relevant when images are recessed as a background for text, and so this is not recommended when considering accessibility features. Coloured text or backgrounds can affect text readers, that is why it is best to keep it simple and straightforward. Black and white is the ultimate contrast. I have used some elements of colour and recessed images in my eportfolio with care to ensure clear access for all readers.

• Bullet & Number Lists : Bullet and Number lists are a great way to provide information in a list format. I have listed all my accessibility features this way. "People using screen readers can pull up a list of links in a page and have them read out loud" (Tate, 2020)

• Closed Caption : In my YouTube Video in my UDL assignment section, I prepared and synced a transcript for my video to ensure accessibility. Close captions are great at reinforcing and supporting the viewer to keep track of information. "This is particularly helpful for videos with no spoken language (Powtoons)" (Tate, 2020).