Accessibility Quick Guide

Lane Accessibility Quick Guide

For more information on digital accessibility for your courses and learning materials see the Instructional Design Services Accessibility website or contact the ATC.

Format How to Build it Accessibly How to Check if it is Accessible
Video
  • Closed Captions are recommended, and required if video will be on any Lane public site
  • Use an accessible media player, (i.e. Kaltura or YouTube .)
    Note: some content presented in the video may need to be repurposed in a textual format for people with visual impairments.

Press TAB on the keyboard. You should be able to play, pause, rewind, fast forward, rewind,
and toggle the captions for the video using only your keyboard.

MS Word
  • Use heading styles.
  • Use built-in formats for bulleted lists, columns, and tables.
  • Avoid floating text boxes.
  • Include alternative text for images.
  • Do Not save as a Web page.

Run the Microsoft Word Accessibility Checker. It will guide you through making it accessible.

MS Powerpoint
  • 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 for images.
  • Do Not save as a Web page.

Run the Microsoft PowerPoint Accessibility Checker. It will guide you through making it accessible.

MS Excel
  • Specify column headers.
  • Do Not use blank cells for formatting.

Run the Microsoft Excel Accessibility Checker. It will guide you through making it accessible.

Google Docs
  • Use heading styles. Nest headings <h1> <h2> <h3>, not <h1> <3>
  • Images should have alternative text (alt text)
  • Tables must be tagged, merged cells and empty cells are not recommended
  • Use real list styles
  • Avoid lengthy paragraphs
  • Link names should be informative
  • Font size should be easy to read with enough color contrast between foreground and background

Grackle for Google Docs can check your page for accessibility and advise you on how to make things more accessible.

Grackle pro gives you the option to create tagged PDFs.

Webpages
PDF Documents
  • Use software that creates accessible PDFs, like Microsoft Word (Windows only) or InDesign.
    Note: MS Word for Mac cannot create an accessible PDF. You must either use LibreOffice or save to PDF on a Windows computer.
  • Run OCR on scanned items.

Fully determining the accessibility of a PDF document is challenging. The following will give you get an overview of a document's accessibility:

  • In Adobe Acrobat Pro choose Full check under View, then Tools, then Accessibility.
  • Confirm the correct document reading order by selecting Read Out Loud in the View menu to have the document read to you.
Math
  • Check with your department to find acceptable Math equation editors.
  • Check with your book publisher to make sure all products are accessible.
  • Lane's Center for Accessible Resources may be able to help you if you have a specific request.

Always save your source files. You may need them to convert to a different format.

Online Forms
  • If you're creating a form on Drupal, these labels are created automatically for you, though it is your responsibility to create meaningful labels.
  • Use CAUTION when using Google forms

Drupal is mostly accessible.