Creating Accessible Documents

1. Creating Accessible Documents Kara Zirkle, IT Accessibility Coordinator, George Mason University Accessing Higher Ground 2012

2. What will be covered: • Why documents should be made accessible • Types of documents • How to create accessible documents • Built-In technology to help test documents for accessibility • Third Party Solutions • DEMO • Questions

3. Rehabilitation Act

4. ADA/VITA

5. What is included in Section 508? …. Electronic and Information Technology • 1194.21 Software Applications and Operating Systems • 1194.22 Web-Based Intranet and Internet Information and Applications • 1194.23 Telecommunications Products (If it is a Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) or software then it may also include 1194.21 and/or 1194.22) • 1194.24 Video and Multimedia Products (If implemented on the web will also require 1194.22)

6. 1194.25Self Contained and Closed Products (Ex: Copiers, Fax and Kiosks) • 1194.26 Desktop and Portable Computers • 1194.31 Functional Performance Criteria (Must be accessible with assistive technology) • 1194.41 Information, Documentation and Support (Must also be accessible) **Section 508 only applies to visual, hearing and mobility impairments**

7. Why documents should be made accessible • Cliché, but correct answer: Because it’s the law!! • ADA/Section 508 • Helps Mason comply with Federal, State, and Local government standards (i.e., Penn State, Arizona State, Google Apps for Education) • Penn State (settled Sept 2011) – library’s online database, Angel LMS, departmental websites, “smart” podiums, ATMs • Arizona State (settled Jan. 2010) – Kindle Reader pilot • Google (initiated March 2011) • Just recently DOJ under ADA created a settlement agreement with Fairfax County, VA to ensure accessibility of both physical and online material. • Other reasons: • Reaches a wider audience (i.e., captioning, older users, ESL) • Search engines optimization favors accessible websites • Mobile phone access

8. What does IT Accessibility Mean to you? • Mason has policy and an ATI Committee put in place: • ATI Office has worked with ITU Instructional Designers and are available to provide support and consultation to faculty who needs assistance with building accessible courses, administration who needs assistance with designing accessible sites and content and work closely with ODS who determines appropriate accommodations. • Where does this apply? • Online courses • Face-to-Face Courses that use online resources • For example: Blackboard and Piazza • Websites • For example: CommonSpot, Word Press, 3rd Party Services • Website Content • For example: Documents, Videos, etc. • Online and Desktop Applications • Library Databases • What role can you play to help increase accessibility?

9. Roles and Responsibilities: How are you involved with accessibility? Teaching Faculty and Staff

10. Roles and Responsibilities: How are you involved with accessibility? Administrative Staff

11. Roles and Responsibilities: How are you involved with accessibility? IT Professionals

12. If you answered “Yes” to any of these questions, you may be ….. • Posting, • Distributing, • Creating/Developing, • Using, • Maintaining …… Inaccessible Information. What can you do to make it accessible?

13. Design Considerations • Visual • Images should be optimized and include descriptive “alt” tags • Description of the file you have uploaded • Text description provides access to understanding what is being conveyed • Brief, clear, and contextual • Learning/Mobility/Visual/Other • Alternative formats of materials for students who require them (e.g. optional print packet of extensive online reading materials, CD of audio clips) • ODS provides students an accommodation to receive these materials in an accessible electronic format • ATI works to cut, scan, and re-format! • Hearing/ESL/Learning • Caption video or transcribed audio

14. Overall Usability Considerations • Text should be legible and re-sizeable • 14 point font size is ideal • Using a clear sans serif font such as Helvetica or Arial • Document compatibility and accessibility • Is the document in a format that can be opened on various machines, versions of software or mobile? If the format isn’t accessible, is an alternative available? • Use of color should add interest and indicate interface choices, but should not disadvantage those with color blindness • White text on a black background is usually best

15. What will be covered: • Why documents should be made accessible • Types of documents • How to create accessible documents • Built-In technology to help test documents for accessibility • Third Party Solutions • DEMO • Questions

16. Document Accessibility • Increasing number of distance education courses… • Number of electronic documents posted on websites are not accessible • E.g., PDFs scanned with no tags • E.g., Word documents designed without styles • E.g., forms are inaccessible

17. Creation of Documents • Scanning of hard copies • Converting Documents • Creating Electronic Documents • Microsoft Word • Microsoft PowerPoint • Adobe Acrobat

18. Accessible Text To qualify to receive material in alternative formats, students, staff and faculty must have a documented “print” related disability. (Referrals are made by our Office of Disability Services and our ADA Coordinator.) • Learning disabilities related to reading • Visual impairments • Some mobility impairments • Some other cognitive impairments

19. Scanning Documents • Things you CAN do to help make it accessible. Scanning: • Whether you have an electronic file or a hardcopy: • Use software that came with your scanner to import document– this will produce a TIFF file. • Save file • What NOT to do …. • Always use OCR Never assume that a copy is screen reader ready because it “looks” clean.

20. Converting Documents • OCR software – open your scanned document with: • ABBYY Pro • Adobe Acrobat Pro • Read & Write Gold • Save to desired format(s) – PDF, Word, RTF,Text etc. • Editing • Some editing may be needed to assure accessibility • Depending on final format needed -editing can be performed through OCR software or Word.

21. Electronic Documents • Adobe Reader and Acrobat Professional • Adobe LiveCycle Designer • Microsoft Office • Word • PowerPoint

22. Microsoft Office 2010: Word and PowerPoint • Add alt text to images and objects • Specify column headers information in tables • Use styles in long documents • Use short titles in headings • Ensure all heading styles are in the correct order and are unique • Use hyperlink text that is meaningful • Use simple table structure • Ensure that the reading order of each slide is logical • Increase visibility for colorblind viewers • Avoid using blank cells for formatting • Structure layout tables for easy navigation • Avoid using repeated blank characters • Avoid using floating objects • Avoid image watermarks • Include closed captions for video

23. What will be covered: • Why documents should be made accessible • Types of documents • How to create accessible documents • Built-In technology to help test documents for accessibility • Third Party Solutions • DEMO • Questions

24. Built – In Accessibility • Mac Operating System • Windows Operating System

25. Built – In Accessibility: Mac To open the Built-In Accessibility open System Preferences. Here you can use Speech (Speech Recognition or Text to Speech), or you can open Universal Access to see features based upon disability.

26. Mac Speech • Text to Speech, highlighted here, allows you to read documents, websites, etc. • Speech Recognition allows you to talk into the computer and it will “type” for you.

27. Mac Universal Access Universal Access helps you determine your needs based upon your preference as seen here.

28. Built – In Accessibility: PC Windows 7, Vista and XP http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows/help/accessibility/getting-started Showing Windows 7 - Go to your Start panel, select Accessories and “open” Ease of Access folder.

29. Ease of Access Center You can also get to Ease of Access Center using the Control Panel Under the Ease of Access Folder you’ll also see On-Screen Keyboard and Windows Speech Recognition This takes you through a wizard process helping you select what is needed. This is where you can use the voice recognition system to speak to the computer.

30. Adobe Reader Accessibility Features • There are some helpful accessibility features in the free Adobe PDF reader. For example, any PDF file open in Adobe reader can be read aloud with the "Read  Out Loud" option.  • Under the 'View' menu, select 'Read Out Loud', then 'Activate Read Outloud‘. • The Read Out Loud feature of Adobe Reader can be accessed with Keyboard Commands, as listed below. • Activate Read Out Loud:  Shift + Ctrl + Y • Read This Page Only:  Shift + Ctrl + V • Read To End of Document:  Shift + Ctrl + B • Pause/Resume:  Shift + Ctrl + C • Stop:  Shift + Ctrl + E

32. Adobe Acrobat Professional Features for making PDF files accessible for reading • Ability to add text to scanned pages to improve accessibility • Tools for creating accessible PDF forms • Conversion of untagged to tagged PDF files • Tools for editing reading order and document structure • Security setting that allows screen readers to access text while preventing users from copying, printing, editing, and extracting text • Action Wizard to make PDF Accessible

33. Where to find accessibility in Adobe X

34. Adobe LiveCycle Designer • Accessibility Palettes • Support for Screen Readers • Adding Structural Navigation to Forms • Tabbing Order for Accessible Forms • Accessible Form Properties • Accessibility of Imported Content • Accessibility for Authors http://www.adobe.com/accessibility/products/livecycle/overview.html

35. How to include Accessibility in LiveCycle Designer Before starting any document, Right click, scroll to Palettes and select Accessibility. This will continue to show up throughout the document. When choosing a text box selection look to the far right of the screen to accessibility. Select “Caption” to tag the text box name.

36. Including Accessibility in LiveCycle You can check the tab/reading order and change it as needed. Livecycleallows designers to specify the embedding of accessibility information within files that are saved in PDF.

37. Microsoft Built-In Accessibility Checker • When you go to file, you’ll see on the left side a “Check for Issues” and when selecting that you’ll find “Check Accessibility” http://www.microsoft.com/enable/training/office2010/default.aspx

38. Mac Info • Microsoft Office 2008 does not offer Alt Text for images • Microsoft Office 2011 does offer Alt Text – • Click on the image, Control + Click on the image (equivalent of right clicking in PC). Then go to Format Picture and to Alt Text. • http://adod.idrc.ocad.ca/node/1 • http://mac2.microsoft.com/help/office/14/en-us/word/category/0fd37350-97cb-4c7b-bc4d-1725e279a4cd

39. Third Party Solutions • Commonlook Office • Plug-in installs directly into MS Office 2007 and 2010 • Walks document creator through issues within the document and tags the document to make it an accessible PDF. • Accessible Wizard for MS Office • Plug-in installs directly into any MS Office app (2007 - i.e., Word, PPT) • Walks document creator through issues within document and how to make them accessible

40. Example of a Bad Document • How to use the Built –in Accessibility Checker to make sure your document is accessible. • How to use Commonlook Office.

41. Questions Kara Zirkle, IT Accessibility Coordinator, phone: 703-993-9815 or kzirkle1@gmu.edu http://webaccessibility.gmu.edu George Mason University, 4400 University Drive, MSN 6A11, Aquia Building, Room 238, Fairfax, VA 22030 Phone: 703-993-4329 Fax: 703-993-4743 ati@gmu.edu Website: http://ati.gmu.edu