Digital Accessibility

7 Core Accessibility Skills

The 7 Core Digital Accessibility Skills apply to content created in all digital formats (documents, websites, course websites, slide decks, etc.). These skills are crucial because they:

• Apply to most types of digital content.
• Impact the largest number of people.
• Are transferable from tool to tool.

ODA’s website has many resources to help clarify these skills.

Digital Accessibility Foundations and Badging Program

The Digital Accessibility Badging Program teaches you how to create content in an accessible way. In each self-paced online course, you will learn skills that apply to your everyday work. You may choose to take as many courses as you like. You will receive a digital badge highlighting the skills you demonstrated in the final project for each training.

• Digital Accessibility: Foundations

Accessible Course Material

• Resource Guide for Faculty and Instructors: Creating Accessible Digital Content 

The university utilizes a variety of accessibility checkers and tools to ensure our digital content is accessible to all users. Here are some of the key tools around the university:

Documents, Presentations, & Spreadsheets

• Microsoft Office: Includes accessibility checkers for Word documents, PowerPoint presentations, and Excel spreadsheets. These tools can also be used for Google products if they are downloaded and opened in Microsoft Office.
• Grackle: Designed for Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides. It helps identify and fix accessibility issues within these documents.
  • Note: Grackle does not work with Microsoft files (file names ending with a .docx, .pptx, .xlsx, etc.) opened in Google Drive. You must use the Microsoft accessibility checker or convert them to Google Drive Files.

Canvas | Learning Management System (LMS)

• Universal Design Online Content Inspection Tool (UDoIT): Used within Canvas, this tool checks course content for accessibility issues and provides suggestions for improvement.
  • UDOIT User Guide
  • ULEARN Accessibility Guide: Explains how digital accessibility issues affect students, and guides how to fix them

Websites

• Editori11y: An accessibility checker for Drupal sites, ensuring that web content meets accessibility standards.
• Silktide: A Google Chrome Extension that can check any website to ensure that web content meets accessibility standards.

These tools help maintain accessibility standards and ensure that all users can access and interact with our digital content effectively.

It is strongly recommended to avoid creating PDFs. Instead, use tools like Google and Microsoft for your files. This recommendation is due to the difficulty of making existing PDFs accessible using Adobe Acrobat, even for professionals.

Watch video: Accessible Bites: Busting the PDF Myth [3:38]

• Host documents on websites (Google Workspace): This allows files to be view-only and prevents downloading.
• If you must have a PDF: Create content in Google Docs/Slides and use Grackle to generate the PDF.
  • For course materials and readings: Work with the library staff to get accessible material and web-based documents.
  • For complex PDFs still in use: Contact the Office of Digital Accessibility (ODA), [email protected], for consultation and strategy.

• Overleaf - LaTeX: Overleaf is a tool that allows online, collaborative LaTeX editing and assignments in Canvas. (requires a subscription)
• Microsoft PowerPoint and Word have built-in Equation Editors.
• Texthelp - Equatio: An equation creator for Google Docs and Slides, making it easier to create accessible mathematical content.
  • Creating Accessible and Supportive STEM Learning with Equatio Video
  • Helpful Hint: Change the upload option from default to quality

These tools are essential for maintaining accessibility standards and ensuring that all users can access and interact with our digital content effectively.

• Department of Psychology: Amanda Schmit ([email protected]) and Silke Moeller ([email protected]) are the departmental experts and are available for assistance and consultation.
  • Many other staff members are also trained and ready to help with fixing and auditing accessibility issues.
• The Office of Digital Accessibility (ODA) provides services to help all faculty and staff develop, maintain, and procure accessible digital content.