Creating Accessible DocumentsBy Jeffrey DellAssistive Technology SpecialistMary TheobaldGraduate Assistant Alt TextOffice of Disability ServicesCleveland State University

What will We Discuss?

What characteristics will an Accessible Document possess?

Checking for Document AccessibilityCreating an Accessible Document

in: Word PowerPoint Adobe Acrobat

Additional ResourcesAlternative Textbooks

What characteristics will an Accessible Document possess?

The text in the document can be selected by character or word.

The selectable text is accurate and matches what is visible in the document

The text in the document can be enlarged without compromising the quality of the text

Graphical information can be interpreted with a text description

Checking for Document Accessibility

The text in the document can be selected by character or word

Text in some documents is embedded in images

Text embedded in images cannot be read by TTS or reformatted

Most frequently in PDF’s or Publisher Provided PPT

Check by attempting to Highlight a single Character or Word

The Selectable text matches what is visible on the document.

This issue usually happens in PDF documents

Save the file as Plain Text and compare

Activate Read Outloud in Adobe’s View menu and read Current Page

Fix by running Find OCR Suspects

Document can be enlarged without compromising quality of the text

Check by using the program to Zoom in to the image or enlarge it to 200% and 400%

If grainy and distorted: rescan the image from which it came at a

higher resolution render a new graphic from the original

document using a higher resolution recreate the graphic using scalable vector

graphics.

Good vs. Bad Image

BAD SCAN AT 400X GOOD SCAN AT 400X

Text descriptions for graphics containing necessary information

To Check for Alt Tags: Hold your mouse over the graphic’ Right-click on the image and look under

Properties or Format Picture What should an Alt Tag say?

Describes all important info derived from the graphic with text

Creating Accessible Documents in Microsoft Word

Apply an Alt Tag to an image in MS Word

1. Right Click on the image.2. Click on Size.3. Select the Alt Tag tab.4. Type a description of the graphic in

the Alt Tag edit field.

Images representing Symbols in Word

If using symbols like μ, 98.6°, or € please use the Unicode character, in the Symbol Finder, instead of an image

For Math Expressions please use Equasion Editor or MathType to create the expression

Using WordArt or SmartArt

Good because it is scalable and does not degrade when magnifying

No simple way to creat an Alt Tag. If necessary type a description of the

graphic before or after the WordArt

Using Headings in Word

Important for Screen Reader navigation

Headings should be nested Especially important if the document

is very long or if it will be converted into a PDF.

Creating an Accessible PowerPoint Presentation

Using Proper Slide Templates

Slide templates built into PPT use elements properly

Include Headings, bulleted lists, image placeholders

Style schemes can be applied that make the text eisier to read

Using the Notes Panel

Used for descriptions too long for Alt Tags

Describe WordArt or SmartArt Adding info not included on the slide Describe purpose of data presented Located below the Slide Layout

usually says “Click here to Add Notes”

Creating Accessible PDF Files

Creating a PDF with Word or PowerPoint

If document is .doc or ppt Office should be used to creat the PDF

Automatically transfers over accessible elements like lists, headings, and alt tags

Turns SmartArt and Word Art into images

Does not include Notes Panel info from PPT

Office Button and Save As PDF

Creating an Accessible PDF with Adobe Acrobat

If scanning a document to creat a PDF use Adobe Acrobat

It automatically starts to process of making a document accessible

PDF’s should be scanned at 300 dpi If scanning from a book grayscale

can impeed OCR

Text Recognition with Adobe Acrobat

Image PDF files can have Text Recognized with Adobe Acrobat

View > Tools > Recognize Text Click In This File on the Recognize

Text Panel to the right Runs basic text recognition which is

the beginning of making a PDF accessible

Fixing OCR Mistakes

OCR suspects are errors in text recognition that Adobe finds

In the Recognize Text Panel click on Find Next OCR Suspect

Works like a spell check Options for Not Text, Find Next

(Ignore), and Accept and Find Next

Tagging the Documents Structure

Accessible PDF’s identify elements like Headings, Paragraphs, Images, and Table Structure

This is done with the TouchUp Reading Order tool

Highlight object and click on the appropriate button

Images are called Figures and Paragraphs are called Text

Create Alternate Text for Figures An image Tag for Adobe Acrobat is

called a Figure To give it an Alt Tag to describe the

image.1. Turn on the TouchUp Reading Order

Tool2. Double-click the Figure3. Type the description in the Alternate

Text dialog and click OK

Alternative Textbook Request Process

The Process

Student Purchases a copy of the Textbook

Student Brings in the Alt Text Request Form with the Receipt for the Book and a copy of the syllabus

We check sources including the Publisher to get an accessible copy

If not available we scan and create a copy of the Accessible book

Alt Textbook Formats

DAISY (LearningAlly or BookShare.org)

PDF HTML Word or RTF Plain Text Braille

How Can Professors and Staff Help?

Submit Textbooks to the Bookstore at least a month in advance

Have the book information Title, Author, and Edition available if a student calls before the beginning of a semester

Over break leave a generic syllabus with Textbooks and general outline of materials needed with your department office

If these materials are not available before a semester please understand the student may not have access to the book for the first week.