Creating Accessible Documents

1. By Jeffrey DellAssistive Technology SpecialistMary Theobald Graduate Assistant Alt Text Office of Disability ServicesCleveland State University Creating Accessible Documents

2. What will We Discuss? • What characteristics will an Accessible Document possess? • Checking for Document Accessibility • Creating an Accessible Document in: • Word • PowerPoint • Adobe Acrobat • Additional Resources • Alternative Textbooks

3. 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

4. Checking for Document Accessibility

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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.

8. Good vs. Bad Image Bad Scan at 400X Good Scan at 400X

9. 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

10. Creating Accessible Documents in Microsoft Word

11. Apply an Alt Tag to an image in MS Word • Right Click on the image. • Click on Size. • Select the Alt Tag tab. • Type a description of the graphic in the Alt Tag edit field.

12. 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

13. 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

14. 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.

15. Creating an Accessible PowerPoint Presentation

16. 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

17. 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”

18. Creating Accessible PDF Files

19. 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

20. 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

21. 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

22. 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

23. 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

24. 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 Tool 2. Double-click the Figure 3. Type the description in the Alternate Text dialog and click OK

25. Alternative Textbook Request Process

26. 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

27. Alt Textbook Formats • DAISY (LearningAlly or BookShare.org) • PDF • HTML • Word or RTF • Plain Text • Braille

28. 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.