Making documents accessible is an important part of the document creation process. This not only benefits people with disabilities by making sure they have equal access to documents, but it also makes the documents themselves work better across all platforms. Accessible documents also allow for the use of assistive technologies such as screen readers and magnifiers for those who rely on them; ensuring that everyone can has equal access to information.
Just like web accessibility, document accessibility can be achieved by addressing these issues:
- applying styles for headings
- making content scannable with bullets or numbered lists
- including alternate text for images, graphics, or charts
- descriptive hyperlinks
- use of color and color contrast
- adding simple tables
- verifying flow in Adobe Acrobat
The resources below will help you in the process of creating accessible documents:
- Section 508 Accessibility Checklist (HHS)
- Microsoft Word Accessibility Guide (WebAIM)
- Microsoft Excel Accessibility Guide (Microsoft)
- Microsoft PowerPoint Accessibility Guide (WebAIM)
- PDF Accessibility Guide (WebAIM)
- PDF Accessibility Overview (Adobe)
- Adobe Product Accessibility Tutorials (Adobe)
- Cheatsheets for Creating Accessible Content (NCDAE)
For additional information, please contact IT Compliance through the following email address: ITCompliance@untsystem.edu.