Word Essentials. Windows

Transcription

1 Word Essentials Windows

2 Building Accessible Documents Heading Styles Table of Contents Columns and Lists Extra Spaces Paragraph Spacing Descriptive Hyperlinks Images & Multimedia Tables Reading Order Headers and Footers Color Contrast Accessibility Checker

3 What is Assistive Technology? Assistive Technology (AT) are products, equipment, and systems that enhance learning, working, and daily living for persons with disabilities. Screen Readers Magnification Software Speech Recognition Trackball Mouse Keyboard Zoom Text Braille Captions/Subtitles Captioned Telephone Video Relay Services

4 What are Screen Readers Screen readers are a form of assistive technology (AT) software that enables access to a computer, and all the things a computer does, by attempting to identify and interpret what is being displayed on the computer screen using text-to-speech. Screen readers can only access and process live text. Normally used by someone who is visually impaired.

5 Types of screen readers Screen reader program for Microsoft Windows that allows blind and visually impaired users to read the screen either with a text-to-speech output or by a refreshable Braille display. NVDA screen reader can be downloaded free of charge by anyone. Provides auditory descriptions of each onscreen element using gestures, a keyboard, or a braille display. Adds spoken, audible, and vibration feedback to your device. Screen magnifier for Microsoft Windows that allows you to see and hear everything on the computer.

6 Benefits of using a screen reader provides access to someone who does not have useful vision, mobility or has a learning disability to access text on the screen offers same level of independence and privacy as anyone else

7 Digital Accessibility Content Analogy Organize content with headings, subheadings, images, videos, and footer are important for usability and accessibility.

8 Divide large blocks of text into smaller sections Readability Avoid overly complex sentences Provide adequate whitespace Use line or paragraph spacing (avoid Enter/Return for blank space) Font size between point San-serif fonts are more suited to electronic formats (Arial, Calibri, Verdana or Franklin Gothic Book)

9 Heading Styles, 1 of 3 Example 1: Reading long, dense text documents can be a daunting task for learners Example 2: Well-structured documents help students organize and process texts

10 Heading Styles, 2 of 3 Before Adding Headings Item titles are bold at the start of each line Course: ENGL 315 Title: Digital Writing Class #: Days: TuTh Instructor: Jane Doe jane.doe@csun.edu Office: Sierra Hall 300 Phone: Adding Headings Text with section titles added with headings Course Info (Heading) Course: ENGL 315 Title: Digital Writing Class #: Days: TuTh Instructor Info (Heading) Instructor: Jane Doe jane.doe@csun.edu Office: Sierra Hall 300 Phone:

11 Heading Styles, 3 of 3 Use Heading Styles in a logical sequence Heading Styles (Heading 1 through Heading 6) Heading 1: Document Title or a major section Heading 2: Major subsection titles Heading 3: Further subsection titles, and so forth Modify ALL Heading Styles before first use Using heading styles means you can also quickly build a table of contents, reorganize your document, and reformat its design without having to manually change each heading's text. Headings are styles to give a document structure by category or topic. Without headings, a person using assistive technology like a screen reader cannot navigate by sections, subsections, or scan section titles to understand the document structure.

12 Heading Styles compatible with other programs Microsoft Word Website Canvas Google Docs Adobe InDesign uses Paragraph Styles to format Heading tags <H1> through <H6>

13 Heading 1 Modify Style Modify heading styles to match your preference Repeat for Heading 2 to 6 Modify Style

14 Apply Heading 1 to Document Title

15 Apply Heading 2 to all Section Title Repeat for Heading 3 Sub-section Titles, etc.

16 View Navigation Pane The quickest way to check a document s heading structure is to open the Navigation Pane View tab Select Navigation Pane Expanding the headings

17 Styles Normal, Modify Style Normal style for paragraph

18 Styles for formatting Strong (instead of Bold) Emphasis (instead of Italics) Avoid underlining text unless it s a link

19 Table of Contents Headings structure will automatically populate a table of contents and provide accessible for screen readers rely on headings structure to navigate a page quickly. Or Custom Table of Contents Ensure the Tab leader option is. To change which styles appear, select Options Number each style in the order in the Table of Contents Select Ok twice

20 True Columns and True Lists Use Word s built-in functionality to create: True Columns True Lists Avoid Bulleted List (order of list items does not matter) Numbers List (order of list items does matter) Spacebar, tab, enter Only create visual appearance of columns and lists, but not accessible structure

21 Page Layout - Columns Columns help visually organize and condense information on a page. Screen readers can read the content organized in columns.

22 Home Bulleted and Numbered Lists Use the bulleted or numbered list formatting tool. Screen readers can read the number of items in a list before it begins to read the items.

23 Avoid Extra Spaces, 1 of 3 Screen readers will read blank or multiple spaces created using the space bar, empty line, empty tab, empty paragraphs or carriage returns as Blank. This can be very irritating for someone using assistive technology to listen multiple blank characters and may assume they ve reached the end of a document.

24 Avoid Extra Spaces, 2 of 3 Use formatting, alignment, or column size to create whitespace instead of repeating blank characters. To use formatting to add whitespace around a paragraph: 1. Remove any blank characters around the paragraph 2. Select the paragraph 3. Right-click to choose Paragraph 4. Select values for Indentation and Space to crate whitespace Example: to create three columns in 1 line, set Tab stops: 1. Click View 2. Select Ruler to set indents 3. Set Tab Stops

25 Avoid Extra Spaces, 3 of 3 If you want to make columns, format them as columns. Do not put text on one line and use the tab key to move it over (a screen reader will read it one line a time, not as columns).

26 Paragraph Spacing, 1 of 2 Avoid creating blank lines to create spaces between text. Use paragraph space to increase or decrease the amount of space between headings and paragraphs. Heading levels space between a heading and the previous section s body text.

27 Paragraph Spacing, 2 of 2 Place a cursor at the heading title Click on the line space icon from the Paragraph menu and select Line Spacing Options Heading levels space between pt before and 6 pt after Right-click on the style (Styles pane) and select Update style to match selection

28 Descriptive Hyperlinks, 1 of 3 Not Accessible vague and redundant Accessible descriptive and unique Read more, click here, me, or continue is vague and redundant Full URL text (raw URL may not make sense to screen reader users or others, so make the link text descriptive i.e. Universal Design Center)

29 Descriptive Hyperlinks, 2 of 3 Link text should clearly identify the target of each link. Good link text should not be overly general. Make sense when read out of context. Describe the destination (document name, website). Be unique for unique destinations. Do not use click here or read more or continue. Do not use different link text to refer to the same resource. Do not to use the same link text to refer to different resources. Best practice is to bold or underline links. Do not use color links as the only method to convey important information.

30 Descriptive Hyperlinks, 3 of 3 A presentation that is intended to be displayed electronically and in a printout, include the URL and a description in the link text. For example, Universal Design Center (

31 Visual Challenge Normal vision Low vision Color blindness Blind or deaf-blind What s the best way to make images accessible to everyone?

32 Alternative or Alt Text A written description of images and/or objects that can be read by a blind or low vision using screen reader technology. Screen readers and other assistive technologies can t convert images into words/texts. Captions are universal and accessible for everyone. Image of, photo of is not needed. Recommend brief descriptive text within 8 to 80 characters long. Tiny turtle eating a ripe strawberry. Best practices for accessible images

33 Format Picture Right click to select Format Picture

34 Format Picture Layout & Properties Alt Text (Description) Newer version Office 365 Right-click the image and select Edit Alt Text Type your alt text into the description field. If the image is decorative, select Mark as decorative.

35 Image Position Text wrapping around an image, screen readers will skip it. To ensure screen readers do not skip over an image, the image needs to be on its own line In Line with Text.

36 Image Caption Captions are universal and accessible for everyone. A written description, captions, or alternative (alt) text provides a written description of the image to screen readers. Consider the best description option for the image and document. Decorative images, such as line dividers, do not require a written description or alt text. Complex (Math and Science) graphs and charts may require a caption. Insert a caption by Right-clicking the image and select Insert Caption

37 Images. At times alternative text and caption are not the most appropriate method to describe an image. As such, the description of the image can be conveyed within the surrounding body of the text. If you do this, include the words In the image above,..below, etc. that way the user knows you are describing the image that did not have alt text and caption within the paragraph. One of Australia s most remarkable natural gifts, the Great Barrier Reef (shown in the image above) is blessed with the breathtaking beauty of the world s largest coral reef. The Reef contains an abundance of marine life and comprises of over 3000 individual reef systems and coral cays and literally hundreds of picturesque tropical islands with some of the worlds most beautiful sun-soaked, golden beaches.

38 Art or SmartArt Shapes Often shapes are used behind text to create emphasis. Most screen readers will not identify shapes, and you will often split up your text in awkward ways to make it fit within the shape. The example below exemplifies what not to do (notice how the reading order is impacted when a shape is moved to the background in order for the text to show on top)

39 Art or SmartArt Shapes Workaround Step 1: Create stand-alone PowerPoint file for all Art Shapes (editable). Step 2: Use SnagIt to capture Art Shapes (step 1) then copy an image into final slides (step 3) Step 3: Create another PowerPoint file for final slides. Step 4: Add Alt Text for an image (step 3)

40 Multimedia Captioning, 1 of 2

41 Multimedia Captioning, 2 of 2 CSUN is committed to ensuring that all content utilized by the campus is accessible to all users. This means that all videos, audio, captured lectures, recorded presentations instructional media must have closed captions. (This is a federal law, state law, and CSU policy.) All students who are enrolled in a course must be able to access the content in the course. Visit the Request Services National Center on Deafnness (NCOD) webpage to request media captioning.

42 Insert Online Video Q: Can I add accessible videos into word documents? A: Embedded videos are not accessible to screen reader users or users navigating with a keyboard or some other navigation device other than a mouse. To make it accessible, put the link of the video underneath the video itself. Also add Alt text to the video. Apple-Accessibility-Sady video

43 Tables Use Word s built-in functionality to create Tables Tables are read from left to right, top to bottom. Simple Data Tables only. Provide Title (i.e. Caption) and Summary before the Table. Use Table Tools editor to identify the different types of rows and columns such as Header Row and First Column. Not Accessible Do not create table using the Draw Table Tool. Never use for layout. Avoid merged, split, or blank cells. The complex a table (merging cells, nesting multiple headings under one, adding blank lines, etc.) the worse it will be for accessibility. Sample of Simple Tables vs. Complex Tables by Penn State.

44 Insert - Table Use tables to organize data not format information Create table headings Include table captions or brief description Select Insert tab, then select Table Select the number of rows and columns by highlighting the boxes on the grid. Type in the table data

45 Table Header Cells 1. Table Tools added to the Ribbon when Table is created or selected 2. Header Checkboxes found under Design Tab Word Header Row (Column Headers) First Column (Row Headers) Header Row (Column Headers) Header Row and First Column

46 Table Header Row If Repeat as header row at the top of each page isn t selected, table headers will be ignored when exporting as a PDF and won t be read by screen reader. Right-click the first row of the table and select Table Properties. On the Row tab, make sure the checked Repeat as header row at the top of each page and unchecked Allow row to break across pages. Click OK. Repeat these steps for all tables in the document. Save the document.

47 Table Insert Caption Title your table using the Caption tool Right click to select Insert Caption or Go to References tab, then select Insert Caption In the popup window, type the title of the table in the Caption textbox In the Label textbox, select Table Position textbox, select Above selected item then select OK

48 Table Alt Text Add Alt text description to Table Right click on the Table and select Table Properties In the popup window, select Alt Text tab Type in a description of your table

49 Headers and Footers Q: Should I included headers and footers in my document? A: Headers and Footers are not always read immediately to screen reader users. However, if a screen reader user wants to look at the header there are methods for them to do that. Headers and Footers can be used to hold document information but should never hold important document content such as filename, document owner etc.

50 Headers and Footers Insert tab Select Header or Footer Insert text or other document information Always include page numbers in the footer with the Normal style

51 Provide descriptions if using color to convey meaning Example 1: Inaccessible color highlights in red May 11-17, 2019 Example 1: Accessible with a description May 11-17, 2019 (final exams) Example 3: Inaccessible color shape Color identical may not be recognized by colorblind users Example 2: Inaccessible table Example 2: Accessible table Example 3: Accessible color and number

52 Check Color Contrast Download Colour Contrast Analyser onto your computer (PC/Mac) to ensure accessible contrast or use an online contrast checker from WebAIM. WCAG Level AA requires a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1 for normal sized text (12 pt. font) and 3:1 for large text (14 pt. font). Coblis Color Blindness Simulator

53 Reading Order Screen readers read a document from left-to-right and up-to-down. That means reading order is important for users with visual impairments. When content, tables, images or charts is out of order or a document is poorly organized, the reader can become confused to the meaning of the information. The reading order should be the same as visual order for English language. Left Right Up Down File > Options > Language

54 File Info - Title

55 Microsoft Office Accessibility Checker

56 Check for Issues, Check Accessibility Always use Word s built-in Accessibility Checker Repair Errors, Warnings and Tips

57 Converting to PDF Option 1: Office Save As Option 2: Save As Adobe PDF Option 1: Under More Options, open Options and make sure Headings are used for Bookmarks is checked. Option 2: Under Options, PDF Options and make sure Convert Word Headings to Bookmarks is checked.

58 Print to PDF Print to PDF utilities are never the best way to make a PDF accessible from any software because that method usually doesn t contain either live text, a logical reading order, or tags structure for digital documents. Use either Save As PDF or Export to PDF.

59 You CAN make a big difference Best education and resources available to EVERYONE providing ACCESSIBLE

60 Reflection Creating accessible digital content can t happen tomorrow. Accessibility is for everyone. How can we you make a big difference