Creating Accessible Documents Using Microsoft Office

With new regulations for federal, provincial, state, and municipal governments requiring that ‘public’ documentation must be made accessible, there is a need to have staff create such documentation. During this course students will discuss printed and digital requirements for public documentation and review the methods and features within Microsoft® Office to author these.

Section 1: Introduction to Accessibility

Understanding Accessibility

Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA)

The Accessible Canada Act (ACA)

WCAG Guidelines

Section 2: Writing with Accessibility in Mind

Clear and Simple Writing Techniques

Sentence Structure and Word Use

Readability Statistics and Grade Level

Page Organization

Section 3: Accessibility Checks

Clear Print Guidelines Test

High Contrast and Magnification Test

Screen Reader Test

Accessibility Checker

Section 4: Accessibility and Word

Understanding Proper Document Structure

Understanding the Importance of Meta Data

Creating Accessible Word Templates

Working with Heading Styles

Using the Navigation Pane and Selection Pane

Formatting Text for Accessibility

Issues with Colour and Contrast

Creating Column, Section, and Page Breaks

Understanding How Spacing Affects Screen Readers

Inserting Images and Objects and Making Them Accessible

Avoiding Text Boxes and WordArt

Adding Accessible Tables and Restructuring Complex Tables

Creating Accessible Charts

Working with Auto Lists

Headers and Footers and Accessibility

Formatting Hyperlinks

Creating Accessible Forms

Section 5: Accessibility and Excel

Creating Worksheet Summaries

Creating Contents/Index Pages

Working with Blank Columns and Rows

Table Formats

Creating Named Ranges

Creating a Logical Layout

Avoiding Merged Cells

Using Freeze Panes

Protecting Your Spreadsheets

Accessible Chart Formatting

Section 6: Accessibility and PowerPoint

Using Templates and Themes

Proper Slide Layouts

Working with Slide Masters

Best Selection of Fonts and Font Sizes

Working with Colour and Contrast

Adjusting Slide Reading Order

Avoiding Animations and Slide Transitions

Creating Audio Transcriptions and Video Captions

Converting PowerPoint to Other Formats

Section 7: Planning for the Intended Output

Preparing the Document for PDF Conversion

Understanding the Impact of the Output Format on Workflow

Using the Acrobat Accessibility Checker

Opening the Acrobat Bookmarks Pane Automatically