Document Accessibility Requirements
All documents uploaded to Canvas or otherwise shared digitally for educational purposes must be accessible. Documents can be created on a variety of software platforms and each offers its own set of formatting controls to aid the development of accessible content.
For questions or to request document remediation for your course materials, contact the ATS Remediation team.
Microsoft and Adobe Applications
The information below addresses common accessibility issues with Microsoft and Adobe applications typically used for creating instructional learning materials. Short videos, sourced from the Section508.gov site are provided to help better understand details of the requirements.
Headings
- Add headings and formatting so assistive technology can infer meaning from the structure and characters using built-in styles.
- Use Styles to Create Headings (3 mins)
Lists
- Use built-in features to create lists so assistive technology can identify the relationship to the page content.
- Use Built-in Features to Create Lists (3:58 mins)
Tables
- Use built-in features to create tables so assistive technology can read the information in a meaningful manner.
- Use Built-in Features to Create Layout and Data Tables (4:18 mins)
Document Language
- Use the proofing language settings to programmatically set the document language and enable assistive technology to read and correctly pronounce content.
- Identify Distinct Languages (2:41 mins)
Links
- Add links to a document so that each link has a unique and descriptive name to allow assistive technology users to determine the destination, function or purpose of a link.
- Create Unambiguous Names for Links (3:32 mins)
Images
- Apply “alt text” to objects to ensure equivalent access to the visual information such as pictures, images of text, images of tables, shapes, and icons with hyperlinks.
- Create Accessible Images and Other Objects (6:03 mins)
Text Boxes
- Ensure information within a text box is accessible.
- Create Accessible Textboxes (2 mins)
Color Contrast
- Ensure there is enough color contrast between the foreground and background.
- Create the Required Color Contrast (4:36 mins)
Embedded Files
- Embed audio-only, video-only or multimedia files into your document so individuals with disabilities have comparable access to the information.
- Create Accessible Embedded Files (2:10 mins)
Overview
- Learn the minimum steps needed to ensure your PowerPoint presentation is Section 508 conformant.
- Introduction & Background (3:50 mins)
Logical Reading Order
- Establish a logical reading order when creating your presentation.
- Creating the Presentation’s Layout Design and Establishing the Logical Reading Order (9:03 mins)
Color Contrast
- Ensure that there is sufficient color contrast between the foreground and background. Textured or graphic backgrounds can also reduce readability and should be used mindfully.
- Ensuring the Contrast Ratio Between Text and Background is Sufficient (2:38 mins)
Columns
- Ensure that content is read in the proper reading order when using columns.
- Formatting Columns Correctly (2:13 mins)
Lists
- Use lists to organize and structure content so that assistive technology can identify it
- Formatting Lists Properly (2:29 mins)
Tables
- Use the built-in table features so that assistive technology can read a data tables information in a meaningful manner.
- Using Built-In Features to Create Data Tables (3:48 mins)
Images
- Apply “alt text” to objects to ensure equivalent access the information.
- Module 7: Adding Alternative Text to Images and Other Objects (3:13 mins)
Links
- Add links to a document so that each link has a unique and descriptive name to allow assistive technology users to determine the destination, function or purpose of a link.
- Creating Links with Unique and Descriptive Names (3:07 mins)
Language
- Format text for the intended language to enable assistive technology to infer and correctly pronounce content.
- Formatting Text for the Intended Language (2:22 mins)
Media Descriptions
- Embed audio-only, video-only or multimedia files into your presentation so that individuals with disabilities have comparable access to the information.
- Ensuring Descriptions of Embedded Audio, Video and Multimedia Files are Accurate (2:20 mins)
Flashing Objects
- Avoid using flashing objects
- Excluding Flashing Objects (1:27 mins)
PDF Accessibility Elements Overview
- Learn about the elements of a PDF and tag types, how best to convert documents to PDF, and how to test a PDF for accessibility.
- What is a PDF? (9:11 mins)
Test PDF for Accessibility
- Discover how set up a document’s properties, evaluate the accessibility of a document’s content, and how to use Acrobat’s Accessibility Full Check tool.
- Testing a PDF for Accessibility (9:08 mins)
Fix PDF Properties
- Learn how to fix a PDF document’s properties, add and adjust tags, adjust the reading and tab order, add alternative text to images and objects, and set document’s language properties.
- Remediating PDFs for Accessibility (18:38 mins)
Scanned Documents
- Learn about the techniques used by advanced users to identify and correct text from scanned pages and signed memorandums as conformance PDFs.
- Converting Scanned Documents into Section 508 Conformant PDFs (12:38 mins)
