Any digital documents posted to a Cascade website such as but not limited to PDF, Word, PowerPoints must be accessible. Focusing on making documents accessible for the web involves several key steps. Here’s a detailed guide to ensure your documents are accessible:
PDFs
Use Accessible PDF Creation Tools: Use Adobe Acrobat Pro or other tools that support creating accessible PDFs.
Tag Your PDF: Ensure the document is properly tagged with headings, lists, tables, and other elements. Tags create a structure that screen readers can interpret.
Provide Alt Text for Images: Add alternative text for all images in your document.
Add Document Properties: Fill in the document properties such as title, author, subject, and keywords.
Ensure Logical Reading Order: Make sure the reading order in the tags pane matches the logical reading order of the content.
Use Proper Contrast: Ensure text and background color contrast meets accessibility standards.
Word Documents
Use Built-in Headings and Styles: Use the built-in heading styles (e.g., Heading 1, Heading 2) to structure your document.
Alt Text for Images: Add alternative text for images, charts, and other non-text elements.
Table Accessibility: Use simple table structures, and provide header rows. Avoid merging or splitting cells.
Check Accessibility: Use Word’s built-in accessibility checker (found under the “Review” tab).
PowerPoint Presentations:
Use Slide Layouts: Use built-in slide layouts to ensure the reading order is logical.
Alt Text for Images: Add alternative text for images, graphs, and charts.
Readable Fonts and Sizes: Use large, readable fonts and ensure high contrast between text and background.
Accessible Transitions: Avoid using automatic slide transitions or animations that are time-dependent.