Introduction to Electronic and Web Accessibility: What You Need to Know and How to Self-Assess

Attempting to understand the world of electronic accessibility can be a daunting task as many resources designed to outline legal requirements assume knowledge of web design or a high level of IT skill.  However, with a bit of guidance, anyone can learn to identify common barriers for web accessibility and ensure that the electronic resources they produce can be used by users with disabilities.  The following resources can be used to gain familiarity with compliance standards and the processes for creating accessible documents.

Recorded Webinars and Corresponding Resources

  • An Introduction to Web Accessibility for the Secondary System Webinar

Creating Accessible Documents and Providing Accessible Online Content.

You’ll be amazed by how simple it is to develop documents that are fully accessible by using a bit of forethought and features that are built into common programs like MS Word, MS PowerPoint, and Adobe Acrobat.  These short informational videos and tutorials will examine some more complex accessibility issues faced when posting content to websites or producing webinars or video series.

Overview videos related to specific requirements can be found below:

  • Understanding Alt Text Requirements
  • Introduction to Video Requirements 

Tutorial Videos 

  •  Creating Accessible PowerPoint Documents Tutorial
  • Creating Accessible Documents in PowerPoint for the Secondary System – An Update

Additional guides can be accessed at the following links:

US Department of Education Making Accessible PowerPoint Guide 2010
US Department of Education Making Accessible Excel Guide 2010
US Social Security Administration Authoring Guide - Producing Accessible Word and PDF Documents

Compliance Checklists that may be useful in self-assessment can be accessed at the following links:

Word Accessibility Checklist
PowerPoint Accessibility Checklist
PDF Accessibility Testing Guide