News & Updates

Did you know that many mobile devices can now generate and display automated real-time captions across all apps? To turn this feature on in both iOS and Android, go to Settings > to Accessibility > Hearing > Live Captions, and activate the toggle for the “Live Captions” option.  

While summer is here, it’s never too early to ensure your Blackboard content is accessible for the Fall. Ally is a great tool to help, and our page on Using Ally to Check for Accessibility has everything you need to get started. 

Ever wondered how to make a PDF more accessible? Simple PDF Tagging is here to help. While use of other formats is always advised, this guide offers an introduction to PDF use and tagging when needed. 

Adding heading styles to your Word documents and webpages is an easy way to make them more accessible. People who are blind and use screen reader technology rely on heading structure to navigate documents and locate content. Visit Headings to learn more. 

Make your content work for everyone! Our Digital Accessibility 101 guide offers simple, effective tips (with examples) to ensure your documents, web pages, and other digital materials are clear and usable by all audiences. 

Are you creating a spreadsheet using Microsoft Excel? Screen readers and other assistive technologies start reading the sheet from cell A1, which you can use to your advantage to benefit all users. If the sheet is long or complex, consider putting instructions or an overview of the sheet in cell A1. To learn more, visit our Digital Accessibility Office Hours. 

Building a webpage or online form? Use the WAVE evaluation tool to check for accessibility. WAVE quickly scans web content and identifies many barriers to persons with disabilities. To learn more, visit WAVE Web Accessibility Evaluation Tool. 

Before sending an Outlook email or sharing a Word doc, Excel sheet, or PowerPoint deck, run the Accessibility Checker located in the Review tab of your Microsoft application (or under Options in the Outlook web app). The checker identifies issues that could pose barriers to certain users and provides instructions on how to correct these issues. For additional support, visit our Digital Accessibility Office Hours. 

When leading presentations where visual content is displayed, consider audiences who cannot see the screen and use descriptive language to convey information. For example, instead of saying, “Review the bullets on the slide,” read the bullets out loud. Instead of saying, “Click here, then go here,” say, “From the navigation bar, select New, then choose Event.” To learn more, visit our Digital Accessibility Office Hours.  

Read&Write is a useful literacy support tool that can assist any individual with reading, writing, and comprehension. The robust toolbar offers numerous study aid functions including highlighting, word prediction, text-to-speech and speech-to-text. To learn more, visit TextHelp Read&Write.