Have you ever encountered a floating accessibility icon that allows you to change the visual appearance of a website? Beware! There is no overlay product on the market that can make a website compliant with accessibility standards. Nonetheless, many companies who sell accessibility overlays claim their tool is the solution. In fact, these tools often create more problems for users of assistive technology. To learn more about accessibility overlays and what to avoid, visit our Digital Accessibility Office Hours.
News & Updates
Tech Tip: Use the WAVE Web Accessibility Evaluation Tool
Building a webpage or online form? Use the WAVE evaluation tool to check accessibility. WAVE is available as a free browser extension for Chrome, Firefox, and Microsoft Edge. WAVE quickly scans web content and identifies many barriers to persons with disabilities. It doesn’t catch everything, but can help you create more accessible web content. To learn more about the tool, including its use and how to interpret results, drop in to our Digital Accessibility Office Hours.
Tech Tip: Choose Online Forms
Making PDF forms accessible is tedious work and requires expertise or professional remediation. Therefore, before creating a form in MS Word or PDF, consider creating an online form instead. Online form platforms such as MS Forms and Qualtrics provide accessible options. In addition, data can be exported in Excel and/or aggregated into reports. Visit Digital Accessibility Office Hours to learn more about accessible online form options.
Tech Tip: Create Meaningful Hyperlinks in Email Messages and Electronic Documents
Make links in your email messages and electronic documents meaningful for users of assistive technology. Follow these simple steps:
- Select the text you want to become a link.
- On Mac, press command + K.
- On Windows, control + K.
- Paste the URL in the hyperlink dialog box.
- Be sure your link text conveys the purpose or destination of the link. Avoid using words such as “click here”.
For more information, visit Creating Accessible MS Word Documents or stop in to Digital Accessibility Office Hours.
Tech Tip: Kahoot! Games May Leave Some Students on the Sidelines
Kahoot!, a game-based learning platform for web and mobile, has become popular in nearly all educational settings. Before creating a Kahoot!, please be aware that these games pose many challenges for students with disabilities. Read “Is Kahoot! Accessible?” on Answers to learn more about access barriers and steps you can take to create a more accessible experience.
Tech Tip: Use Heading Styles in MS Word
Adding heading styles to your Word documents is an easy way to make them accessible. People who are blind and use screen reader technology rely on heading structure to navigate documents and locate content. To learn more, visit Creating Accessible MS Word Documents or stop in to Digital Accessibility Office Hours.