Recipe for Creating
Accessible Word Documents
What’s the purpose of seminar?
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 Learn how to create an accessible Word document
 Why?
 PDFs cannot be the sole source of presenting online
information (unless they have been remediated)
 By default, PDFs are not accessible (and are difficult
and time-intensive to make accessible)
 Must provide PDF content in an alternative, accessible
format (i.e. web page or Word document)
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Accessibility: Hot Topic at PSU

 National Federation of the Blind (NFB) filed a federal
complaint against Penn State
 Settlement specifies what actions need to be taken to
remedy the situation
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Why is accessibility important?

 Information needs to be accessible to everyone
 Provides benefits to everyone (those with and
without disabilities)
 Examples:
 Curb cuts (navigation in physical world)
 Document headings (navigation in electronic world)
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Access to Information

 Content must be accessible so that it works with a
variety of products, such as:
 Assistive technologies (e.g. screen readers)
 Mobile devices
 Web browsers, etc.
 Demonstration of a screen reader (used by those
with visual impairments)
 View demo file
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What we’ll learn today…

 Create accessible:

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Headings
Images
Tables
Charts
Hyperlinks
List Items
 Use the Accessibility Checker
 Choose Word settings to create “accessible” PDF
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Exercise

 Download and save exercise:
http://behrend.psu.edu/exercisefiles
OR
http://psbehrend.psu.edu/intranet/computer-center/exercisefiles/exercise-files-for-training
 Perform exercise
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Best Practices and Resources

 See last page in hand-out
 Other resources:
 Web Resources for Content Editors
 PDFs and Alternative Formats
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Other Training

 Check the event calendar at Penn State’s accessibility
web site: http://accessibility.psu.edu/event
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Questions?

 Contact Carolyn Dudas (ddz@psu.edu, ext. 6458)
Seminars\HowToGuides\Accessibility-OfficeDocs\CreatingAccessibleWordDocs.pptx\07.23.14
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