Accessibility and Documents/Websites

Considerations to Make to Documents

It's important to make documents accessible for students with disabilities.  There will be students you work with who have varying needs and support from you as the teacher.  In this blog post, we'll explore three things to consider while creating documents for your special needs learners.

Proper Use of Headings

While creating a document, it's important to use the correct headings and subheadings listed in the drop down menu.  If you type the heading in normal font and just change the font size to a larger setting, a document reader won't be able to properly read the text aloud.  Use one main heading followed by as many subheadings as you need, as is explained in this article, that describes in detail guidelines for creating accessible documents. 

Alt Text on Images

When you include graphics in your document, it's important to include a description of the photo.  When you do this, your visually impaired students will be able to hear what the image is about.  In the alt text (as is described in this checklist that goes into detail about a variety of ways to make your document accessible to learners), type any relevant information where your reader would be able to get an understanding of what the image is and the different colors, graphics, or drawings represented.

Body Text

In the body of your document, make the font at least 12 points.  If it's any smaller, it's hard to read.  Also, choose a font like Times New Roman or Arial that aren't in cursive and are neater.  While typing the paragraphs, don't use text boxes, but use the paragraph setting from the drop down menu and use proper spacing.  This graphic shows you the do's and don'ts of creating an accessible document for different types of learners.