The organization has asked parents and teachers to spread the word by sharing the message with others. Their hope is that by turning on the subtitles, television time can naturally become reading time too.
With the arrival of spring, our thoughts may turn to spring cleaning to renew and refresh our living spaces and gardens. This season change can also be a helpful cue to review and improve the digital accessibility of our shared documents!
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PDF documents, in particular, may benefit from a digital accessibility makeover. A bonus is that accessible PDF documents are also searchable! The most important step to take for tackling PDF document accessibility is to make sure that documents have computer-readable text and are not image-only. Taking this step also means that you will be able to search within the document. Next, ensure good usability by providing the document with the needed structure of tags and headings. Last, if there are links and images in the document, make sure that the link text is descriptive and that the images have alternate text descriptions or are labeled or described in the document text.
When creating PDF documents, it is helpful to start first with Microsoft Word. Microsoft Word documents have computer-readable text and Word has helpful options to create headings, add alternative text descriptions, and check accessibility. Then you can save the document as a Google Doc or PDF and it will retain the accessibility features.
It is also helpful to consider if a PDF document is the best choice for the information you want to share. For example, if you are sharing information via a webpage, as much as possible, provide the information through web content and avoid the use of PDFs. Web content is typically going to be the most accessible choice. Another good option is a Word document, since it can be quicker and easier to create an accessible Word document. If you have a visually-based PDF document, you can also share a text-based Word or Google Doc version to provide options.
With many holiday films, music, and performances available virtually this month and the next, consider that recent surveys indicate that fifty percent of Americans now watch content with subtitles most of the time, and even more do so for streaming video. While many people prefer the option of using captions and subtitles, for those with hearing and auditory processing-related disabilities, captions and subtitles are a necessity. A lack of captions and subtitles is a barrier to enjoying audio and video content.
Use the links that follow to explore resources related to captioning, including our campus audio and video streaming platform, Kaltura, which can be used with Moodle and to learn more about captioning for accessibility. Also, check out our video interview with Professor Jeffers Engelhardt and student Alexia Lapadat, with a discussion about the course Listening, Hearing, and the Human, which includes learning about captioning. Plus, check out a video essay by the artist Christine Sun Kim calling for a richer and more creative approach to captioning.
One important practice to be aware of for accessibility is not to use color as the sole way to convey meaning. Instead, combine the use of color with text, labels, or symbols. For example, in a bar chart or pie chart graph, use both color and texture to distinguish among data types. The texture can consist of different types of stripes, cross-hatching, and dots. In a document or web content, instead of colors or in combination with colors, use words (emphasis) or *surround text with asterisks* to draw attention.
For documents, posters, and presentations, it is important to make sure the font size you use is large enough (12 pt is a good minimum size) and that with the choice of font, the contrast ratio between the text and the background color is sufficient to make the text easily readable. The smaller the font, the higher the contrast ratio needed for legibility. As possible, limit the use of background images behind text, as this can make it difficult to read. A good option when using a background image is to have the text on a solid color background (with high contrast) that then goes on top of a pattern or image.
It is helpful to use a tool to check contrast ratios and approximate how different color values may be perceived for different types of color vision. One such tool that is very effective is the Colour Contrast Analyzer, and a link to that follows.
People have a variety of types of color vision. Some types of color vision have different sensitivity to colors in the red and green spectrum. Now, glasses and other types of filters are available that can simulate larger spectrum color vision, providing increased differentiation between the red and green color spectrums. The Amherst College Library is offering one type of these glasses, the EnChroma glasses, for checkout. These can be helpful if doing research involving color images, artwork, use of dyes for microscopy, and general exploration.
Surprises can be scary! Use descriptive link text for better usability by letting folks know where they are going on the Web. Also, descriptive link text is important as an inclusive practice for digital accessibility, especially for screen reader users.
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