3 Ways to 开始 Making Your Stuff 访问ible Right Now

Want to 开始 making your online materials more accessible, but don’t know where to 开始? Here are three simple ways you can incorporate accessible practices into your e-mails, documents 和 presentations.

1. Add alt-文本 to images

All images, including logos 和 informational images, need one thing: alternative 文本. Alternative 文本 can be read by screen readers 和 will appear for readers if the image does not load. It is used so that whatever information is being conveyed by the image is still available to someone who cannot see it. In most Microsoft Office programs, you can right click 和 select “Format picture” 和 find the alt-文本 盒子 在“大小 & 属性”选项卡. Enter relevant information about the image in the alt-文本 盒子. If an image is strictly decorative, you may consider removing it. 如果你坚持 it, you can insert a space (“ ”) in the alt-文本 盒子 to instruct the screen reader to skip over the image. Below is gif showing the steps to add alt-文本 to an image 在词文档中. 查看gif Outlook网页邮件 和 演示文稿.

 

2. Use descriptive hyperlinks

A descriptive hyperlink is a link in the form of descriptive 文本 that gives the reader an idea of what they are clicking on 和 where it will take them. 这很有用 for everyone, but it’s especially useful for those using screen readers. 屏幕阅读器 will read the full URL if it’s pasted into a sentence. 这里有一个例子:

“Learn more about the Student Rec Center at http://mqkaj.basilinfracon.com/students/student-programs/rec-center.html”

就变成:

要了解更多信息，请访问 Student Rec Center page."

That looks better for everyone 和 makes it easier for a screen reader to read the link. Use descriptive links everywhere, including documents, webpages 和 e-mails.

3. Use built-in 格式化

Most programs you use on a day-to-day basis have built-in 格式化 options that can help make your stuff look good 和 are often accessible as well. 这里有三个例子 of the most commonly used 格式化 tools:

标题

When a person using a screen reader views a document or e-mail with correctly ordered 标题s they can view the overall structure of the document 和 jump from section to section just as other users can. An added bonus: you can modify the style of the built-in 标题s easily, 和 the changes will be reflected everywhere you used the 标题.

列表

Use the built-in lists instead of 格式化 your own using dashes or other symbols. The list buttons are located at the top of most Microsoft Office programs, 和 allow you to customize how your list appears.

列

Don’t abuse your tab button or spacebar. Using those buttons to create columns is tedious 和 won’t be read correctly by screen readers. Instead, use the built-in columns 格式化. The 列 button is found under the “Layout” tab at the top of your 词文档. You can insert a column break (ending the 文本 in one column 和 jumping to the next) under the "Breaks" button in the "Layout" tab. 

You can find more tips for making your online materials accessible at basilinfracon.com/可访问性. Need additional help? 联系 the 访问ible Technology team.

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This post is part of our ongoing effort to make accessibility a priority at 皇冠8868会员登录 谷学院. Read more about the college’s commitment to accessible technology 和 get more tips for making your work accessible at basilinfracon.com/可访问性.