Creating An Accessible Syllabus xtine burrough, FDC ATI Coordinator

Accessibility is about reaching the widest audience possible. It is achieved by

using mark-up in digital instructional materials for a variety of “readers” and by offering

students multiple points of entry (or access) to course content.

Note: “Readers” may be students who read the syllabus from a

computer screen, students who print the document and read it on

paper, or students using adaptive technologies, such as a text-to-

speech or text-to-American Sign Language device.

In the following exercises parts of a course syllabus are created with accessibility

in mind. It is much easier to start with a blank page in your text editor, rather than

“fixing” an old document. To begin, you will need unformatted content to use in a digital

document, such as a course syllabus. These exercises were created using Microsoft Word.

Open Office can be used for this purpose and its functions are similar to the exercises

demonstrated here.

Exercise 1: Introduction to Styles: Start with

Unformatted Content

1. Creating a new document with accessibility in mind is much easier than revising an old document. Begin by adding all of your content. Pay no

attention to style or formatting.

2. Notice that the formatting of the text is defined by a Microsoft Word style named “Normal.” The typeface and size used can be changed within the Styles section of the Formatting Palette. In the Formatting Palette (View Menu > Formatting Palette), click on the pull-down list to the right of the

Normal style and select Modify Style.

3. Choose the typeface and size in the Modify Style dialog box. Body copy is easier to read in printed documents when it is set in a serif font, such as Georgia, Palatino, Caslon or Times New Roman.

Note: For a short list of beautifully crafted typefaces, see the

companion website to Ellen Lupton’s book, Thinking With Type, for a

page titled, “A Few Good Fonts” at

http://www.papress.com/thinkingwithtype/letter/few_fonts.htm

4. Click OK to exit the Modify Styles dialog box. Select an area of body copy and notice the changes you have made. The style is still “Normal,” but the font name and size may be altered based upon the settings you selected.

Exercise 2: Adding Headings with Styles

5. Apply the style named Heading 1 to a selection of text that deserves hierarchy in the document.

6. Apply Heading 2 to second-level headings throughout the document.

7. Modify the style associated with Heading 1 to fit the design of your document. In the Styles area of the Formatting Palette, click on the pull-down menu next to the style named “Heading 1”.

Note: Once a selection of text has been assigned a style (such as Heading 1) you can alter its formatting by modifying the style. Every instance of Heading 1, for example, will change within the document.

8. When you are finished, repeat this step to modify the style named “Heading 2.” In my example, I changed the color of Heading 1 to medium gray, as this style was only used for the words, “Course Syllabus”. For Heading 2, I made stronger contrast by choosing the color black, and by

altering the typeface.

9. Once you have assigned a style to your text, you can use the bold button to create emphasis in selected areas. Since this change in appearance will not be read aloud in a text-to-speech reader, it is advised to use the bold or italic buttons sparingly.

Exercise 3: Using Styles to Create Lists

10. You may want to create a list in your document. I commonly list a set of materials required throughout the semester. Again, start with unformatted content in the body of the list (I used Heading 2 for the title of my list, “materials”).

11. Place the cursor next to the first item in the list, then press the button in the Bullets and Numbering section of the Formatting Palette to assign bullets or numbers to your list.

12. Repeat step 11 until you have created bullets or numbers throughout the entire list.

Note: Using the Bullets and Numbering area of the Formatting Palette

tells Microsoft Word to include meta information within the file. This

enables a text-to-speech reader to identify the bullet points as part of

a list, rather than “seeing” it as a series of images of circles with no

semantic value.

13. When you create a list, you may notice that the List Paragraph is a style in the Styles section of the Formatting Palette. You can modify the typeface and size there. If you want to modify the bullet points (or numbers), right-click on a bullet point (or a number) to see a contextual menu of options.

14. For instance, you can select “Decrease Indent” (or “Increase Indent”) from the contextual menu in order to change the amount of tabbed space between the line created by left justification of the list of items and the line created by left justification of the heading above the list.

15. Right-click a bullet point or list number and select “Bullets and Numbering” in order to change the appearance of the bullet or the distance between the bullet (the indicator of a list item) and the text (the listed item). The following set of images documents how to alter the space

between the indicator and the listed item. You will need to click the “Customize” button inside the Bullets and Numbering dialog box.

Exercise 4: Captions and Alternative Text

16. Tables are often used in course syllabi to list graded projects and their associated values. Accessible documents include captions and alternative text for tables and images. If you have included a table, right-click on the icon in the top left corner of the table to access the contextual menu.

17. Select “Insert Caption” from the contextual menu.

18. Write a caption that describes the table for viewers who are hearing your document, rather than seeing/reading it.

Note: Since tables are difficult to translate in text-to-speech readers,

it is a good idea to offer information included in a Microsoft Word

table in another format. For instance, including this information on a

course website will give a student a second point of access.

19. If you include an image, you should be sure to assign it a caption and/or alternative text. Right-click on the image and choose “Insert Caption” from the contextual menu.

Note: Alternative text, or “ALT” text is not available in Microsoft Word

2008 for Mac users. These users should insert a caption in lieu of the

ALT text.

20. When writing a description of the image, imagine that you are explaining the visual to someone who cannot see it. If the image or graphic is not necessary for understanding course material, you can skip this step. Then again, if the image is not necessary to understanding course material, you might consider deleting it from your document.

21. Captions automatically assume a style. You can modify the visual format of the caption from the Styles area of the Formatting Palette.

Exercise 5: Hyperlinks and Alternative Viewing

Platforms

22. Remind your reader that Word documents can be viewed in multiple formats. Readers can download Open Office, an open-source text-editing application that closely mimics the style and functionality of Microsoft Word, to view your Word document.

23. Since Open Office can be download from the website for free, direct the reader by adding the hypertext link to your statement. Select the words that should link to the web page (“Open Office”), then right-click on the selection and choose “Hyperlink” from the contextual menu.

Note: The key-command for adding a hyperlink to a selection of text

is Control-K (for PC users) or Command-K (for Mac users). I use this

frequently enough to employ the key command instead of using the

contextual menu. It is more efficient to use key commands instead of

directing the mouse to menu items.

24. Type the link of the reference in the “Link to” field in the Insert Hyperlink dialog box, then press the OK button.

25. Hyperlinks, like list paragraphs, assume a style in the Styles area of the Formatting Palette. You can click the pull-down menu to the right of the style name to modify the format of the hyperlink.

Conclusion The Styles section of the Formatting Palette is significant. It adds semantic mark-

up (or code) to the document that provides information for a digital reader about the

various sections of text. While you may assume the differences between Heading 1 or

Normal styles are a matter of visual formatting, the styles actual add code to the

document. Styles not only modify the formatting of a selected area, but also communicate

an idea about the text, such as “this selection of text is a heading,” or “this selection of

text is a caption.” Students who use adaptive technology devices, such as a text-to-speech

reader, benefit from this additional mark-up. They are able to scan a document for

headings and captions, just as a sighted-student would by looking for larger or bolder

text.

Captions and alternative text should be applied to anything that would require a

description in the case of a reader using adaptive technologies. Tables and images are

commonly aided with captions and ALT descriptions.

Aside from using styles, captions, and alternative text, you can also help your

students by reminding them of their options for viewing or using digital materials. While

most students have Microsoft Word, we cannot assume that the software is installed in

every student’s computer. There is no downside to adding this copy to your syllabus as it

is easy to provide students with a free alternative, and it could be of great benefit to some.

It also demonstrates a commitment to providing access for all students.