Make your Word Docs Accessible

Be an Accessible Content Ally with your Word Docs!

Location

Engineering : 102

Date & Time

October 31, 2019, 11:30 am12:30 pm

Description

Are your Microsoft Word documents accessible to every student in your course? Instructors routinely upload Word docs into their course, but this doesn't mean that every student has the same opportunity to access the materials, based on an individual's abilities. 

Microsoft Word is widely used for document creation and distribution. Unfortunately, students with disabilities are often faced with an array of challenges when accessing Word documents. According to the Quality Matters rubric for assessing courses, “course design [and content] should reflect a commitment to accessibility and usability for all learners, ensuring they can access all course content and activities.” 

Join us to learn how you can make your Word documents more accessible. Remember: accessible content is good content! 

Objectives
Upon completion of the workshop, participants will be able to:
  • Update to the latest version of Microsoft Office through UMBC's Office 365 license 
  • Utilize headers, formatting tools, and text styles rather than stylizing text
  • Modify alt text on images and shapes for screen-readers
  • Explain the importance of layout stylization and its impact on accessibility, like creating table headers, or splitting text into multiple columns 
  • Review accessibility through the Read Aloud, Check Accessibility, and Ally tools   

About Ally
Ally is a tool used for instructors to receive feedback on the accessibility of their content, coupled with instructions on how to improve the accessibility of their content. Additionally, Ally automatically creates alternative versions of files which allows students to choose the type of file they want that best suits their needs. To learn more about Ally, visit our extensive FAQ collection

Accessible Content Ally Badge
Instructional Technology will be awarding the Accessible Content Ally Badge to instructors who complete all of the following trainings:
  • Making Word Docs Accessible -- 1 training OR 1 webinar
  • Making PowerPoints Accessible -- 1 training OR 1 webinar
  • Making PDFs Accessible -- 1 training OR 1 webinar
  • Any Ally Orientation -- 1 training OR 1 webinar