Creating accessible content is essential for ensuring all students can engage with your course materials effectively. This master guide consolidates our four core accessibility workflows into one location.
We have provided a brief overview above each section to explain why that workflow is necessary and what specific points are covered. Click on the section headers below to expand the detailed, step-by-step instructions.
Converting Word/Docs to an Accessible PDF (and How to Check It)
Many users accidentally strip the accessibility from their documents by using "Print to PDF." This creates a flat image that screen readers cannot read. This guide shows you the correct "Save As" method to preserve your headings and alt text during conversion.
What you will learn:
- The "Print to PDF" Trap: Why you must avoid this common mistake.
- Word Settings: Locating the hidden "Document structure tags" checkbox in the Save menu.
- Google Docs: The correct way to download tagged PDFs directly.
- Verification: How to use Adobe Acrobat Pro to run a final pass/fail check on your file.
Click the section header below to expand the detailed instructions.
How to Save a Word Doc as an Accessible PDF
How you create the PDF is the most important step in preserving your accessibility tags. Using "Save As" correctly transfers all your Headings, Alt Text, and other tags. Do not use "Print to PDF," as this will erase all accessibility tags and create a "flat" image.
The Correct Method (Save As):
- In your finished Word document, go to the File menu and choose Save As, or click F12.
- In the "Save as type" dropdown menu, select PDF (*.pdf).
- This is the key step: Click the Options... button, which is usually next to the "Save" button or under "More options."
- A new window will pop up. Under the "Include non-printing information" section, make sure the box for "Document structure tags for accessibility" is CHECKED.
- Click OK, then click Save.
How to Save a Google Doc as an Accessible PDF
Google Docs makes this process very simple. It automatically includes accessibility tags (like Headings and Alt Text) when you download a document as a PDF.
- In your finished Google Doc, go to the File menu.
- Hover over Download.
- Select PDF Document (.pdf) from the sub-menu.
That's it. The file that saves to your computer is a tagged, accessible PDF. There are no extra "Options" boxes to check.
How to Check Your PDF for Accessibility (Using Adobe Acrobat)
This is the final step to confirm that all your accessibility tags (Headings, Alt Text, etc.) were transferred correctly from your Word or Google Doc.
You must use Adobe Acrobat Pro (or "Acrobat DC") to do this. The free Adobe Reader does not have the accessibility checker.
How to Run the Accessibility Check:
- Open your newly created PDF in Adobe Acrobat Pro.
- In the main tools menu (you may have to click See all tools), find and click on Prepare for accessibility. This will add it to your tool panel on the right.
- From the "Accessibility" panel on the right, click Check for Accessibility.
- A small window will appear. You can leave all the default settings as they are. Click Start Checking.
- After a few seconds, a report will appear in the left-hand panel.
What to Look For:
- Ideally, the report will say "No accessibility issues found."
- It's common to see a few items under "Needs manual check," such as "Reading order" or "Color contrast."
- If you see major "Failed" items (like "Images - Alt text"), it means your tags did not transfer, and you should go back to your original Word document to fix the issue and re-save.
How to Make Google Forms Accessible
Google Forms are highly accessible by default, but specific design choices can break them for students using screen readers. For example, a screen reader relies entirely on your question text to know what information belongs in a box. If the question is vague or the color contrast is too low, the form becomes unusable for some students.
What you will learn:
- Clear Labeling: Why you must write descriptive questions (e.g., "What is your name?" vs. "Name") to help screen readers.
- Image Alt Text: How to use the "Add Caption" feature to describe images, charts, or graphs.
- Color Safety: Why sticking to default themes prevents low-contrast accessibility errors.
- Navigation: Using "Sections" to break long forms into manageable pages.
- Video: Ensuring any embedded YouTube content has accurate closed captions.
Click the section header below to expand the detailed instructions.
When a faculty member uses a Google Form, each question (like "First Name" or "Choose your topic") acts as the "form field label." A screen reader needs these labels to tell the student what information to enter in each box.
Google Forms is highly accessible by default, but here are the key things you must do to keep it that way.
1. Write Clear and Descriptive Questions
This is the most important step. Each question you write is the "label" for that form field.
- Bad Example: A question that just says "Your Answer" with a text box.
- Good Example: A question that clearly states, "What is your full name?"
2. Add a Caption to Images
If you add any images to your form (either in the header or in a question), you must add alt text.
- After adding an image to your form, hover over it and click the three-dot menu (More options).
- From the menu, select Add a caption.
- A text field will appear under the image. Type your descriptive text here (e.g., "A pie chart showing that 70% of students prefer online courses.")
- This caption will now be read aloud by screen readers.
3. Check Color Contrast
It can be tempting to create a custom theme, but this is the easiest way to make a form inaccessible.
- Best Practice: Stick to the default Google Form themes (like the simple purple one) or a basic white background with black text.
- Avoid: Low-contrast combinations like light grey text on a white background, or bright-colored text on a bright-colored background.
4. Use Sections for Long Forms
If your form is very long (more than 10-15 questions), break it into logical parts using sections. This makes it much easier to navigate for all users, especially those using screen readers.
- From the floating toolbar on the right, click the "Add section" icon (it looks like two small rectangles).
- This will create a new "page" in your form. Give each section a clear title (e.g., "Part 1: Contact Information").
5. Ensure Videos Have Captions
If you embed a YouTube video, you are responsible for making sure it is accessible. Prioritize videos with accurate, human-checked closed captions (CC). If you must use a video with AI Auto-Generated captions, please review them to ensure they are accurate enough for your students..
Word & Google Docs Accessibility
Accessibility starts at the source. If your original Word or Google Doc is just "visual" (using bold text instead of real headings), screen readers interpret it as a giant, unstructured block of text. This guide shows you how to "tag" your document correctly before you even upload it to Canvas.
What you will learn:
- True Headings: Using the "Styles" pane (Heading 1, Heading 2) to create a navigable outline instead of just changing font sizes.
- Image Descriptions: How to right-click images to add Alt Text for visually impaired students.
- Clean Links: Creating descriptive hyperlinks (e.g., "Course Syllabus") instead of pasting long, messy URLs.
- The Built-in Checker: How to run the automated "Check Accessibility" tool in Microsoft Word to catch errors instantly.
Click the section header below to expand the detailed instructions.
Both Word & Google use the exact same principles as Canvas, just with slightly different buttons. The goal is to create a "tagged" document that a screen reader can understand. We recommend faculty do this first, before they even upload to Canvas.
1. Use Heading Styles
Why this matters: Just like in Canvas, this creates an outline for screen readers.
- In Word: Use the Styles pane on the "Home" tab. Select your text and click "Heading 1" (for the main title), "Heading 2", "Heading 3", etc.
- In Google Docs: Use the Styles dropdown in the toolbar (it usually says "Normal text"). Select your text and apply "Heading 1", "Heading 2", etc.
It's fine to use the Title and Subtitle styles for your document's main title. However, for all your section headings (like 'Week 1,' 'Reading List,' 'Course Policies'), you must start with Heading 1 or Heading 2 so that screen readers can navigate them.
2. Add Alt Text to Images
Describes the image to a student who cannot see it.
- In Word: Right-click the image > Edit Alt Text. (In older versions, it may be under "Format Picture").
In Google Docs: Right-click the image > Alt text.
3. Create Descriptive Links
The link text should describe where the link is going.
- In Word: Type the descriptive text (e.g., "OC Writing Center"). Highlight it, press Ctrl + K (or right-click > Link), and paste the URL.
- In Google Docs: This works exactly the same as in Word.
4. Run the Accessibility Checker
Both programs have a built-in tool that will find most of your errors for you.
- In Word: Go to the Review tab and click Check Accessibility. A new pane will open, telling you exactly what to fix and why.
- In Google Docs: Go to the Tools menu and click Accessibility. A new pane will open. (Google's is less of a "checker" and more of a "navigator," but it's still useful).
Accessibility Basics for Canvas Pages
It is not enough to make your Canvas page "look" organized using bold text and large fonts. Screen readers ignore visual styling and rely on specific HTML tags to navigate. This guide covers the four most critical steps to ensuring your course pages are readable by all students.
What you will learn:
- Real Headings: Why you must use the "Paragraph" dropdown (Heading 2, Heading 3) instead of just bolding text.
- Alt Text: How to use the "Image Options" menu to describe images or mark them as "Decorative" if they add no educational value.
- Descriptive Links: The importance of avoiding "Click Here" and raw URLs in favor of clear link text (e.g., "Read the Syllabus").
- Table Headers: The specific "Row Property" setting required to tell screen readers which cells are headers and which are data.
Click the section header below to expand the detailed instructions.
How to Make Canvas Pages Accessible
Making your Canvas Pages accessible ensures that all students, including those using screen readers, can understand and navigate your content. Here are the four most important things you can do in the Rich Content Editor.
1. Use Heading Styles for Structure
Screen readers use headings to navigate a page, just like sighted users scan headlines. Using the built-in styles creates a "digital outline" for the page. Do not just bold and enlarge text to create a heading.
Step 1. Type the text you want to use as a heading (e.g., "Week 1 Reading List").
Step 2. In the toolbar, click the dropdown menu that says Paragraph.
Step 3. Select Heading 2 for your main section titles.
Step 4. Use Heading 3 for sub-sections, and Heading 4 for sub-sub-sections.
The Page Title is automatically "Heading 1," so you should always start your page content with "Heading 2."
Headings Won't Separate? To apply different styles (like "Paragraph" and "Heading 2") to different lines, each line must be its own paragraph.
- Press Enter (or Return) to create a new paragraph.
- Press Shift + Enter to create a simple line break.
If your styles are "stuck" together, you likely used Shift + Enter. Go back and press Enter at the end of each line to separate them.
2. Add Alt Text to Images
Alt text (alternative text) is a short, descriptive sentence that is read aloud by a screen reader. It describes the image to a student who cannot see it.
Step 1. Click the Image icon in the toolbar and select Upload Image.
Step 2. After you upload your image, the Image Options menu will appear automatically.
Step 3. In the Alt Text box, type a brief description of the image. (e.g., "A pie chart showing that 70% of students prefer online courses.")
Step 4. Click the Submit button.
Already have an image on the page? Click the image, and an Image Options button will appear. Click that to open the menu and add your Alt Text.
Is the image just for decoration? If the image adds no academic value (like a fancy horizontal line or a stock photo of a book), check the "Decorative Image" box instead.
3. Create Descriptive Links
A screen reader will often read out a list of all links on a page. A list of "Click Here" links is confusing. The link text itself should describe where the link is going.
- Bad Example: To see the syllabus, click here. (Or just pasting the full URL: https://www.oc.edu/syllabus-engl-0120.pdf)
- Good Example: Please read the ENGL-0120 Syllabus for more information.
How to do it:
Step 1. Type the descriptive text (e.g., "ENGL-0120 Syllabus").
Step 2. Highlight that text.
Step 3. Click the Link icon in the toolbar and select Course Links (for a file) or External Links (for a website).
Step 4. Select the file or paste the URL. Click Done.
Using Course Link, you can attach a course page or add files that already exist in the course to the text.
You can also insert files into your text by clicking the upload tool.
4. Make Accessible Tables
A screen reader needs to know which cells are headers and which are data. This allows it to announce "Column: Due Date, Row: Week 1, Data: Friday."
Step 1. From the top menu bar, click Table. Use the grid to insert your table.
Step 2. Enter your header titles in the top row (e.g., "Assignment", "Due Date").
Step 3. Click anywhere inside your header row.
Step 4. Go back to the top menu bar and click Table again.
Step 5. Hover over Row and select Row properties from the sub-menu.
Step 6. In the pop-up window, find the Row Type dropdown.
Step 7. Change the Row Type from "Body" to "Header".
Step 8. Click Save.
We are doing these specific steps to tell screen readers which row contains the titles.
Additional Resources
If you need guidance on topics not covered above—such as creating accessible PowerPoint slides or hosting accessible online meetings—we recommend checking the University of Washington's Accessible Technology hub.
Still have questions?
Accessibility checks can sometimes produce confusing errors. If you are stuck on a specific document or need a one-on-one walkthrough to ensure your course is compliant, the North Institute is here to help.
Contact Us: Please reach out to us at NorthInstitute@oc.edu to ask a question or schedule a brief consultation.
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