Assistive Technology Webinar [Alternative Text for Images is in brackets] Brought to you by Michigan’s Assistive Technology Program at MDRC. [Michigan Disability Rights Coalition Logo “With Liberty and Access for All!”] Slide 2: About the Webinar * Use the chat function on the right hand side. * Questions and comments are encouraged and expected! * The session is being recorded. * We will start recording now. Slide 3: Tools for Independence: Providing Alternatives to Print Presented by MDRC Staff Members * Kathryn Wyeth * Norman G. DeLisle, Jr. * M. Catherine McAdam Slide 4: Overview of the Topic * Will cover some basics * More information on the resource handouts * Commitment to continual learning and improvement * It’s the right thing to do * It’s the law Slide 5: Who Needs Alternatives? * People who are Blind * People who need larger print * People who have some types of learning disabilities * People with intellectual disabilities * People with limited fine motor control Slide 6: Laws: ADA Title II State and Local Governments * Required to take steps to ensure that their communications with people with disabilities are as effective as communications with others. * Simply put, “effective communication” means that whatever is written or spoken must be as clear and understandable to people with disabilities as it is for people who do not have disabilities. General Effective Communication Requirements Under Title II of the ADA http://www.ada.gov/pcatoolkit/chap3toolkit.htm Slide 7: Laws: ADA Title III * III-4.3200 Effective communication. In order to provide equal access, a public accommodation is required to make available appropriate auxiliary aids and services where necessary to ensure effective communication. The type of auxiliary aid or service necessary to ensure effective communication will vary in accordance with the length and complexity of the communication involved. ADA Title III Technical Assistance Manual [logo with image of wheelchair guy, an ear, a person with a cane and hands signing and words "Americans with Disabilities Act"] Slide 8: Section 504 * 504 regulations cover entities that receive Federal aid. Requirements common to these regulations include reasonable accommodation for employees with disabilities; program accessibility; effective communication with people who have hearing or vision disabilities; and accessible new construction and alterations. Slide 9: National Instructional Materials Accessibility Standard (NIMAS) * Only blind or other persons with print disabilities in elementary schools and secondary schools are eligible to receive specialized formats from NIMAS-derived files. * “Specialized formats” (a) means Braille, audio, or digital text which is exclusively for use by blind or other persons with disabilities; and (b) includes large print formats when such materials are distributed exclusively for use by blind or other persons with disabilities.   * Established by the Secretary of Education to be used in the preparation of electronic files suitable and used solely for efficient conversion into specialized formats.  Slide 10: From the Ground Up * It is much easier to make the document accessible when you create it than try and add accessibility afterwards. [photo of home entrance with gradual incline cement pathway and nice landscaping (no stairs!)] Slide 11: Questions to Ask Yourself * Is this a document that is likely only to be read once and then discarded? * Will someone need to interact with others while reading the document? * Are you producing text that will need to be searched? * Will it be provided electronically or just in print? Slide 12: Questions, continued * Are readers likely to be technologically sophisticated? * Is this information that must be retained and reviewed over a number of years? * Will customers need to complete and return the document to you? * If this is for a training session, will you provide the material in advance? Slide 13: How Many Copies? * Trial and Error * Ask in advance, on the registration form * Have some alternative formats available. * Offer to send afterwards, last resort. [A stack of different colored paper] Slide 14: Just Offer Handouts on the Web? * Go back to the questions; does this result in “effective communication”? * Is the page for the download accessible? * Are they available in time? [An icon with words "Download Handouts"] Slide 15: Web Materials * In general, producing accessible materials will make it much easier to turn these into web-based information. * If you post materials for download, use accessible formats. * We have an email list for web access information. Contact mdrc@prosynergy.org Slide 16: Difference between accessibility and usability * Just because a document is accessible does not mean that it is usable. * Documents in Plain Text are a good example: a plain text file is very accessible in that you can open and read it with almost anything. But it’s not very usable because it does not have structure, so finding a particular section or chapter is slow. Slide 17: Clear Print – Good for Everyone! * Text size preferably 14 pt. * The font you choose should be clear, avoiding anything stylized * All body text should be left aligned * Use bold sparingly, only highlight a few words rather than a paragraph * Keep the text layout clear, simple and consistent Slide 18: Clear Print, continued (2) * Don't use blocks of capitalized letters, and try not to use any italics or underlining * Text shouldn't be overlaid on images * The paper should not be glossy or reflective * Ensure the paper is thick enough to prevent show through Slide 19: Clear Print, Continued (3) * The contrast between the text and background is as high as possible * All text should be the same orientation on the page * Space between columns of text is large enough to be distinct * Any information conveyed in color or through images is also described Slide 20: Avoid Confusion * Use the simplest language and structure appropriate for the content * Run your document through a free readability tool and make adjustments if necessary * Increase white space between sections * Chunk text into meaningful sections; include headings and sub-headings for sections. Slide 21: Accessible Documents * Don't use color as the only way to convey content. * Provide a table of contents, especially for long documents. * Use simple language. Slide 22: Use Styles * Use headings, not just larger or bolder text! * Headings will allow screen reader users to navigate through the page easily * Use true numbered and bulleted lists. * Use true columns, not tables or columns created by hand with the Tab key. Slide 23: Tips for writing alternative text * Try to answer the question "what information is the image conveying?" * If the image contains meaningful text, ensure all of the text is replicated. * If just a decorative visual element, you can leave it blank. Slide 24: Hyperlinks * Will the document just be printed or will it be electronic or both? * If electronic, use descriptive text for a link * If print (or both electronic and print) then include the url. [A rich text icon] Slide 25: Rich Text Format (RTF) * RTF is a format most word processors can read. * To convert a word document, select “Save As” then RTF. Slide 26: Issues with Text Boxes * Choose high contrast text and background colors for your text boxes. * A screen reader user may not even know they are missing important content! * A screen reader usually treats a text box like an image * Must include alt text! * Check the reading order. [A screen shot of a text box with "enter something here" in the box] Slide 27: Plain Text * Plain text, supports standard ASCII characters, including numbers, symbols, and spaces, but does not support any type of text formatting. * You cannot apply bold, italic, or underlined styles, and you cannot use different fonts or font sizes in a plain text document. [A notepad icon] Slide 28: Large Print * Ask the reader whenever possible! The best option takes into account the individual's preferences as vision loss varies. * Follow clear print guidelines * Many large print readers recommend printing text in 18-point type. * Bold the entire document Slide 29: Large Print, continued (2) * Left-justify the text. Use the block style for paragraphs whenever possible. * Eliminate the automatic hyphenation of words. * Do not center text. * Set line spacing to 1.5 * Left and right margins of one inch are ideal. Slide 30: Large Print, continued (3) * Number pages at the top or bottom left-hand side of the page. * Use non-glossy, off-white paper whenever possible. * Make sure that the ink in the printer is generating clean copy without lines or smudges. Slide 31: PDF Files * Can be generated to be just an image of a document, and therefore not accessible! * Must be “tagged” * Easiest to start with an accessible document and convert it to a PDF * The sources document must be accessible! Slide 32: What is Braille? * A system of writing and printing for blind or visually impaired people, in which varied arrangements of raised dots representing letters and numerals are identified by touch. [A hand reading a Braille page] Slide 33: Preparing Material for Braille * Keep formatting simple! * Have either a Braille user or certified transcriber proofread to ensure Braille format and accuracy. * Materials with complex formats, such as tables, financial statements, puzzles, matching columns, etc. require assistance from a person knowledgeable of these specialized formats. * Slide 34: Printing Braille * The embosser “prints” a Braille file but will usually need to be setup properly if tractor-fed paper * Improper alignment creates illegible files [A Braille printer with a cover] Slide 35: Audio * Simple, short text? Create an MP3 with the free online VozMe program. * Other Text to Speech programs that generate a digital recording. (see Resource list). * Provide on a CD or USB drive and/or through download. Slide 36: Audio, continued * Can also read the text and record it. * Free program: Audacity * MP3 downside: can’t really be searched. No indexing or bookmarks. Slide 37: DAISY * Digital * Accessible * Information * SYstem [The logo of the Daisy Consortium] Slide 38: A DAISY Book is: * Navigable * A combination of files, including marked-up text and audio. * It may be searchable * Adheres to the DAISY Standard. Slide 39: More? So much we did not cover! * Web Access * Multimedia: Captions and Audio Description * Detailed “How To” * Let us know! mdrc@prosynergy.org Slide 40: Questions? [A large orange question mark.] Slide 41: Closing Thoughts “The digital revolution is far more significant than the invention of writing or even of printing.” – Douglas Engelbart 1