{"id":8248,"date":"2020-03-10T09:30:00","date_gmt":"2020-03-10T09:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/?p=8248"},"modified":"2020-03-09T11:27:15","modified_gmt":"2020-03-09T11:27:15","slug":"accessibility-tips-check-accessibility","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/2020\/03\/10\/accessibility-tips-check-accessibility\/","title":{"rendered":"Accessibility tips: Check accessibility"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"684\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/files\/2020\/02\/2020-02-28_1117-1024x684.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-8249\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/files\/2020\/02\/2020-02-28_1117-1024x684.png 1024w, https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/files\/2020\/02\/2020-02-28_1117-300x201.png 300w, https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/files\/2020\/02\/2020-02-28_1117-768x513.png 768w, https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/files\/2020\/02\/2020-02-28_1117-100x67.png 100w, https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/files\/2020\/02\/2020-02-28_1117-150x100.png 150w, https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/files\/2020\/02\/2020-02-28_1117-200x134.png 200w, https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/files\/2020\/02\/2020-02-28_1117-450x301.png 450w, https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/files\/2020\/02\/2020-02-28_1117-600x401.png 600w, https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/files\/2020\/02\/2020-02-28_1117-900x602.png 900w, https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/files\/2020\/02\/2020-02-28_1117.png 1185w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>In the latest of our \u2018Accessibility Tips\u2019 blog posts I will be looking at some quick and easy ways that you can check that the digital materials you produce&nbsp;meet the\u202f<a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/guidance\/accessibility-requirements-for-public-sector-websites-and-apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">legislation requirements<\/a>\u202fand provide an improved learning environment for all. You can read more about digital accessibility in the&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/accessibility\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Digital Accessibility toolkit<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2>Use the Accessibility Checklist&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Many tools have built-in accessibility checkers, but these will work best if you have already used accessible design features in your documents. This&nbsp;<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"http:\/\/www.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/documents\/designing-for-diverse-learners-uos-104.pdf\" target=\"_blank\">Accessibility Checklist<\/a>&nbsp;(which you could even print out and pin up near your desk) will help you create materials that are accessible.&nbsp;Our <a href=\"http:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/?p=8243\">blog post on inclusive design <\/a>also has some great tips on this.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Think of any accessibility checkers in the tools you use as like spell-checkers; you still try to spell everything correctly as you write, but they are great to use at the end of the process. Like spell-checkers, accessibility checking tools will not necessarily identify every issue.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2>Check content in Canvas&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>When you are creating content in Canvas you can use the integrated accessibility checker which is available wherever the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/community.canvaslms.com\/docs\/DOC-10728-67952720342\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Rich Content Editor (RCE)<\/a>&nbsp;is used. That includes Announcements, Assignments and Discussions as well as Pages. The tool checks tables, headings, alt-text for images and text contrast and offers suggestions to fix issues.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To learn more about the Canvas Accessibility Checker see:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/2018\/11\/20\/canvas-know-how-accessibility-checker\/\" target=\"_blank\">Canvas Know-How: Using the Accessibility Checker<\/a>&nbsp;on our blog.<\/li><li><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/community.canvaslms.com\/docs\/DOC-13345-4152808104\" target=\"_blank\">How do I use the Accessibility Checker in the Rich Content Editor as an instructor?<\/a>&nbsp; by Canvas&nbsp;<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2>Check Microsoft Office documents&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If you are using Word documents or PowerPoint&nbsp;presentations&nbsp;there is a Microsoft Accessibility Checker that makes it possible for you to check the accessibility of your documents directly from within the&nbsp;programme&nbsp;by selecting&nbsp;<strong>File &gt; Check for issues &gt; Check accessibility<\/strong>. This is useful for pre-existing documents, but if you are creating new documents, following guidance to make them accessible as you create them will help you to&nbsp;minimise&nbsp;the work involved in checking and fixing issues.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To learn more about making Word documents and PowerPoint presentations&nbsp;accessible&nbsp;see:&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/support.office.com\/en-gb\/article\/make-your-word-documents-accessible-to-people-with-disabilities-d9bf3683-87ac-47ea-b91a-78dcacb3c66d\" target=\"_blank\">Make your Word documents accessible<\/a>&nbsp;by Microsoft.<\/li><li><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/2018\/06\/05\/5-top-tips-for-creating-inclusive-presentations\" target=\"_blank\">5 Top Tips for creating inclusive presentations<\/a>&nbsp;on our blog.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2>Check PDFs&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>PDF (Portable Document Format) has been used extensively for displaying documents online because they can be viewed and look the same across a range of devices. However, now that more material is being viewed on mobile devices and we are thinking more about accessibility, PDFs are posing challenges.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Staff at the University of Sussex have access to&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.sussex.ac.uk\/its\/services\/software\/list?filter=pc&amp;id=471\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Adobe Acrobat Pro DC<\/a>&nbsp;which allows you to check the accessibility of existing PDFs:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>Select&nbsp;<strong>Tools&nbsp;&gt;&nbsp;Accessibility<\/strong>&nbsp;to open the Accessibility Checker.&nbsp;<\/li><li>Run&nbsp;<strong>Full Check<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/li><li>Select&nbsp;<strong>Start Checking<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>When creating new documents, however, it would be worth considering whether PDF is the best format to use and if you decide to use PDF take care to make it as accessible as possible.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can learn more about this in:&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/helpx.adobe.com\/uk\/acrobat\/using\/create-verify-pdf-accessibility.html\" target=\"_blank\">Create and verify PDF accessibility<\/a>&nbsp;from Adobe. <\/li><li><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/2019\/12\/03\/problem-document-format-pdfs-and-accessibility\/\" target=\"_blank\">Problem Document Format: PDFs and Accessibility<\/a>&nbsp;on our blog.&nbsp;<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2>More help and guidance<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The TEL team are always happy to advise and support staff in making teaching materials more accessible, so please contact us at&nbsp;<a href=\"mailto:tel@sussex.ac.uk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">tel@sussex.ac.uk<\/a>&nbsp;if you want to discuss what is best for you and your students.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div class=\"sharedaddy sd-sharing-enabled\"><div class=\"robots-nocontent sd-block sd-social sd-social-icon sd-sharing\"><h3 class=\"sd-title\">Share this:<\/h3><div class=\"sd-content\"><ul><li class=\"share-twitter\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" data-shared=\"sharing-twitter-8248\" class=\"share-twitter sd-button share-icon no-text\" href=\"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/2020\/03\/10\/accessibility-tips-check-accessibility\/?share=twitter\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Click to share on Twitter\"><span><\/span><span class=\"sharing-screen-reader-text\">Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)<\/span><\/a><\/li><li class=\"share-facebook\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" data-shared=\"sharing-facebook-8248\" class=\"share-facebook sd-button share-icon no-text\" href=\"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/2020\/03\/10\/accessibility-tips-check-accessibility\/?share=facebook\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Click to share on Facebook\"><span><\/span><span class=\"sharing-screen-reader-text\">Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)<\/span><\/a><\/li><li class=\"share-tumblr\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" data-shared=\"\" class=\"share-tumblr sd-button share-icon no-text\" href=\"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/2020\/03\/10\/accessibility-tips-check-accessibility\/?share=tumblr\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Click to share on Tumblr\"><span><\/span><span class=\"sharing-screen-reader-text\">Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)<\/span><\/a><\/li><li class=\"share-print\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" data-shared=\"\" class=\"share-print sd-button share-icon no-text\" href=\"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/2020\/03\/10\/accessibility-tips-check-accessibility\/\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Click to print\"><span><\/span><span class=\"sharing-screen-reader-text\">Click to print (Opens in new window)<\/span><\/a><\/li><li class=\"share-pinterest\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" data-shared=\"sharing-pinterest-8248\" class=\"share-pinterest sd-button share-icon no-text\" href=\"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/2020\/03\/10\/accessibility-tips-check-accessibility\/?share=pinterest\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Click to share on Pinterest\"><span><\/span><span class=\"sharing-screen-reader-text\">Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)<\/span><\/a><\/li><li class=\"share-pocket\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" data-shared=\"\" class=\"share-pocket sd-button share-icon no-text\" href=\"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/2020\/03\/10\/accessibility-tips-check-accessibility\/?share=pocket\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Click to share on Pocket\"><span><\/span><span class=\"sharing-screen-reader-text\">Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)<\/span><\/a><\/li><li class=\"share-end\"><\/li><\/ul><\/div><\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In the latest of our \u2018Accessibility Tips\u2019 blog posts I will be looking at some quick and easy ways that you can check that the digital materials you produce&nbsp;meet the\u202flegislation requirements\u202fand provide an improved learning environment for all. You can<span class=\"ellipsis\">&hellip;<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"read-more\"><a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/2020\/03\/10\/accessibility-tips-check-accessibility\/\">Read more &#8250;<\/a><\/div>\n<p><!-- end of .read-more --><\/p>\n<div class=\"sharedaddy sd-sharing-enabled\"><div class=\"robots-nocontent sd-block sd-social sd-social-icon sd-sharing\"><h3 class=\"sd-title\">Share this:<\/h3><div class=\"sd-content\"><ul><li class=\"share-twitter\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" data-shared=\"sharing-twitter-8248\" class=\"share-twitter sd-button share-icon no-text\" href=\"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/2020\/03\/10\/accessibility-tips-check-accessibility\/?share=twitter\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Click to share on Twitter\"><span><\/span><span class=\"sharing-screen-reader-text\">Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)<\/span><\/a><\/li><li class=\"share-facebook\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" data-shared=\"sharing-facebook-8248\" class=\"share-facebook sd-button share-icon no-text\" href=\"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/2020\/03\/10\/accessibility-tips-check-accessibility\/?share=facebook\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Click to share on Facebook\"><span><\/span><span class=\"sharing-screen-reader-text\">Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)<\/span><\/a><\/li><li class=\"share-tumblr\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" data-shared=\"\" class=\"share-tumblr sd-button share-icon no-text\" href=\"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/2020\/03\/10\/accessibility-tips-check-accessibility\/?share=tumblr\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Click to share on Tumblr\"><span><\/span><span class=\"sharing-screen-reader-text\">Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)<\/span><\/a><\/li><li class=\"share-print\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" data-shared=\"\" class=\"share-print sd-button share-icon no-text\" href=\"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/2020\/03\/10\/accessibility-tips-check-accessibility\/\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Click to print\"><span><\/span><span class=\"sharing-screen-reader-text\">Click to print (Opens in new window)<\/span><\/a><\/li><li class=\"share-pinterest\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" data-shared=\"sharing-pinterest-8248\" class=\"share-pinterest sd-button share-icon no-text\" href=\"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/2020\/03\/10\/accessibility-tips-check-accessibility\/?share=pinterest\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Click to share on Pinterest\"><span><\/span><span class=\"sharing-screen-reader-text\">Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)<\/span><\/a><\/li><li class=\"share-pocket\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" data-shared=\"\" class=\"share-pocket sd-button share-icon no-text\" href=\"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/2020\/03\/10\/accessibility-tips-check-accessibility\/?share=pocket\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Click to share on Pocket\"><span><\/span><span class=\"sharing-screen-reader-text\">Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)<\/span><\/a><\/li><li class=\"share-end\"><\/li><\/ul><\/div><\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"author":94,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"spay_email":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false},"categories":[36],"tags":[36,157044],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p4IWEK-292","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":false,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":8144,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/2020\/04\/28\/accessibility-tips-digital-accessibility-tools\/","url_meta":{"origin":8248,"position":0},"title":"Accessibility tips: Digital accessibility tools","date":"28th April 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"When teaching and learning is happening online the accessibility of digital materials and activities is more important than ever. This post is part of a series of Accessibility Tips to help you make your digital materials accessible. There are more great tips in our Digital Accessibility Toolkit. Previous posts in\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Accessibility&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/files\/2020\/01\/My-Post.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":4453,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/2016\/07\/26\/developing-accessible-web-content\/","url_meta":{"origin":8248,"position":1},"title":"Developing accessible web content","date":"26th July 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"In our recent post Making learning accessible through technology, Tab Betts (@MrTabKey) took us through some valuable tools that promote inclusivity, productivity and help overcome what are for some significant barriers to learning. A growing range of free content creation tools (e.g. Wordpress) and intuitive social media platforms (e.g Facebook)\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Accessibility&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/files\/2016\/07\/drdavidsloan-300x300.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":7962,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/2019\/11\/26\/alternative-formats-made-easy-with-sensusacesss\/","url_meta":{"origin":8248,"position":2},"title":"Alternative formats made easy with SensusAccess","date":"26th November 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"The University of Sussex prides itself on being an inclusive education community, indeed inclusion is one of the five core values of the University\u2019s Strategic Framework. Building on wider institutional efforts in this important area Technology Enhanced Learning and the Library have come together to licence a new online service\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Accessibility&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"screenshot of link to SensusAccess in Canvas Help","src":"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/files\/2019\/10\/SensusAccess-Canvas-Student-794x946.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":8224,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/2020\/03\/17\/accessibility-tips-mobile-accessibility\/","url_meta":{"origin":8248,"position":3},"title":"Accessibility tips: Mobile accessibility","date":"17th March 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Accessibility is a hot topic in Higher Education. Around 15% of the student population at the University of Sussex have registered disabilities with potentially many more who have unidentified or undisclosed needs.\u00a0 Mobile devices and the iPhone in particular have been a massive enabler for people with disabilities. Google have\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Accessibility&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/files\/2020\/02\/My_Post_1.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":8996,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/2022\/02\/01\/using-the-canvas-accessibility-checker\/","url_meta":{"origin":8248,"position":4},"title":"Using the Canvas Accessibility Checker","date":"1st February 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"There are lots of steps that can be taken to make sure that your module content is digitally accessible to your students. From headings and font colours to tables and alternative text, it can feel like there is a lot to keep track of. This is where the Canvas Accessibility\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Accessibility&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/files\/2022\/01\/Picture2.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":9479,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/2023\/05\/23\/just-a-few-things-to-improve-accessibility-on-your-canvas-module-sites\/","url_meta":{"origin":8248,"position":5},"title":"Just a few things to improve accessibility on your Canvas module sites","date":"23rd May 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"I love Michael Moseley\u2019s BBC podcast. In each episode he suggests \u2019Just One Thing\u2018 to increase your health and wellbeing. The recent Global Accessibility Awareness Day got me thinking of whether there\u2019s just one thing you can do as module convenor to improve the accessibility of your Canvas module sites\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Accessibility&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/files\/2023\/05\/digits-705666_1920.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8248"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/94"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8248"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8248\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8252,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8248\/revisions\/8252"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8248"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8248"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8248"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}