Making Documents Accessible
PDF and Word Documents
It is important that documents, such as PDF and Microsoft Word files, that you upload to the OpenLab, are accessible. These include documents on a Site, or in the File Library section of a Course, Project, or Club Profile. CUNY’s guide to creating accessible PDF and Microsoft Office documents provides detailed instructions for how to do this, but a few key points are emphasized below.
- PDF files are the most difficult file format to make accessible, and properly-structured HTML tends to be the most accessible.
- Use or link to a PDF only when you cannot use HTML or Microsoft Office files.
- Ensuring searchable text and tagging a PDF with hidden labels (tags) that describe the structure of the document are the minimum requirements for PDF document accessibility, in order to be correctly read by a screen reader.
- If it is necessary to use a PDF, please follow CUNY’s guidelines for:
Slideshows
It is important that PowerPoint and other slideshow documents you include on the OpenLab are accessible. These include documents on a Site, or in the Files section of a Course, Project, or Club Profile. CUNY’s guide to creating an accessible PowerPoint provides detailed instructions for how to do this. More specifically for faculty, using PowerPoint to live caption lectures walks you through how to live caption your PowerPoint lectures so students can read along.
