Keep C.A.L.M. (Choosing Accessible Learning Materials)

Ally is an external tool integrated into Blackboard to support accessibility and universal design for instructors and students at Columbus State. As part of our Choose Accessible Learning Materials (C.A.L.M.) campaign, we encourage College community members to use Ally within Blackboard to ensure that content is accessible to all students. As a part of College policy (and the law), we must meet the requirements of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1 (WCAG) at the AA conformance level. These WCAG standards are there to provide specific guidance on how to make digital resources accessible to the largest number of users. Make the move to content that is clearer and accessible by using Ally!

Why Use Ally?

Ally makes it easier than ever before to insure that content created in and uploaded to the Blackboard LMS is accessible to all learners. Ally is an external tool (also known as an LTI) integrated into Blackboard. It will check all rich content created within and file uploads to a course shell for accessibility. From that scan, it will provide feedback via a course "accessibility report" as well as individual "accessibility scores" for each item, providing a list of changes needed to improve that score. Some changes like adding alternative text can be fixed through the tool directly. Some changes, like a image-only PDF, need to be fixed outside of Blackboard and re-uploaded. Taking the time to make content more accessible on the front end also makes the content more usable to the entire class.

Tell me how

Instructors

Ally scans uploaded instructor content within Blackboard and assigns an accessibility score to each file. Instructors can then work at their own pace to enhance the usability and accessibility of the content using guided feedback. We recommend picking one type of improvement at a time, such as replacing image-only PDFs.

Students

All students have access to on-demand alternative versions of course files uploaded to the course shell. File formats include readable text for screen readers, captioned pictures, and content that is easy to navigate, using the original documents from your course. From the Download drop-down menu, choose the Alternative Formats option. The accessible alternatives will be in a format other than the originial. Not a fan of PDF? No problem. Download the file as an .MP3, a web version, or an ePub. The quality of the alternative format is directly linked to the quality of the original file. Alternative format files are added to the student's downloads folder.

Learn more

Ally for LMS Help for Instructors

As part of our Choosing Accessible Learning Materials (C.A.L.M.) campaign, we want you to join us and describe images. On the web, image descriptions are read aloud to the blind and visually impaired using assistive technology. They also appear as text when page images do not load or a user turns them off to reduce cognitive load. During presentations, describing images increases audience comprehension and engagement as well as highlighting visual details that may be hard to see in a large room. For images in digital documents or on the web, image descriptions are provided through the use of alt attributes. During presentations, both live and pre-recorded, verbal descriptions of images should highlight the key components of the image in a natural, non-obtrusive way. Examples of both are under Why Describe Images below.

Describing images is also required by law. Specifically, it addresses the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1 (WCAG) criterion 1.1.1.  Make the move to clearer and more effective communications by providing alternative text for images in digital/web documents and verbally describing images when presenting.

Why Describe Images?

Providing a text description of the image provides access to anyone using screen reader technology, most often the blind and visually impaired. As an added benefit, writing alternative text descriptions for images can assist with image selection, since the description is intended to convey in words the same meaning as the visual. 

Image by Mircea Ploscar from Pixabay

The following could be alternative text descriptions for a photo of an apple, but which one is the best one?

[INSERT IMAGE]

1.  apple in a tree

2.  red apple hangs from tree

3.  a red apple hangs from a tree glistening with raindrops

Any of them, but all the descriptions might need improvement depending on the context of the image. 

If this photo were part of a live demonstration, a natural way to describe the image aloud could be, "During fall apple harvest..." or "Consider an apple hanging in a tree..." or "Autumn looks more beautiful after the rain when the droplets glisten on ripe red apples." The level of detail, just like for web-based images, depends on the context. Images should enhance all users' experience with content, whether it's on a webpage, in a document, or during a live talk. 

Once you start describing images, though, you will realize that not all images require a description. For example, decorative lines or shapes that are used to separate chunks of text should be marked as decorative so assistive technologies can pass over them. The rule of thumb is provide only what is visually communicated through an image in another format (alt attribute or verbal description) without redundancy. If the image has no meaning, then mark it as decorative.

Tell me how

Image descriptions belong anywhere you like to use images. This might be in your favorite text editor or presentation tool (e.g., Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, etc.) or on webpages and  includes images throughout the Blackboard LMS. 

It's important to recognize that good image descriptions take practice. They are both an art and a science. The DIAGRAM center has provided fairly comprehensive advice for generating image descriptions. Their six guidelines are:

1. Context is Key
2. Consider Your Audience
3. Be Concise
4. Be Objective
5. General to Specific
6. Tone & Language

Using these guidelines, it's possible to create meaningful alternative text and provide all users with a rich experience. 

Image descriptions can be added in a number of ways depending on where the image lives. For photos on the web, use the "alt" atribute for all images. Guidance on how to describe images in Microsoft Office applications is available in the Everything you need to know to write effective alt text Microsoft support page. 

As part of our Choosing Accessible Learning Materials (C.A.L.M.) campaign, we invite College community members to apply best practices of digital accessibility and use appropriate headings to make digital educational documents or webpages structured and accessible. Headings are displayed in larger, bolder fonts, adding structure and hierarchy to text, which helps all learners navigate the content more easily, facilitates comprehension, and is crucial for users with low vision. Read on to learn more about best accessibility practices to organize text content with headings that enable improved user experiences, particularly for individuals who rely on assistive technologies.

Why Use Headings?

Headings are essential for improving the readability, accessibility, and usability of webpages or digital documents and presentations. Similar to news headlines, headings organize and describe the content that follows. Through visual cues and guidance, headings enhance the overall readability of the content. Clear and properly formatted headings allow learners with low-vision/blindness to navigate the content using assistive technologies like screen readers. Using appropriate headings to organize content in outline mode can be advantageous for users with cognitive disabilities, as it successfully conveys information.

Furthermore, the presence of concise and well-organized headings enhances the ability of all users to swiftly scan and comprehend the provided information. With well-structured headings, all users may have a more intuitive experience. For instance, sighted users gravitate toward headings to quickly locate desired information when arriving at a new page. Alternatively, learners with low-vision/blindness may use a screen reader and other assistive technology to promptly skip from heading to heading. Headings also play a crucial role in search engine optimization by signaling the importance and relevance of the text.

Tell me how

Apply these principles to structure headings:

Consistency

Use a consistent hierarchy of headings throughout your website to establish a predictable pattern for users. Maintaining consistency in your use of headings creates a cohesive and user-friendly experience.

Appropriateness

Ensure that your headings accurately reflect the content beneath them. Headings should provide a clear and concise summary of the section they precede. Avoid using headings solely for visual formatting purposes.

Logical Structure

Organize your content hierarchically using heading levels (e.g., h1, h2, h3). Start with an h1 heading for the main title of your page, followed by h2 headings for major sections, and so on. This logical structure helps users understand the relationships between different sections of your content.

Meaningful Labels

Use descriptive and meaningful labels for your headings. Rather than using generic terms like "Section 1" or "Subheading," craft headings that accurately convey the topic or purpose of the section. This improves both user comprehension and search engine optimization.

Design Best Practices

Here are recommended best design practices to structure headings. 

• Use built-in heading styles to structure hierarchies in your webpage or documents (Google Docs, Microsoft Word, or Powerpoint). A good heading structure is often the most important accessibility consideration in Google Docs or Word documents. 
• Heading levels should represent the structure of the document.
  • Apply the correct heading style from the Home tab from within the Microsoft Office Ribbon > Styles gallery.
  • A Heading 1 is the document title or a main content heading.
  • A Heading 2 is a major section heading.
  • A Heading 4 is a subsection of the Heading 3, and so on.
• Headings should be concise and accurately and clearly summarize the section's content, providing a meaningful overview of the following information.
• Each document includes one Heading 1. There is generally just one Heading 1 per document, although it is possible to have more than one (e.g., a journal where each article is a Heading 1).
• Do not skip heading levels, such as using a Heading 4 after a Heading 2 with no Heading 3 between the two.
• Do not adjust the font size to visually resemble a heading, rather than using proper heading styles, as this action undermines accessibility and presents navigation barriers for users of assistive technologies.
• In Microsoft Office, Google Docs, and many design applications, existing heading styles can be customized to meet specific design needs while maintaining accessibility. Modifying properties such as font, size, color, and spacing within the styling options, allows for a visually appealing document or webpage without sacrificing structural integrity and navigability.
• Be aware that Word supports Heading 1-9, but webpages and PDFs only support 6 levels of headings. For this reason, we recommend limiting yourself to Headings 1-6.

Remember, when you Keep C.A.L.M. and use headings consistently and appropriately, with logical structure, and meaningful labels, you enhance the usability and accessibility of all your content.

As part of our Choose Accessible Learning Materials (C.A.L.M.) campaign, we want you to join our Use Meaningful Links campaign. Links are an essential part of the connectedness of the internet, but also one of the most misused features. For example, "Click here" is a commonly used phrase often turned into a link or actionable button. But, it assumes that everyone can and does use a "clickable" mouse. This excludes keyboard, mobile, and assistive technology users.

Avoiding non-descriptive links like "click here" is also required by law. Specifically, it addresses the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1 (WCAG) criterion 2.4.4.  Create clearer and more effective links by removing "click here" and replacing it with text that describes the link’s purpose. When possible, link a sentence fragment, not just a word or two, so the link would be understood without the surrounding words.

Why Use Meaningful Links?

Links are one of the most basic elements in digital content and essential for web content. Providing meaningful text that describes the purpose of the link is essential to help people quickly, efficiently, and accessibly use your digital documents and webpages. Because links are foundational, inaccessible links are one of the most severe barriers to accessibility. Improper links particularly disadvantages users with visual and print disabilities who often navigate a page via links. 

"Click Here" isn't the only culprit either. Other commonly used non-informative link phrases are:

• here
• more
• read more
• Info
• This link

Consider the following examples:

In this example, the phrase "click here" is used multiple times. None of the links goes to the same place. In scanning the page either visually or using a screen reader it's hard to know where these links actually go.

• For a video on how to create meaningful hyperlinks, click here.
• Why accessible hyperlinks should be concise, descriptive, and meaningful. Click here to learn more.
• “Click Here” to “Read More”: Why Ambiguous Links are Problematic”. How vague links create problems for accessibility, usability, and search engine optimization (SEO). Read more. 

In this revised version, the phrase "click here" isn't used. The text describes clearly where the link will take you.

• This video explores how to create meaningful hyperlinks.
• Why accessible links should be concise, descriptive, and meaningful.
• The blog titled, “Click Here” to “Read More”: Why Ambiguous Links are Problematic”, explores how vague links create problems for accessibility, usability, and search engine optimization (SEO).

Tell me how

There is a lot of guidance on how to write meaningful link text. A few good sources are:

• Links and Hypertext from WebAIM
• Links must have discernible text from Deque University

Accessibility is fundamentally about making sure people can access the content you create. As part of our Choosing Accessible Learning Materials (C.A.L.M.) campaign, we invite college community members to apply best practices of digital accessibility and make their presentation slides accessible. Simplifying slides creates a welcoming and inclusive experience for everyone in the audience.  Read on to learn more about best accessibility practices to simplify your slides that enable inclusion.

Why Simplify Slides

It is necessary to make sure that everyone in your audience can acquire the same information, engage in the same interactions, and enjoy the same experiences.¹ When you present or teach, ensuring your slides are simple and accessible means that your entire audience is going to be able to fully engage with and learn from the content you are creating. The essential practices to make your slides simple and accessible include using templates or built-in layouts, selecting easy to read fonts, checking color contrast, Including alternative text, captioning videos, using meaningful links, and  avoiding content that looks like tables.  

Tell me how

Accessibility Checker

Using the accessibility checker in PowerPoint and Grackle for Google Slides is a great first step while you're creating your presentation. Accessibility checker tools offer options to fix identified issues, but may not catch all accessibility problems. We’ve gathered the best practices below as a guide to help you identify common accessibility issues in presentations.

Design Best Practices

Use templates or built-in layouts

• Use an accessible slide deck master template (see below) or built-in preset slide layouts provided by the application you use (Google Slides or Powerpoint).
• Do not repeat slide titles. 
• Minimize the amount of text on slides.
• Use simple, non-automatic transitions between slides.

Select easy to read fonts

• Format text with titles, headings, and other built-in styles to enhance readability and improve the structure of the slides.
• Use a sans-serif font (i.e., Arial, Verdana, Helvetica) with a standard size of 24 pt and never go below 18 pt. Remember that a room that seats more people may need bigger type for those in the back rows.
• Provide adequate line spacing (minimum 1.15) and avoid forced justification.
• Avoid using only color as the only visual separator of content (i.e., green/red).
• Use italic and bold to highlight content instead of underlining.
• Avoid using ornate, very thin, or condensed typefaces.
• Avoid flashing and blinking text.

Check color contrast

• Check contrast between text and background to be sure the content can be easily viewed.
• Avoid watermarks (screened images under type) and background images.

Include alternative text

• Include alternative text for graphics and images that explain why they are meaningful.
• If words are in an image, they must be in the alternative text.
• Limit the use of decorative elements, and if used, label them as decorative in the alternative text pane.

Caption videos

• Make sure that videos are captioned and audio described.

Use meaningful links

• If hyperlinks are included use meaningful links.
• Avoid using “click here” or similar phrases.

Avoid tables

• Display information in a linear format instead of as a table when possible.
• If tables are needed, provide a title, summary description, and label the tables’ header rows and columns.

File Sharing Best Practices

• Ensure that each PowerPoint slide has the correct reading order by using the Accessibility Checker in the Review ribbon menu.
• Provide both a native version of the presentation and the PDF version. There are advantages to each so let the user decide.
• Export from PowerPoint in an alternate format such as Rich Text Format. For Google Slides, use Download to get other formats.

Presentation Delivery Best Practices

• When you advance a slide, pause to let people read it before speaking.
• Describe images on slides (giving voice to images used).
• For presentation to a large audience, ensure the question and answer period is accessible. If there is a microphone for questioners, make sure they use it. Also, repeat the questions so everyone can hear them.
• Before playing a video give a brief description of the content. This will help all audience members, especially those who are blind to establish context for what they will hear.
• Monitor your audience's behavior and offer accommodations as needed. For example, ask for an adjustment to microphone volume, or to room lighting.

Learn More

• How can you make your presentation accessible?
• WebAIM PowerPoint Accessibility article
• Microsoft Office PowerPoint Accessibility documentation
• Tips for creating and delivering an effective presentation
• Understanding PowerPoint Accessibility
• Checking the Reading Order of the Slides

 

1.  Based on the definition of accessibility indicated in the Joint Letter US Department of Justice and US Department of Education in 2010

As part of our Choosing Accessible Learning Materials (C.A.L.M.) campaign, we encourage college community members to check the colors used in their digital resources to ensure they provide enough contrast for people to read comfortably.  We are required to meet the contrast guidelines specified in the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1 (WCAG) at the AA conformance level. These WCAG standards are there to provide specific guidance on how to make digital resources accessible to the largest number of users. Make the move to clearer and more effective communications by checking whether your digital resources meet contrast requirements.

Why check contrast?

Color. We use it often. It's a way to bring focus to our communication and make our work aesthetically pleasing. But, not everyone perceives color the same way. For example, red and green color blindness is common in the United States. This can happen due to permanent or temporary disabilities and/or situational factors.

The National Eye Institute estimates that 8 percent of men and 0.5 percent of women with Northern European ancestry have the common form of red/green color blindness. But this is not just an issue for people with disabilities. Display filters are commonly used in applications that reduce eye strain (such as F.lux, Twilight, and system brightness controls) and these can make low contrast colors less readable too. Beyond that, if you have ever tried to read from your phone in bright sunlight, you have experienced how lack of contrast can affect almost everyone at one point or another. With so many people affected, it is easy to see how failing to consider contrast can have a big effect on your ability to communicate your message.

Tell me how

But how do I know if my colors have sufficient contrast? The good news is it's not that hard. You just need to know what the requirements are and what tools you can use to help you know whether they are met.

A certain ratio of contrast between the foreground and background colors is required for different kinds of text to be readable by the largest number of people. Fortunately, you don't need to know how to calculate these ratios. Just know that once you've found out what the foreground and background colors are, you can enter those color values in any of a number of tools that will provide you with the ratio (see Figure 4 for one example).

When it comes to data visualizations, contrast can become even more critical. The contrast between the data and the background is important as well as the color palette of the data itself. Check out these examples of high contrast data and using textures.

WebAIM's Color Contrast Checker

For guidance with specific tools and techniques, see below. A couple of things are good to know right off the bat though. The required ratios are based not only on the colors, but the size and weight of the font used. Larger or bolder text needs to have less contrast in order for most users to see it. 18 point text or 14 point bold text is judged to be large enough to require a lower contrast ratio. When evaluating against the AA level of conformance then, for that larger or bolder text, the contrast ratio that must be met is at least 3:1. For text smaller or less bold than that, the contrast ratio must be at least 4.5:1. For instance, in Figures 5 through 7, below, because the font size is less than 14 points, it must meet that higher standard.

Learn More

• Check any color combinations for contrast level
• An Incomplete Guide to Accessible Data Visualization by Nancy Organ

As part of our Choosing Accessible Learning Materials (C.A.L.M.) campaign, we are choosing to make closed captions a priority to help us meet Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1 (WCAG) criterion 1.2.2. By choosing already closed captioned content, or creating closed captions, your message increases in clarity and effectiveness.

Why Caption On?

There are many purposes and benefits to choosing and creating closed captions. Closed captions are a great method for keeping your audience engaged and avoiding miscommunication. People use captions for a variety of reasons; just a few are:

• Watching video in sound-sensitive environments
• Supporting additional comprehension
• Accessibility for deaf, hard of hearing, and multilingual audience members

Tell me how

We recommend that videos for instruction be uploaded to “My Media” (Kaltura) within Blackboard. Any videos added to your “My Media” area can have machine-generated captions automatically added for you. Full instructions on getting and editing captions can be found in the How to work with captions in My Media on Blackboard document. For all other purposes, we recommend videos be uploaded to Columbus State’s Video Portal. For more information on captioning videos in My Media (Kaltura), email the Faculty Assistance Center at teaching@cscc.edu.

Accessibility is about making sure people can access the content you create. As part of our Choosing Accessible Learning Materials (C.A.L.M.) campaign, we invite college community members to simplify and summarize their communications (e.g., presentations, website content, course materials). Clearly communicating information by simplifying and summarizing content is important. Read on to learn best practices for simplifying and summarizing content.

Why Simplify / Summarize?

When you simplify and/or summarize content, readers focus on your main points without getting lost in the details of your ideas. Stating the most important information at the start allows users to quickly understand what you want them to know, serves as an advance organizer, and activates one’s prior knowledge. Clear communication increases the likelihood that your audience will learn from your shared information. Your simplified text and summaries benefit all learners, including people with disabilities, English Language Learners (ELL), and emerging readers.

Tell me how

Making text understandable for your intended audience takes practice and time. To simplify text, edit your text using these recommendations (adapted from the WCAG 2.1 Technique G153):

Sentence Structure

• Emphasize one topic per paragraph.
• Use basic sentence structure (Subject, Verb, Object).
• Keep sentences concise (i.e., 25 words or less).
• Divide long sentences into multiple sentences.
• Use the active voice rather than passive voice.
• Avoid changing verb tenses.

Vocabulary

• Take out jargon, slang, or technical terms when possible.
• Use common words that a general audience would understand.
• Avoid unnecessary words (e.g., “very”).
• Replace complex words with common terms.
• Keep names and labels consistent.

Structure

• Use lists when appropriate.
• Include headings and subheadings that describe the forthcoming content.

Providing a seventh-grade level summary at the beginning of your text provides readers with an advanced organizer of your material, increasing the likelihood of comprehension. Use these guidelines (developed from WCAG Technique G86) to summarize your text:

• Find the most important information in your text.
• Paraphrase the important information using common words and phrases.
• Provide the information in list format if possible.
• Check your summary with Readability Checker until your score indicates that a middle schooler could read it.  

In addition, consider using a concept map or graphic organizer to summarize your material. 

If your text is low-risk, you can use these tools to make your wording simpler:

Microsoft Copilot

Microsoft Copilot is an Artificial Intelligence (AI) tool that can simplify text when you enter this prompt in the field on the Copilot page, followed by the text you want to simplify:

You are a tool in a rich text editor that is designed to help content creators meet WCAG success criterion, 3.1.5 Reading Level, by simplifying text so that it doesn't require reading ability more advanced than the lower secondary education level after removal of proper names and titles. Convert the following text into the form of controlled language used by the Voice of America called Learning English.

You’ll be surprised at what a good job it does at helping you simplify the text!

Note: In order for your data to be protected when using Microsoft Copilot, make sure you are logged in with your CSCC account. 

Rewordify

Rewordify is a feature in Read and Write that simplifies text while maintaining the original meaning. You can use Rewordify by installing Read&Write for Google Chrome and logging in with your CSCC credentials. After you install the extension, select the rewordify button to identify complex text and receive suggestions for simplification.