ATTACHMENT_2_-_Section_508_Compliant.pdf

US DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

US FOREST SERVICE

Section 508 Compliance Guidelines for Electronic Documents Microsoft (MS) Word i

Guideline Explanation Remediation Steps

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Set the title attribute in Document Properties.

Screen reading software, by default, will read the filename of a document if a title has not been provided.

Select the File tab. Open the Properties drop-down list and then select Advanced Properties. In the Summary tab, add the document title and other fields, if needed.

Select Close.

Set a default language for the document.

Add a language attribute for each language that appears in the document.

If a language attribute is not present, a screen reading software will “guess” at words or names that appear to have an origin other than the language in which the document is written.

In the Review tab, select Language and then Language Preferences. Set English as the default in the Display Language options and then select OK.

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Use heading styles to logically divide the document’s content.

Use a nested, consecutive heading structure without skipping levels. The document title should be set to <H1> style, followed by <H2> for large subsections, <H3> for subsections of <H2>, etc.

The use of heading styles creates place markers which allow assistive technology users to quickly navigate between sections of a large document, ensuring comparable access.

Vague heading structures or skipped heading levels cause confusion for screen reader users in knowing which parts of the document are most and least important, or whether sections of the document have been left out of the reading order.

Select the Home tab. In the Styles group, select the arrow to show the Styles pane.

Hover over the style to be changed. Open the drop-down list and select Modify. Change the font, spacing, and other options, if necessary.

Select OK.

Generate indices and tables of content programmatically using the document’s heading structure.

Dynamic indices and tables of contents provide links for assistive technology users to quickly navigate to sections of a document, which ensures comparable access to that of a sighted mouse user.

From the References tab, select Table of Contents. Choose a TOC format (Note: This will not work if heading styles have not been used correctly.)

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Guideline Explanation Remediation Steps St yl es

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Place page numbers and other repeating information in the header or footer areas of the page.

Page numbers and repeating information announced between pages is cumbersome and unnecessary, and breaks the train of thought of a screen reader user when he or she is listening to content that covers several pages.

Double-click at the top or bottom of the page to access the header and footer areas, respectively. For pre-formatted headers and footers, select the Insert tab, then Header (or Footer).

Use a separate list style for each type of list (numbered, lettered, solid bullet points, hollow bullet points, arrows, etc.).

The correct number of items in a list should be announced by a screen reader upon navigating to the top of the list. Additionally, sub-lists nested under a bulleted item should be announced separately from the main list structure.

Ensure that a unique list style appears in the Styles Pane for each type of list in the document. Avoid using the ribbon to alter list formatting.

Use column formatting instead of the Tab key to separate information into left and right planes.

Using the Tab key to visually separate text causes the reading order to be incorrect, as a document is generally read from left to right and top to bottom.

Highlight text. From the Page Layout tab, select Columns and then choose the appropriate number of columns.

Use paragraph spacing attributes, page breaks or section breaks instead of the carriage return to add space between sections of text.

A screen reader will announce the word “blank” for each instance where the carriage return key was used to create blank space.

Select the Home tab. In the Paragraph group, select the paragraph symbol (¶) to show formatting marks. Each ¶ in the document that was used to create visual blank space should be deleted. Space should be added programmatically using styles, page breaks or section breaks.

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Choose fonts that are clean, simple and sans serif when possible.

The use of decorative fonts causes difficulty for screen magnification software users and many people with learning disabilities, such as dyslexia, who may transpose or be unable to differentiate between letters and numbers.

Additionally, many non-standard system fonts do not get embedded within the file during the conversion process to PDF.

Modify styles in the Styles pane to reflect accessible typefaces. Ideal choices are Arial, Calibri, Verdana, Tahoma, ClearView or APHont. If serif fonts must be used, Times New Roman and Georgia are the best options.

Select the Home tab. In the Styles group, select the arrow to show the Styles window.

Hover over the style and open the drop-down list. Then, choose Modify. Choose a font from the list then select OK.

Choose font colors with a high contrast to the document’s background. Text and other elements should be visible in alternate high-contrast modes.

Users who are colorblind or have other eye conditions that cause difficulty with light, color or contrast need to alter color settings in order to see content on a screen.

Select Start, Control Panel and then Ease of Access Center. Select Setup High Contrast then Choose a High Contrast theme Select a high contrast option from the available options.

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Avoid using compressed line spacing. Compressed spacing between characters or lines of text causes difficulty for people with visual and cognitive impairments.

Select the Home ribbon. In the Paragraph group, select the arrow to show the Paragraph dialog box. Select the Indents and Spacing tab. The Line Spacing value should be set to Single or 1 at a minimum.

Refrain from hyphenating words. Separating words between lines or pages results in words being announced incorrectly by a screen reader.

Select the Home tab. In the Paragraph group, select the arrow to show the Paragraph dialog box. Select the Line and Page Breaks tab.

Ensure that the Don’t hyphenate checkbox is checked. Select OK.

Create redundancy for information presented in color.

Users with visual impairments, especially colorblindness or total loss of vision, require alternatives for comprehending information presented in color. It is acceptable to use color to convey information in electronic documents, provided there is at least one other alternative method

Visually review the content in one or more alternate contrast modes for clarity when highlighting is not displayed. Select Start, Control Panel and then Ease of Access Center. Select Choose a High Contrast theme, Settings and choose high contrast theme.

Ensure that hyperlinked text is clear, unique and makes sense when announced in isolation.

Screen reader users can access a list of links without reading the content of a document. For this reason, hyperlinked text must be meaningful and unique for each link. The use of the fully qualified URL, “click here” or other vague text is confusing and does not provide the user with the necessary information to ensure he or she is accessing the desired link.

Ensure all URLs use the Hyperlink style (which can be viewed in the Styles Pane) and contain a clear and accurate description of the destination, but do not contain the protocol (e.g., “http://,” “https://,” etc.).

Remove all text boxes.

Depending upon their location in the document, text boxes may not be accessible to keyboard-only or screen reader users.

Remove text boxes and place text within the main content area of the document. If text boxes cannot be removed, convert the file to PDF, remove the path from the text box and retag the text as <P>.

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Use tables only for organizing data into vertical and horizontal axes.

When tables are used to visually separate non-tabular data, the reading order presented is incorrect.

Visually check the contents of the table. If a table is used for the purpose of visual formatting, remove the table structure and use paragraph text or column formatting to present the information instead.

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Add tables to the document using the “insert table” feature of Word instead of the “draw table” feature.

When the “draw table” feature is used, what is added to the document is a series of text boxes stacked together. In Word format, a screen reading software will not announce this object as a table. When converted to PDF, the table is often tagged incorrectly.

Select the Insert ribbon then Table. Choose the desired number of columns and rows.

Avoid merging table data cells unless document will be converted to PDF and remediated for accessibility using Adobe Acrobat Professional.

Merging cells alters a screen reader’s ability to correctly announce the number of columns and rows in a table.

Highlight merged cells and right-click. Choose Split Cells. Select the appropriate number of columns and rows. Select OK. If cells must be merged, the document should be converted to PDF and the table tag structure remediated using Adobe Acrobat Professional.

Set the header row to repeat at the top of each page.

For tables that cover multiple pages (and especially for screen magnification software users), it is cumbersome to constantly return to the top of the table in order to understand the data presented within the table. Additionally, marking the first row in a table as the header row ensures the row is correctly tagged when converted to PDF.

Highlight the header row(s) of the table and right-click. Choose Table Properties then select the Row tab. Select the checkbox for Repeat as header row at the top of each page. Select OK.

Avoid splitting table rows between pages.

Separating table rows between pages causes confusion both visually as well as in the reading order.

Select the table and right-click. Choose Table Properties then select the Row tab. Uncheck the box labeled Allow row to break across pages. Select OK.

Include a caption (caption style) or summary for each table.

Sighted users are able to quickly scan tables to understand their purpose. However, many assistive technology users must navigate tables one cell at a time. A summary or caption is helpful for understanding the purpose of a table and whether the user should enter the table or skip past it.

Select the table and right-click. Choose Insert Caption. Briefly describe the table in the Caption field. Label as Table. Select the position for the caption. Select OK.

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Assign alt text descriptions to images and non-text elements (unless they are repeating, decorative or do not add to the meaning of the document).

Users who are visually impaired need an alternate representation of graphics, presented as text, in order to access information and control interface elements.

Select the image and right-click. Choose Format Picture then Alt Text. Add or change the alt text in the Description field. Select Close.

Set images to be “inline” with text (unless the document will be converted to PDF and remediated with Adobe Acrobat Professional).

Floating or layered images are not accessible to a screen reader or without the use of a mouse.

Select the image and right-click. Select Wrap Text then Inline with Text. If it is not possible to keep the current visual formatting while putting images inline with text, then the document must be converted to PDF format and layered images must be tagged for accessibility. (Note: See Portable Document Format (PDF) section for specific information.)

Ensure alt text is clear, meaningful and provides the visual description, purpose and function of the graphic in 100 characters or less.

Alt text should accurately and thoroughly describe non-text elements, but should be concise enough so that the entire description is announced by a screen reader.

Select image and right-click. Choose Format Picture then Alt Text. Review the Description field for content and number of characters.

Supply a null (blank) alt text value to decorative or repeating images so they are skipped from the reading order.

Graphics that are decorative or otherwise do not add value to the document should be removed from the reading order to eliminate confusion for non-sighted users. By default, the file name of the image is populated into the Description field.

Select the image and right-click. Choose Format Picture then Alt Text. Remove the file name from the alt text description. Select Close.

Remove background images and watermarks.

Watermarks and images that have been layered behind text cause difficulty for screen magnification software users. Additionally, only text and graphics located in the foreground of the document are accessible without the use of a mouse and are announced by screen reading software.

To remove a background image, select image and press the Delete key. To remove a watermark, select the Page Layout tab. In the Page Background group, select Watermark then Remove Watermark.

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Describe complex graphics, such as flow charts or organizational diagrams, in the content of the document.

A screen reader will read approximately the first 100 characters in an image’s alt text description. Because it is not possible to accurately convey the purpose, function and all text within the diagram in less than 100 characters, the graphic must be described within the content of the document.

From the View ribbon, select Draft. Review the document to ensure that non-text elements are explained sufficiently in context. If it is not possible to alter the content of the document, the file should be converted to HTML format and the image described using the long description (<longdesc>) attribute.

Group complex, layered or tiled graphics, including graphics with callouts or captions, as one image and assign one alt text description.

The use of tiling, layering or callouts in images causes content to be inaccessible or have an incorrect reading order.

Combine the graphics in an application such as Paint or Photoshop, or convert the file to PDF and tag the group as one image.

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Remove all content controls. Word content controls lack the element of instructional text to notify a non-sighted user of the task he or she is expected to perform in the form field.

Remove content control elements, convert the file to PDF and add fillable form fields. Fillable forms, or documents that are made entirely of form fields, should be imported to and remediated within Adobe LiveCycle Designer.

Combine one-item lists with surrounding paragraph content.

One-item lists can be confusing to screen reader and screen magnification software users, as it causes them to search for subsequent items.

Move list item content to the preceding paragraph or, if the one-item list is a sublist, move it to the last item in the parent list.

Generate footnotes and endnotes programmatically.

Dynamic footnotes and endnotes create links, allowing keyboard-only users to quickly navigate to references.

From the References tab, select Insert Footnote (or Insert Endnote).

Ensure changes to the document have been accepted or rejected and Track Changes has been turned off.

Text with strikethrough formatting or text that is brightly colored may cause difficulty for users with visual impairments.

Select the Review ribbon. In the Changes group, select Accept (or Reject) changes. In the Tracking group, toggle Track Changes to “off.”

Confirm that URLs link to the correct destinations.

In addition to containing clear and unique hyperlinked text, URLs should link to correct destinations in order to eliminate confusion and ensure comparable access.

Navigate to each hyperlink (Ctrl + mouse click or use the Tab key on the keyboard). Refer broken or incorrect links to the content author.

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MS Excel What To Do Why It Matters How To Fix It

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Set the title attribute in Document Properties.

Screen reading software, by default, will read the filename of a document if a title has not been provided.

Select the File tab. Open the Properties drop-down list and then select Advanced Properties. In the Summary tab, add the document title and other fields, if needed.

Select Close.

Set a default language for the document. Add a language attribute for each language that appears in the reading software will “guess” at words or names that appear to have an origin other than the language in which the document is written.

Select the File tab and then Options. In the Excel Options dialog box, select Language.

In the Choose Display Language options, set English as default. Select OK to save.

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Remove rows of blank cells that are used for the purpose of visual formatting

The use of rows of blank cells is confusing to screen reader users because it gives the impression that the table has ended or contains information that has been excluded from the reading order.

Select empty rows, then right-click and choose Delete. Widen rows and/or columns to create blank visual space.

Name regions with descriptive text and use the “go-to” command (Control + G [F5]).

The “go-to” command allows quick navigation and comparable access for assistive technology users.

Select the Home tab. In the Editing group, choose Find and Select. Select the Go To option, insert references and select OK.

Remove all text boxes (unless the worksheet will be converted to PDF and remediated using Adobe Acrobat Professional).

Text boxes are often not accessible without the use of a mouse and are not announced by a screen reader.

Cut and paste text inside text boxes within the content of the cell, or convert the document to PDF and add callouts (ensuring that the callout text is included within the document’s reading order).

Refrain from using MS Excel to create fillable forms.

It is not possible to create accessible fillable forms using MS Office products.

Recreate the form using Adobe LiveCycle, or convert to PDF and add fillable form fields in Adobe Acrobat Professional.

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Choose font colors with a high contrast to the document’s background. Text and other elements should be visible in alternate high-contrast modes.

Users who are colorblind or have other eye conditions, such as albinism, that cause difficulty with light, color or contrast need to alter color settings in order to see content on a screen.

Select Start, Control Panel and then Ease of Access Center. Select Setup High Contrast then Choose a High Contrast theme Select a high contrast option from the available options.

Choose fonts that are clean, simple and sans serif when possible.

The use of decorative fonts causes difficulty for screen magnification software users and many people with learning disabilities such as dyslexia, who may transpose or be unable to differentiate between letters and numbers.

Additionally, many non-standard system fonts do not get embedded within the file during the conversion process to PDF.

Select the Home tab. Choose a typeface from the drop-down list in the Font group. Ideal choices are Arial, Calibri, Verdana, Tahoma, ClearView or APHont. If serif fonts must be used, Times New Roman and Georgia are the best options.

Create redundancy for information presented in color.

Users with visual impairments, especially colorblindness or total loss of vision, require alternatives for comprehending information presented in color. It is acceptable to use color to convey information in electronic documents, provided there is at least one other alternative method

Visually review the content in one or more alternate contrast modes for clarity when highlighting is not displayed. Select Start, Control Panel and then Ease of Access Center. Select Choose a High Contrast theme, Settings and choose high contrast theme.

Ensure that hyperlinked text is clear, unique and makes sense when announced in isolation.

Screen reader users can access a list of links without reading the content of a document. For this reason, hyperlinked text must be meaningful and unique for each link. The use of the fully qualified URL, “click here” or other vague text is confusing and does not provide the user with the necessary information to ensure he or she is accessing the desired link.

Ensure all URLs use the Hyperlink style (which can be viewed in the Styles Pane) and contain a clear and accurate description of the destination, but do not contain the protocol (e.g., “http://,” “https://,” etc.).

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Create a separate worksheet for each table.

Placing blank rows between tables on one worksheet causes difficulty for non-sighted users in determining whether information exists below the first table.

Review the document to determine whether multiple tables are present on a worksheet. If so, cut and paste tables so they are each contained in separate tabs.

Format table header rows to repeat at the top of each printed page.

Repeating the header row on each printed page ensures that the header row appears at the top of each page of the electronic copy of the document when it is converted to PDF.

Select the Page Layout tab. In the Page Setup group, select Print Titles. In the Page Setup dialog box, select the Sheet tab. In the Print titles section, choose which rows to repeat at the top of the page, then select OK.

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Lock table header rows to remain at the top of the screen when scrolling.

It is difficult and cumbersome to repeatedly scroll to the top of the document in order to locate the header cells. Locking the header row allows the user to quickly and efficiently locate column headers.

Highlight the header row (or header column) and select the View tab. In the Window group, choose Freeze Panes, Freeze Top Row or Freeze Column.

Begin tables in the top left cell. Tables created using Excel are not announced by a screen reader as tables with “x” columns and “y” rows. A spreadsheet with blank cells in the upper left corner may give the indication of a blank document to a screen reader user.

Ensure the table begins in cell A1.

Refrain from merging cells in the data section of tables.

The use of merged cells does not yield the correct row-column association when the document is converted to PDF.

Utilize the border and shading attributes of Excel to create the appearance of merged cells.

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Users who are visually impaired need an alternate representation of images, presented as text, in order to access information and control interface elements.

Select the image, right-click and choose Format Picture. In the Format Picture dialog box, select Alt Text. Enter the alt test in the Description field and OK.

Ensure alt text is clear, meaningful and provides the visual description, purpose and function of the graphic in 100 characters or less.

Alt text should accurately and thoroughly describe non-text elements, but should be concise enough so that the entire alt text description is announced by a screen reader.

Select the image, right-click and choose Format Picture. In the Format Picture dialog box, select Alt Text. Review alt text for content and number of characters

Supply a null (blank) alt text value to decorative or repeating images so they are skipped from the reading order.

Graphics that are decorative or otherwise do not add value to the document should be removed from the reading order to eliminate confusion for non-sighted users. By default, the file name of the image is populated into the Description field.

Select the image, right-click and choose Format Picture. In the Format Picture dialog box, select Alt Text. Remove the file name from the Description field.

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Remove background images and watermarks.

Watermarks and images that have been layered behind text cause difficulty for screen magnification software users. Additionally, only text and graphics located in the foreground of the document are accessible without the use of a mouse and are announced by screen readers.

From the Page Layout tab, select Delete Background.

Describe complex graphics, such as flow charts or organizational diagrams, in the content of the document.

A screen reader will read approximately the first 100 characters in a graphic’s alt text description. Because it is not possible to accurately convey the purpose, function and all text within the diagram in less than 100 characters, the graphic must be described within the content of the document.

Review the document to ensure that non-text elements are explained sufficiently in context.

If it is not possible to alter the content of the document, the file should be converted to HTML format and the image described using the long description (<longdesc>) attribute.

Group complex, layered or tiled graphics, including graphics with callouts or captions, as one image and assign one alt text description.

The use of tiling, layering or callouts in images causes content to be inaccessible or have an incorrect reading order.

Combine the graphics in an application such as Paint or Photoshop, or convert the file to PDF and tag the group as one image.

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Assign a clear and concise name to each worksheet.

The use of clear and concise names allows users of assistive technology to identify the source and contents of each sheet.

Select worksheet and right-click tab. Choose Rename. Add meaningful, clear text and then click elsewhere in the document to commit your changes.

Track changes have been accepted or rejected and turned off.

Text with strikethrough formatting or text that is brightly colored may cause difficulty for users with visual impairments.

Select the Review tab. In the Changes group, select Track Changes then Accept/Reject Changes.

Confirm that URLs link to the correct destinations.

In addition to containing clear and unique hyperlinked text, URLs should link to correct destinations in order to eliminate confusion and ensure comparable access.

Navigate to each hyperlink (Ctrl + mouse click or use the Tab key on the keyboard). Refer

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MS PowerPoint

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Set the title attribute in Document Properties.

Screen reading software, by default, will read the filename of a document if a title has not been provided.

Select the File tab. Open the Properties drop-down list and then select Advanced Properties. In the Summary tab, add the document title and other fields, if needed.

Select Close.

Set a default language for the document. Add a language attribute for each language that appears in the reading software will “guess” at words or names that appear to have an origin other than the language in which the document is written.

In the Review tab, select Language and then Language Preferences. Set English as the default in the Display Language options and then select OK.

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Assign a unique title to each slide. The use of unique slide titles allows assistive technology users to quickly navigate between slides in the Slides Pane.

Perform a visual check to ensure each slide has a unique title.

Ensure that a logical reading order exists for each slide.

In order to ensure comparable access, a non-sighted user should navigate a document in the same order as a sighted user.

Select the Home ribbon. In the Drawing group, choose Arrange and then Selection Pane. Adjust the reading order in the Selection and Visibility pane in the order they appear on the slide from bottom to top.

Place slide numbers and other repeating information in the header or footer areas of the slides.

Page numbers and repeating information announced between slides is cumbersome, unnecessary and breaks the train of thought of a screen reader user when he or she is listening to content that covers several pages.

Select the Insert ribbon. In the Text group, select Slide Number. In the Header and Footer dialog box, choose the information that should repeat on each slide. Select Apply to All.

Use paragraph spacing attributes, instead of the carriage return to add space between sections of text.

A screen reader will announce the word “blank” for each instance of pressing the carriage return key to create blank space.

From the Home tab, select the arrow in the Paragraph group to show the Paragraph dialog box. Adjust the spacing as needed and select OK.

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Choose fonts that are clean, simple and sans serif when possible.

The use of decorative fonts causes difficulty for screen magnification software users and many people with learning disabilities such as dyslexia, who may not be able to differentiate between or transposing letters and numbers.

Additionally, many non-standard system fonts do not get embedded within the file during the conversion process to PDF.

Select the Home tab. Choose a typeface from the drop-down list in the Font group. Ideal choices are Arial, Calibri, Verdana, Tahoma, ClearView or APHont. If serif fonts must be used, Times New Roman and Georgia are the best options.

Choose font colors with a high contrast to the document’s background. Text and other elements should be visible in alternate high-contrast modes.

Users who are colorblind or have other eye conditions, such as albinism, that cause difficulty with light, color or contrast need to alter color settings in order to see content on a screen.

Select Start, Control Panel and then Ease of Access Center. Select Setup High Contrast then Choose a High Contrast theme Select a high contrast option from the available options.

Ensure horizontal text is not formatted vertically.

When horizontal text is formatted vertically, a screen reading software reads each letter separately instead of combined into words.

To format text vertically, select the Home tab.

Highlight text. In the Paragraph group, open the Text Direction drop-down list and make a selection.

Create redundancy for information presented in color.

Users with visual impairments, especially colorblindness or total loss of vision, require alternatives for comprehending information presented in color. It is acceptable to use color to convey information in electronic documents, provided there is at least one other alternative method

Visually review the content in one or more alternate contrast modes for clarity when highlighting is not displayed. Select Start, Control Panel and then Ease of Access Center. Select Choose a High Contrast theme, Settings and choose high contrast theme.

Ensure hyperlinked text is clear, unique and makes sense when announced in isolation.

Screen reader users can access a list of links without reading the content of a document. For this reason, hyperlinked text must be meaningful and unique for each link. The use of the fully qualified URL, “click here” or other vague text is confusing and does not provide the user with the necessary information to ensure he or she is accessing the desired link.

Ensure all URLs use the Hyperlink style (which can be viewed in the Styles Pane) and contain a clear and accurate description of the destination, but do not contain the protocol (e.g., “http://,” “https://,” etc.).

Limit each hyperlink to one (or less) line of text.

When a hyperlink covers more than one line of text, the link is repeated by a screen reader in its entirety on every line.

Visually check hyperlinks to ensure they are contained on one line. If they are not, consider editing the text or shortening the hyperlinked section of the phrase or sentence to include only key words.

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When tables are used to visually separate non-tabular data, the reading order presented is incorrect.

Visually check the content of the table. If a table is used for the purpose of visual formatting, remove the table structure and use paragraph text or column formatting to present the information instead.

Insert tables using PowerPoint functionality instead of copying and pasting them into the slide.

When the “copy and paste” method is used, it is likely that a screen reading software will announce this object as a graphic instead of a table. When converted to PDF, the table is often tagged incorrectly.

Select the Insert tab and then select Table.

Choose the dimensions of the table.

Avoid using merged cells (unless the table will be remediated for accessibility using Adobe Acrobat Professional).

Merging cells alters a screen reader’s ability to correctly announce a table by the number of columns and rows in it.

Highlight merged cells and righ-click. Select Split Cells and choose the appropriate number of rows and columns. Select OK.

Ensure each table contains at least one header row.

Including column and row headers in tables assists readers with categorizing information and understanding the data presented in the table.

Highlight the table. In the Table Tools, select the Design tab. Select the checkbox for Header Row.

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A lte rn at e are repeating, decorative or do not add to the meaning of the document).

Users who are visually impaired need an alternate representation of images, presented as text, in order to access information and control interface elements.

Select the image and right-click. Choose Format Picture then Alt Text. Add or change the alt text in the Description field. Select Close.

Ensure alt text is clear, meaningful and provides the visual description, purpose and function of the graphic in 100 characters or less.

Alt text should accurately and thoroughly describe non-text elements, but should be concise enough so that the entire alt text description is announced by a screen reader.

Select image and right-click. Choose Format Picture then Alt Text. Review the Description field for content and number of characters.

Supply a null (blank) alt text value to decorative or repeating images so they are skipped from the reading order.

Graphics that are decorative or otherwise do not add value to the document should be removed from the reading order to eliminate confusion for non-sighted users.

Select the image and right-click. Choose Format Picture then Alt Text. Remove the file name from the alt text description. Select Close.

Insert charts using PowerPoint functionality instead of copying and pasting them into the slide.

The use of charts within PowerPoint allows users to open the chart in Excel.

Select the Insert ribbon. In the Illustrations group, select Chart. Choose a type of chart from the Insert Chart dialog box and then select OK.

Assign a title, legend and axis labels to each chart.

Providing adequate information about charts improves a non-sighted users understanding of the information that is being presented.

Highlight the chart. In the Chart Tools group, select the Layout tab. Add chart and axis titles in the Labels group.

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Group complex, layered or tiled graphics, including graphics with callouts or captions as one image and assign one alt text description.

The use of tiling, layering or callouts in images causes content to be inaccessible or have an incorrect tab order.

Combine the graphics in an application such as Paint or Photoshop, or convert the file to PDF and tag the group as one image.

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Combine one-item lists with surrounding paragraph content.

One-item lists can be confusing to screen reader and screen magnification software users, as it causes them to search for subsequent items.

Move list item content to the preceding paragraph or the last item in the parent list.

Confirm that URLs link to the correct destinations.

In addition to containing clear and unique hyperlinked text, URLs should link to correct destinations in order to eliminate confusion and ensure comparable access.

Navigate to each hyperlink (Ctrl + mouse click or use the Tab key on the keyboard). Refer

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Portable Document Format (PDF)ii

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Set the title attribute in Document Properties.

Screen reading software, by default, will read the filename of a document if a title has not been provided.

Select File and then Properties. In the Document Properties dialog box, select the Description tab. Enter the document title and other fields if applicable and then select OK.

Set a default language for the document.

If a language attribute is not present, a screen reading software will “guess” at words or names that appear to have an origin other than the language in which the document is written.

Select File and then Properties. In the Document Properties dialog box, select the Advanced tab. In the Reading Options group, select English from the drop-down list and then select OK.

Change the document’s initial view properties from the default settings.

Following the recommended initial view guidelines will improve the “searchability” of the document.

Select File and then Properties. In the Document Properties dialog box, select the Initial View tab. The Navigation tab should be set to Bookmarks Panel and Page. Page layout should be set to Single Page.

Magnification should be set to Default.

Window Options Show should be set to Document Title.

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Set the tab order of the document to use the document’s structure.

Setting the tab order to use the structure of the document allows the content author to create a custom reading order.

In the left navigation, expand the Page Thumbnails window. Select all pages, right-click, choose Page Properties. In the Tab Order tab, select Use Document Structure then select OK.

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Ensure all content that conveys meaning (i.e., content that is not decorative or repetitive) is included within the reading order of the document.

Text and images pertinent to understanding the document must be accessible to all users.

Content that is missing from the reading order is not available to assistive technology software.

Perform a visual check of the document to ensure there is a numbered box surrounding the image or section of text. Content that is not included in the reading order must be manually selected. From the Current Tool Set, open the Touch Up Reading Order window. (If the Touch Up Reading Order option is not visible, right-click in the blank space in the top navigation, select Edit Current Tool Set. Expand the Accessibility section of the menu. Highlight Touch Up Reading Order and then select Add to Quick Tools Toolbar. Select Save.) Using the mouse, draw a box around the items that is not included in the reading order. Select the appropriate button from the options.

Set the reading order to read content on the page from left to right and top to bottom.

Assistive technology determines how to interpret a document’s content and present it to the reader. Most assistive technology depends on the document’s tags to determine the structure of the document. For some assistive software and documents with tags that are missing or out of order, Acrobat can be set to infer the document’s structure based on the reading order.

In the left navigation, expand the Order panel.

If the Order panel is not visible, right-click in the blank space and select Order from the list of options. Check each page of the document to ensure the reading order is set from left to right and top to bottom. If it is not, click and drag the numbered items in the Order panel until the reading order is correct.

Artifact carriage returns that been used to create blank space.

For each instance of a carriage return, a screen reader will announce “blank,” which interferes with the normal reading of a document.

Open the Touch Up Reading Order panel.

Select the carriage returns and tag as Background.

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Use heading styles to logically divide the document’s content. Ensure the heading structure follows a nested hierarchy without skipping levels. The document title should be set to <H1> style, followed by <H2> for large subsections, <H3> for subsections of <H2>, etc.

The use of heading styles creates place markers which allow assistive technology users to quickly navigate between sections of a large document, ensuring comparable access. A vague heading structure or skipped heading levels causes confusing for screen reader users in knowing which parts of the document are most and least important, or whether sections of the document have been left out of the reading order.

From the left navigation, expand the Tags panel. If the Tags panel is not available, right-click in the blank space and check Tags.

Select one element in the tag tree, right-click and then check Highlight Content. Visually inspect the document to ensure that a heading structure exists and that headings are tagged in a nested hierarchy. If a tag needs to be changed, right-click it and choose Properties.

Select the correct tag from the Type drop-down list and then select Close.

Check all document objects for correct tagging.

A correct tag structure allows assistive technology to convey the document’s content to a disabled user in a logical format, and allows users who are visually impaired to correctly decode the visual appearance of the document.

From the left navigation, expand the Tags panel. Visually inspect the tag tree to ensure all objects are tagged correctly. If a tag needs to be changed, right-click it and choose Properties. Select the correct tag from the Type drop-down list and then select Close.

Ensure that indices and tables of contents link to respective sections of the document.

Dynamic indices and tables of contents provide links for assistive technology users to quickly navigate to desired sections of a document, which ensures comparable access to that of a sighted mouse user.

Select the links within the table of contents to ensure they link to correct destinations.

Inspect the tag tree for the Link-OBJR (object reference) for each link, nested under the <Reference> or <Link> tag.

Remove page numbers and other repeating information from the document’s reading order.

Page numbers and repeating information announced between pages is cumbersome, unnecessary and breaks the train of thought of a screen reader user when he or she is listening to content that covers several pages.

If page numbers and repeating information contained within the header or footer areas of the source file, they will be excluded from the reading order when converted to PDF.

Otherwise, open the Touch Up Reading Order panel. select the object or text, and tag as Background.

Order the tag tree in the same manner as the tab order.

In order to provide information in the most logical manner possible, the tag tree must be arranged in the same order as the Order Panel.

Screen reading software announces information based on the order of the tags instead of the tab order.

Expand the Tags panel. Click and drag to arrange tags in the correct reading order.

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Ensure bookmarks contain the exact text of their respective headings.

Assistive technology users may experience confusion if bookmarked text is different from the referenced heading.

From the left navigation, expand the Bookmarks panel. If the Bookmarks panel is not visible, right-click in the blank space and check Bookmarks. To change a bookmark that does not match its heading, click the bookmark twice, change the text to match the heading and click elsewhere on the screen to save.

Ensure that lists follow the correct format.

<L> <LI>1st item in list <Lbl> <LBody> <LI>2nd item in list <Lbl> <LBody>

The correct number of items in a list should be announced by a screen reader upon navigating to the beginning of the list.

Each list should follow this structure:

• One <L> tag for each list

• One <LI> tag for each item in the list nested under <L>

• Label (bullet point, number, etc.) is tagged separately from the list item text

• <Lbl> and <LBody> are nested even with one another under their respective <LI> tag

Combine lists that continue across pages or that contain images (or other objects) into one <L> structure.

Assistive technology should be able to differentiate the number of items in a list from the number of items in a sub-list.

Open the Tags panel. Locate the incorrect list structure. Click and drag items into their correct locations within the tag tree, adding, deleting or changing tags as necessary so that each list structure contains the appropriate number of <LI> tags.

Tag and nest sublists under their respective parent list items.

Sublists nested under a bulleted item should be announced separately from the main list structure.

The tag tree should contain an <L> tag at the beginning of the sublist, nested under the <LBody> tag of the appropriate list item even with its text container.

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Confirm that all fonts are embedded within the document. The use of standard, common system fonts will be embedded from most source file formats when the document is converted to PDF. Otherwise, the document must be converted to a PostScript file and the font(s) embedded using Acrobat Distiller.

Embedding fonts within the PDF file ensures that the character set for each font is stored within the file.

Select File then Properties. Select the Fonts tab. Review Fonts Used in this Document to ensure that all fonts used in the document appear in this section. Select OK.

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Choose font colors with a high contrast to the document’s background. Text and other elements should be visible in alternate high-contrast modes.

Users who are colorblind or have other eye conditions, such as albinism, that cause difficulty with light, color or contrast need to alter color settings in order to see content on a screen.

Perform a visual check for color contrast. Text attributes can be changed by selecting Tools then Content Editing. Select Edit Text & Images. Highlight text in the document and then change the attributes in the Format section.

Avoid using kerning and compressed line spacing.

Compressed spacing between characters or lines of text causes difficulty for people with visual and cognitive impairments.

Select Tools then Content Editing. Highlight the text and expand the Format section. To adjust kerning, select a number that is 100 or greater from the Horizontal Scaling drop-down list. To adjust line spacing, select a number that is equal to or greater than 1 from the Line Spacing drop-down list.

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When tables are used to visually separate non-tabular data, an incorrect reading order is presented.

Visually check the content of the table. If a table is used for visual formatting, open the Tags panel, remove the table structure and re-tag the content as paragraph (<P>) text.

Confirm that tables contain the appropriate tag structure.

Sighted users are able to visually scan a table to locate row and column headers. The correct relationship between row and column headers to data cells allows users who are visually impaired to also make this association.

Open the Tags panel. Review tables to ensure they contain the tag structure below. Tables should contain at least one header row (one row of <TH> cells). To change header cells from <TD> to <TH>, right-click the tag and select Properties. Select Table Header Cell from the Type drop-down list. Select Close.

<Table> <TR>Table header row

<TH>

<TH>

<TH>

<TR>Row of data cells

<TD>

<TD>

<TD>

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Review the tag tree to ensure the reading order of tables is set from left to right and top to bottom.

Sighted readers are able to obtain information about a table at a glance. Visually impaired users, however, depend on a logical reading order when navigating tables.

Expand the Tags panel. Visually inspect the tag tree. All <TH> and <TD> cells should be nested in order within the correct table row (<TR>). Table rows should be listed in the tag tree in the same order in which they appear in the table.

Provide a summary or caption for data tables.

Sighted users can quickly scan tables to determine their purpose in the document.

Assistive technology users, however, need a text description in order to understand the purpose of a table and how it fits into the document’s context.

Captions should be added in the source file of the document. If they were not, the Table Summary attribute can be used for this purpose. Open the Touch Up Reading Order panel. Hover over the table and right-click.

Select Edit Table Summary. Enter a brief summary of the information contained within the table and select OK.

Remove repeating table header rows from the reading order.

Each instance that a table header row is repeated adds one row into the “count” that is announced by a screen reading software at the beginning of the table. Placing this information in the background ensures the table header row is not repeated on each page.

Open the Touch Up Reading Order panel.

Select repeating header rows and tag as Background.

Consolidate tables that…