How to be an #A11y

Dr. Shaheen provides an overview of how to be an #A11y in a short video.

When technology is inaccessible, disabled students are oppressed and excluded, have to do substantial emotional labor, have to come up with workarounds on the spot, and have little remaining energy and time to learn.

Assistive Technology (AT)

AT In brief

Technology specifically designed for disabled people.

AT Examples

Screen Readers: Turn visual information (text, buttons, links) on the screen into speech or digital Braille. Blind people, dyslexic people, and people with language-based learning disabilities use screen readers.

Switch: An alternative way to control and put information into technology. Switches are used by physically disabled people who have limited fine motor dexterity.

Alternative Text

Alt Text In brief

Text that describes an image. Screen readers read alt text (it is invisible to sighted folks).

Guidelines

  • Context (what info is around the image)
  • Audience
  • Concise
  • Objective
  • General to specific
  • Tone & language

Most common mistake… too much detail.

Alt Text Example 1

  • Context: ReggieNet page
  • Audience: College students
Drawing of a black disabled person standing with their cane wearing a tshirt that says "every cane is a drum on the earth."
Drawing of a black disabled person standing with their cane wearing a tshirt that says “every cane is a drum on the earth.”

Alt Text Example 2

  • Context: Syllabus
  • Audience: College students
Meme featuring a Latinx wheelchair user gazing up into the distance and the phrase ‘the future is accessible’”
Meme featuring a Latinx wheelchair user gazing up into the distance and the phrase ‘The Future is Accessible’”

Alt Text Example 3

  • Context: Syllabus
  • Audience: College students
A collection of gears feature science, technology, engineering, and math symbols (e.g., compass rose, battery, laptop, atom, rocket).
A collection of gears feature science, technology, engineering, and math symbols (e.g., compass rose, battery, laptop, atom, rocket).

Alt Text Activity

Google Doc

Word Docs

Word Accessibility Considerations

  1. Headings
  2. Images
  3. Meaningful links
  4. Font & color
  5. Tables

Word Activity

Download the Haben Plain file and add all of the necessary accessibility “mark up.”

Word Resources

PowerPoints

PPT Accessibility Considerations

  1. Accessible themes
  2. Built in layouts
  3. Reading order
  4. Beware of “design ideas”

PPT Activity

Create a quick reference guide for yourself about accessibility in the form of an *accessible* slide deck. Download the PPT template to get started.

PPT Resources

Learn More on Twitter

#A11y

@nlshaheen