Our “Designing for All, Habit by Habit” initiative is our way of making accessibility a core part of our workflow at Marshall. We believe that small, consistent actions – practical design habits – lead to big, positive changes over time. By incorporating digital accessibility standards and UDL principles, we’re building a more inclusive digital experience, one habit at a time.
Get in the Habit
Use the Accessibility Checker regularly throughout the document creation process, not just at the end. Creating accessible documents from the start saves time on potential remediation later and improves the overall quality and usability of materials.
Why This Habit Matters
- Ensure everyone can access your documents: Using the Accessibility Checker ensures that your documents are accessible to all students, including those who use screen readers, have low vision, or have cognitive differences. It allows them to navigate and understand the content effectively.
- Universal Design for Learning (UDL) Connection: This habit aligns with UDL’s Multiple Means of Representation principle, proactively ensuring that content allows learners to perceive and comprehend information through various formats, such as text, audio, or visual aids, catering to diverse learning preferences and needs.
How to Do It
When creating documents, use your word processor’s Accessibility Checker (in Word or Google Docs) to ensure they are digitally accessible. Review each issue and follow the recommendations provided to fix them. Remember that the Accessibility Checker is a tool to help you, but it doesn’t guarantee full accessibility. It’s important to understand the principles of accessibility and apply them thoughtfully. The acronym S.C.U.L.P.T. summarizes the most common accessibility issues to look for:
S – Structure is Clear and Consistent: Use heading hierarchy (Heading 1, Heading 2, etc.) to organize content. Chunk information into lists where appropriate.
C – Color: Ensure sufficient color contrast. Use additional cues (e.g., text labels, patterns) to supplement color-coded information.
U – Use alternative text for images: Provide descriptive alt text for all images so that screen readers can convey the image’s content.
L – Add meaningful hyperlink text: Avoid generic text like “click here.” Use descriptive text that clearly indicates the destination of the link.
P – Plain language: Use clear and direct language to convey information.
T – Tables: Use table headers to help screen readers understand the table’s structure.
Try using Gen AI, such as CoPilot or ChatGPT, to make documents accessible. Use a prompt such as, “Make this text into an accessible document:” and paste in your text. Then, double-check it with your document’s Accessibility Checker.
Examples of documents that should be accessible
- Syllabus: In any course, using the Accessibility Checker on your syllabus ensures that all students can easily navigate and understand the course structure, policies, and assignments. Use Marshall’s accessible Master Syllabus Templates.
- Reports: For a biology lab report, this could involve ensuring that tables have header rows, that color-coded diagrams have text labels, and that all images (e.g., microscope images, diagrams) have detailed alt text.
- Assignments: When designing an assignment in a doc, consider how to chunk information and create headings, such as Purpose, Task, and Criteria for Success (TILT), to help students more easily identify next steps.
Watch the video below to learn more about the importance of formatting headings.
Additional Resources
- Digital Accessibility and UDL: This page contains accessibility information, resources, and services at Marshall University. You can also explore other habits that support digital accessibility and UDL in our Designing for All, Habit by Habit Series.