Creating Accessible Electronic Content

Digital Content Accessibility Standards

The standard below serves to summarize digital content accessibility standards associated with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). These standards apply to digital materials, including, but not limited to, locating and creating digital content for public and controlled consumption. Reference: Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG)

Microsoft Word Documents and Microsoft PowerPoint Presentations

Timesaver Tip: It is strongly recommended to begin with the source file (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.) and fix all accessibility issues before converting to PDF.

Timesaver Tip: It is much easier to create an accessible document, than to make an existing document accessible.

Timesaver Tip: Integrating accessibility into processes in the begining, alleviates the need to be remediate or be reactive later.

 

Before you begin, consider HTML

Creating accurate and semantic HTML already does a great job with assistive technologies. Ensure to follow WCAG 2.2 AA for creating accessible HTML.

Use built in Accessibility Checkers

The Accessibility Checker is a good place to start checking for accessibility but use caution, as human judgment is often needed to ensure a document is fully accessible.

Go to File > Info > Check for Issues > Check Accessibility 

Select Review > Check Accessibility.

Format the source document with Provided Functions

Use the MS Word heading styles

Heading styles create a structure that assistive technology can quickly access and aid document navigation based on the heading levels. Don't use font size or bold type only to indicate headings.

Use the MS Word list formats

Assistive technology users cannot find meaning with lists created with tabs, spaces, or dashes. Use ordered or unordered list types when appropriate.

Use the Provided Tables

Use simple tables for representing data, avoid splitting cells, and designate header rows. Layout tables should not be used.

Use columns

Using columns in a Word document is fine for accessibility as long as you use the Column insertion tool on the Page Layout tab. If the columns are created without the use of this tool the columns will not be read properly by screen reading technology. For example, if a user creates columns using spacebar or tab keys, the screen reader will read the first line of the left column then the first line of the right column, which would not make sense to the reader.

Use Microsoft Word Documents Supplemental Information

Headers and Footers

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Footnotes or endnotes

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Page numbers

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Table of contents

 

Saving a Microsoft Office Document as a PDF

After checking and fixing a Microsoft Office document for accessibility and decide to convert it to a PDF to upload it to the website, another Accessibility check must be done.

You will need Adobe Acrobat Pro, and Farmingdale has licenses for faculty and staff.

Please note that after the PDF conversion, some cleanup in Acrobat may still be necessary.

Go to File > Save As > PDF

 

 

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Web/Digital/Document Basics

  • Use descriptive and distinguishable link text

    Link text describes the destination of the link (not "click here") and are visually distinguishable from surrounding text or elements. 

  • Make sure that color is not the only means of conveying information

    Color is not the only means used to convey information and there is sufficient contrast between background and forground text.

  • Alternative Text for Images and Objects

    Provide meaningful and short descriptions or alt text for all images, Graphs, charts and maps, unless decorative.

  • Use descriptive document information

    • A descriptive file name helps identify the purpose of its content, sych as “vaccine-policy.docx.”
    • Use a descriptive title for document, i.e., “Vaccine Policy for 2020.”
    • Ensure the language of the document is correctly set

Comming soon

Multimedia

  • Establish a timely process for requesting synchronized captions for multimedia
  • Provide synchronized captions for public-facing audio-video content
  • Provide transcripts for audio-only content
  • Provide descriptive audio for audio-video and video-only content, when needed
  • Ensure audio and video does not begin playing on page load
  • Provide synchronized captions for live audio-video content

Formulas

  • For web pages, use an equation editor that outputs MathML. (e.g., MathType)
  • For documents and presentations, use an equation editor that supports accessibility (e.g., MathType)

 

Structure

  • Heading structure is logical
  • Heading structure includes an H1 tag and does not skip levels
  • Reading order is logical and intuitive
  • Information and relationships that are implied by visual or auditory formatting are conveyed in accessible ways

Keyboard/Navigation

  • All links are available using the keyboard and there are no "keyboard traps"
  • The tabbing order is logical

Labels/Titles

  • All form controls, tables and frames are properly labeled.

Miscellaneous

  • The page has a descriptive page title
  • No content flashes more than 3 times per second

Data Tables

  • Table header rows and columns are assigned
  • Avoid split cells, empty cells, merged cells, and embedded tables

Structure and Navigation

  • The document contains a descriptive page title that makes sense
  • Heading structure includes an H1 tag and does not skip levels (is sequential)
  • Use different titles for each presentation slide
  • Fillable documents (forms) are labeled appropriately
  • Machine readable (ensure doc is not an image and text is renderable)
  • Keyboard navigable
  • Reading order is logical and intuitive (Verify reading order using tab key)

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Last Modified 12/21/25