Here you can find instructions on how to create accessible documents for various applications such as Microsoft Word.
Creating accessible documentsHere are instructions on the most important applications that can be used to test documents for accessibility.
Testing documents for accessibilityPeople come across the same issues again and again when creating accessible documents. Here we list common problems and their solutions.
A-Z list of common issuesWhat does accessibility mean in relation to documents?
Users with different impairments and needs should be able to use documents without hindrance or outside help.
In the case of visual impairments, poor contrast of type can prove to be an almost insurmountable barrier.
An image lacking alternative text excludes blind people; the content of the image is limited to sighted people only.
If well-presented documents are exported to a PDF file with the wrong settings, even the latest screen readers cannot read them out well.
As such, there are a number of hurdles that should be avoided from the outset when creating documents, or that should be rectified afterwards.
Key principles to follow
Inform yourself about accessibility issues
If you handle digital content, then you should always think in terms of accessibility when you create documents, websites, and other digital formats. Be aware of the steps and measures you need to take.
To help you become more aware of accessibility issues, we offer a whole range of guides, good examples and practices for you learn and adopt. In training sessions, we will explain how to create accessible websites and what to look out for in documents.
We are also producing explanatory videos which we will add to over time, with examples of different aspects of accessibility and how to take them into account when publishing content, or showing how screen readers ‘read aloud’ a document. For many users, this often leads to surprising insights, which otherwise may not have come to their attention.
Application
We offer various tutorials and tips on how to create and check accessible documents.
If you want to create accessible documents, we offer tutorials for various programs, such as Microsoft Word.
Here you will find methods and tools that you can use to check documents for accessibility.
Our A-Z list of typical errors that can cause a document to be inaccessible and how to fix them can help you with specific problems.
Material package for accessible teaching
This material package in Moodle is intended to provide important tips and concrete instructions to help make digital teaching more accessible.
The central core of the material package is made up of clear checklists on various aspects of accessible digital teaching. In the first section, you will find checklists for creating documents that are as accessible as possible. These include Word, PowerPoint, Excel and PDF. In the second section, you will find checklists for planning accessible teaching. These provide information on the advantages and disadvantages of certain teaching methods and hybrid teaching, for example, and are illustrated with good practice examples. In addition, our material package contains a knowledge database with further basic information on topics related to (digital) accessibility in university teaching, which can be found in the third section.
In the fourth section you will find the implementation aids, which are linked to the checklists and provide in-depth information on the individual points as well as instructions for implementation in the named programmes. All checklists and implementation aids are also available for download in the fifth section.
What does the law say?
The Barrier-Free Information Technology Ordinance of North Rhine-Westphalia – BITV NRW and the Equal Opportunities for Disabled Persons Act of North Rhine-Westphalia - BGG NRW are the obligatory and legal basis for universities in NRW. In the BITV NRW, one basis is the current state of technological development and another is compliance with Directive (EU) 2016/2102, which is based on the EU standard EN 301 549 (PDF) as a specified EU standard.
All PDF documents are tested according to the criteria of the Matterhorn Protocol, which provides a table of checkpoints corresponding with the PDF/UA (PDF Universal Accessibility) ISO standard. The PDF/UA is based on the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines WCAG 2.0 and is largely in line with it.
All other types of documents are tested according to the current WCAG criteria, currently WCAG 2.1.
The four principles must always be observed when creating accessible documents and websites:
A good overview is provided by the WCAG map linked here.