Accessible Design

How to Create Accessible Material

Learn how to create accessible material including Word documents, PowerPoint slides, basic Excel worksheets, and more by assessing your current documents and creating new ones using accessibility tools and guidelines.

Accessible design means designing for everyone and putting your audience first. Start by understanding accessibility laws and technical requirements. Look at common disabilities and learn how small changes allow you to reach many more people. Learn to use a process that includes checklists and accessibility checkers. Following an accessibility process helps you systematically cover all areas of document design and accessibility without the worry of missing something.

Creating material with accessibility in mind gives you an advantage over those who react to user needs and legal requirements after the fact. Why go back and fix documents when you can be proactive and create material for everyone up front? Put user needs first and create accessible documents, slides, worksheets, webpages, and more.

Why this course?

I have designed a process that works. My unique perspective on accessibility stems from my insider knowledge of communication, course design, disabilities, user needs, and education from my work as a course designer, learning disability consultant, and professor.

I know how overwhelming it can be to understand accessibility laws and technical requirements, so I’m able to walk you through the process of creating accessible information quickly and efficiently.

I show you how the legal, technical, and practical pieces of accessibility fit together and take you from understanding the basics to creating your own accessible documents. You'll learn how to evaluate material and fix documents. I share my own process and I provide you with examples, checklists, and free resources to help you get started.

I created this step-by-step course from 20 years of experience in accessibility and communication. Currently, I’m a college professor who teaches both computers and communication online and in face-to-face courses, so I know the barriers that people face and the importance of creating accessible material.

Over the years, I’ve often found a gap between those who create material and those who understand the technical side. This course closes that gap by showing you how accessibility laws, user needs, and technical requirements fit together, how to create accessible material and where to get help when you need it. We’ll look at actual documents, slides, web pages and more to determine if they’re accessible and if not, how to fix them.

You’ll finish the course with a toolbox that you can use in your own work and a proactive design mindset that will give you a competitive edge.

This Course Includes

• videos with step-by-step demonstrations

• downloadable documents and worksheets

• overview diagrams

• charts

• checklists

• quizzes

Disclaimer: The information in this course is educational and intended to help people understand accessibility. This course does not give legal advice. You are responsible for checking and complying with the laws of your area.