While 100% accuracy in transcripts is the ideal for accessibility, especially under standards like the ADA and Section 508, the widely accepted minimum for compliance is 99%. This level ensures that content remains clear and usable for individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing, particularly in educational or technical contexts where even minor errors can lead to misunderstanding. Automated captions often fall below this threshold, so it's important to review and edit transcripts to meet accuracy standards before publishing.

There are several tools with strong accessibility features across different formats. For video content, tools like ScreenPal, Adobe Premiere Pro, and Sonix.ai support captions, transcripts, and screen reader compatibility. For ebooks, platforms that use the EPUB 3 format, along with Wiley Reader and the latest versions of Kindle, offer features such as text-to-speech, adjustable contrast, and reflowable text. For presentations, Microsoft PowerPoint (365) includes a built-in accessibility checker and live captions, while Google Slides and Canva offer basic accessibility options suitable for collaborative or visual presentations. 

To make YouTube content more accessible, start by reviewing and editing the auto-generated captions, as they often contain errors. You can do this by going to YouTube Studio > Subtitles, selecting the video, and editing the captions directly. Add accurate, punctuated captions, and consider uploading your own transcript or caption file (e.g., .srt or .vtt) for full control. Also, ensure that any visual information is described verbally in the video for those who are blind or have low vision. Use clear language, avoid flashing visuals, and consider adding audio descriptions if needed. Additionally, setting a descriptive video title, thumbnail, and video description helps users with screen readers understand the content better.

Yes, if the instructor clearly verbalizes everything they write—including equations, symbols, and operations—then the video can be considered largely accessible for many users, including those who are blind or have low vision. It's important that nothing is communicated visually without also being explained audibly. However, to meet full accessibility standards, especially for deaf or hard-of-hearing users, the video should also include accurate captions that reflect the spoken content, and ideally a transcript that describes both the speech and key visuals For screen reader users, providing supplementary accessible math materials (like MathML or LaTeX versions) can further enhance accessibility. 

When there is a lot of spoken content and little natural pause—such as in a dense instructional video—audio descriptions (also called audio captions or descriptive narration) can be added by editing the video to insert short pauses. During these pauses, a narrator can describe key visual elements that aren’t covered by the main audio. This may cause the video to momentarily freeze or slow down, which is an accepted technique to ensure that the descriptions fit without overlapping the main narration. Yes, this means editing the video to build in space for the descriptions, then continuing the original content. Alternatively, some platforms support extended versions of videos specifically for audio description, where the pacing is adjusted throughout. This approach helps ensure the video is accessible to blind or low-vision users without compromising the clarity of the spoken content or closed captions. 

Yes, there are several common behaviors or language choices that may unintentionally be insensitive to students with disabilities or learning challenges. These include using outdated or offensive terms like “handicapped” or “crazy,” referring to students only by their disability (e.g., “the blind student”), or speaking to a support person instead of the student directly.

In teaching practices, it can be excluding to use inaccessible materials such as videos without captions, rely on red/green indicators for meaning, or give timed tests without accommodations. Attitudes like assuming someone is “faking” a disability, questioning the need for accommodations, or treating them as special treatment can also be harmful. Even well-meaning comments like “you don’t look disabled” or “we all struggle sometimes” can minimize a student’s lived experience.

To be more inclusive, it helps to use respectful language, offer content in multiple formats, avoid assumptions, and create space for feedback. Most importantly, approaching each student as an individual and asking what support they need—rather than assuming—goes a long way toward building a respectful learning environment.

In Microsoft Word:

1. Highlight the text you want to tag as a heading.
2. Go to the Home tab → Styles group → choose Heading 1, Heading 2, etc.
3. Use the Bullets or Numbering tools for lists.
4. For tables, select the first row → Table Design tab → check Header Row.
5. Run Review → Check Accessibility to verify tags and structure.

In PowerPoint:

1. Use the built-in Title and Content placeholders instead of adding text boxes.
2. Apply proper slide titles (each slide should have one).
3. Check Home → Arrange → Selection Pane to confirm the correct reading order.
4. Run Review → Check Accessibility to fix any issues.

In Canvas (LMS):

1. In the Rich Content Editor, highlight your text and select a Heading level from the Paragraph drop-down.
2. Use the Bulleted or Numbered List buttons for lists.
3. Add Alt Text when uploading images.
4. For tables, mark the Header Row option when inserting a table.
5. Use Canvas’s Accessibility Checker (wand icon) to review and fix accessibility issues.

Emojis can make content more engaging, but they should be used thoughtfully to maintain accessibility. Screen readers read emojis aloud by describing them (for example, 😊 is read as “smiling face with smiling eyes”), which can interrupt the reading flow if too many are used. Avoid using emojis to replace important words or to convey key information, since meanings may vary or be unclear to some users.

Best Practices:             

• Use emojis sparingly—one or two per message or section is enough.
• Place emojis after text, not in the middle of sentences.
• Ensure the message is still understandable without the emoji.

Examples:
Accessible: “Great job completing the module! 🎉”
Not accessible: “🎉🎉🎉 Accessibility 🎉 tips 🎉🎉🎉”

Students who cannot use a mouse can navigate and access links using the keyboard. Accessible web and document content ensures that all interactive elements, such as links and buttons, can be reached with the Tab key.

Steps:

1. Press Tab repeatedly to move forward through links and interactive elements.
2. Press Shift + Tab to move backward.
3. When the focus is on the desired link, press Enter to activate it.
4. Use keyboard shortcuts where available (for example, in Word, PowerPoint, or Canvas, Ctrl + K to insert links).

Merging cells can create accessibility issues, especially for screen readers, because it can make it difficult to understand the table structure. You can use row or column spans with proper headers or restructure the table to convey the same information.

Alternatives:

1. Use multiple rows or columns with repeated headers but a unique name instead of merging. For e.g. Address 1, Address 2 etc.
2. Use descriptive text in individual cells to clarify relationships between data.
3. Split complex tables into simpler, separate tables if needed.

When designing content, it’s important to choose colours that are accessible to users with colour vision deficiencies. Certain colour combinations can be difficult or impossible to distinguish for people with colour-blindness.

Colours to Use Carefully or Avoid: 

• Red & Green: Commonly problematic for users with red-green colour blindness (the most common type).
• Green & Brown, Blue & Purple, Light Green & Yellow, Blue & Grey: Can also cause confusion.

Best Practices: 

1. Use high contrast between text and background (dark text on light background or vice versa).
2. Avoid conveying important information using colour alone—use text labels, patterns, or icons.
3. Test your content with colour-blind simulators or accessibility tools to ensure readability.

Handling “Content May Exceed Recommended Length for Readability” in UDOIT

If UDOIT flags content—like your syllabus—as exceeding recommended length, it doesn’t mean you need to delete information. Instead, focus on structuring the content to make it easier to read and navigate, especially for students using assistive technologies.

Recommendations:

1. Break content into sections with clear headings (using Heading 1, 2, 3 in Word, Canvas, or PowerPoint).
2. Use bulleted or numbered lists instead of long paragraphs wherever possible.
3. Add tables or summary boxes for schedules, deadlines, or key points.
4. Provide a table of contents in Word, Canvas, or PDF for easy navigation.
5. Use links to detailed information (like policies) instead of including everything in one long block of text.

For blank cells in tables, provide a placeholder such as N/A, —, or Empty to indicate that the cell is intentionally blank. This ensures that screen readers announce the cell correctly and that all users understand it is not missing information.

The best option is to digitize the handwriting, then convert it into an editable, tagged format before making the final PDF.

Recommended workflow:

1. Scan clearly (good lighting, straight pages).
2. Use Mathpix Snip or MathKicker.ai to convert handwriting (especially math) to editable Word (DOCX).
3. In Microsoft Word:
   • Clean up text and equations (use Equation Editor).
   • Add headings, alt text for images, and check accessibility with Word’s built-in tool.
4. Export to PDF from Word with “Include tags for accessibility” checked.
5. Test using PAVE or PAC 2024 accessibility checker.

Best Practice: If possible, create math digitally from the start (Word + Equation Editor or MathType) for the most accessible result. Scanned handwriting alone isn’t accessible unless converted to real, selectable text.

Rebuilding the form is usually easier and more reliable than trying to fix reading order in an existing PDF, especially if the PDF is scanned or poorly tagged. Using Microsoft Forms or Google Forms allows you to create accessible forms with proper field labels, tab order, and instructions for screen readers, ensuring full accessibility. 

Setting the Document Language in Microsoft Word: 

1. Open your Word document.
2. Go to the Review tab on the ribbon.
3. Click Language → Set Proofing Language.
4. In the dialog box, select the desired language (e.g., English – US).
5. Click Set as Default if you want this language for all future documents.
6. Click OK to apply.