Headings and Structure

• Use built-in heading styles (Heading 1, Heading 2, etc.) to create a logical document structure.
• Avoid using bold or larger font sizes as a substitute for proper headings.

Lists and Tables

• Use ordered (numbered) or unordered (bulleted) lists instead of manually typing numbers or dashes.
• Tables should have clear headers (<th> elements in HTML or marked as "Header Row" in Word/Excel).
• Avoid using tables for layout purposes; use them only for tabular data.

Alternative Text for Images

• Add descriptive alt text to meaningful images and charts.
• Avoid embedding text within images unless necessary; if used, provide a text alternative.

Document Formatting and Readability

• Use left-aligned text instead of justified text to improve readability.
• Ensure sufficient color contrast (minimum 4.5:1 for normal text).
• Avoid using color alone to convey meaning (e.g., "important text in red").

Exporting to Accessible PDFs

• Use the "Save as PDF" or "Export to PDF" feature instead of "Print to PDF" to retain accessibility tags.

Run the PDF accessibility checker (available in Adobe Acrobat) to identify issues.

Captions and Transcripts

• Provide captions for all video content.
• Include transcripts for audio recordings and podcasts.
• Captions should be synchronized, accurate, and properly formatted.

Audio Descriptions

• For videos with important visual information, provide audio descriptions to describe actions, scenes, and other non-verbal elements.

Accessible PowerPoint and Slide Presentations

• Use built-in slide layouts instead of manually inserting text boxes.
• Ensure sufficient text contrast against the background.
• Add alt text for images and charts.
• Use the "Check Accessibility" tool in PowerPoint to identify issues.

Text-Based Content

• Structure content with clear headings and subheadings.
• Provide text descriptions for visual elements (charts, diagrams, and infographics).

Interactive Elements

• Ensure quizzes and assignments are keyboard-navigable.
• Label all form fields clearly and provide error messages with explanations.

PDFs and Readable Formats

• Offer materials in multiple formats (e.g., HTML, Word, or EPUB in addition to PDFs).
• Ensure scanned documents are OCR-enabled so screen readers can read them.

Links and Navigation

• Use descriptive link text instead of generic phrases like "Click here."

Provide skip navigation links to allow users to bypass repetitive content.

• Microsoft and Google Accessibility Checkers – Built-in tools in Word, PowerPoint, and Google Docs to check accessibility.
• YouTube and Panopto Auto-Captions – Automated captions that should be reviewed and corrected for accuracy.
• University Accessibility Support – [Link to university resources for faculty and staff].