Welcome to the Accessibility Resources Space! We're glad you're here. This space is designed to support faculty and staff in creating more inclusive and accessible material and environments. Here you'll find a wide range of resources, tools, and guidance to help you make your content more usable for all. Whether you're just beginning your accessibility journey or looking to deepen your practice, this space is here to empower you with practical strategies and support.
When creating a PDF from a Word document or PowerPoint file, you should always Save As and choose PDF as the type, rather than Printing to PDF. Printing to PDF removes all accessibility features, whereas Saving As a PDF will retain all of the tagging, heading structure, and other elements needed for an accessible PDF!
A website carousel (also called a “slider" or “slideshow") presents a collection of items one at a time. They’re a common feature on websites and blogs— but from an accessibility perspective, carousels could be a liability. By allowing content to rotate within the same space, carousels help keep a webpage clean and uncluttered while presenting various information.
?However, carousels can be hard to operate for users navigating using keyboards, especially if they rotate using a timer rather than allowing a user to advance the carousel at their leisure. This is particularly disorientating for screen reader users, who may not realize the page is changing state, and it can be difficult users with cognitive, motor, or visual impairments. It is difficult for users to see how much content is available in a carousel. Many users will miss (presumably important) content that appears on later carousel ‘slides’.
Instead of carousels, use more effective alternatives like static images, grid/card layouts, “show more” buttons, or single-feature sections. These options are faster, clearer, more user-friendly, and ultimately better for engagement and conversions.
Tables are for data — not decoration. And when you format them correctly, everyone wins (including screen reader users!). Here’s how to keep your tables accessibility–friendly:
1. Give Tables a Clear Purpose Use tables for actual data — not for layout. If it’s not showing relationships between rows and columns, it’s not table material.
2. Add Proper Header Cells Mark column (and row, when needed) headers properly by using the built-in “Header Row” option in Word and Google docs. Screen readers rely on this to announce context like: “Final Exam Score, 92” Instead of just: “92.”
3. Keep It Simple Avoid:
Merged or split cells
Blank cells (blanks can be indicated with “N/A” or “--"
Nested tables
Complex layouts can confuse assistive technology and make navigation harder.
4. Provide a Table Summary (When Needed) If the table is complex, include a short sentence before it explaining what it shows. This helps all users understand what they’re about to explore.
5. Don’t Rely on Color Alone If you’re highlighting trends or categories, use text labels — not just color — to communicate meaning.
Quick Rule of Thumb: If someone listening (not looking) can understand your table clearly, you’re on the right track.
Did you know that screen readers rely on your document’s language setting to pronounce words correctly? If the language isn’t set (or is set incorrectly), assistive technology may mispronounce content or struggle to interpret it accurately.
Why it matters:
Setting the correct language ensures:
Accurate screen reader pronunciation
Better comprehension for multilingual users
Improved accessibility compliance
How to do it (quick steps):
Microsoft Word: Review → Language → Choose your language → OK
Google Docs: File → Language → Select your language
Image courtesy of Firefly and ChatGPT, then cleaned up in Photoshop
Before saving a Word or PowerPoint file, take a moment to fill in the Title field under File → Info → Enter Title in Right Column (PC) or File → Properties → Summary (Mac).
Why? Screen readers announce the document title first — not the file name.
Without a title, users may hear something like: “Final_v3_revised2.docx.”
With a proper title, they’ll hear something meaningful, like: “2026 Employee Benefits Overview.”
It only takes a few seconds, but it makes a big difference. A small step like this helps ensure your documents are clear, welcoming, and accessible to everyone!
Before sharing a PDF, ask: does this really need to be a PDF? Word documents, PowerPoint slides, and Canvas pages are usually more accessible and easier to update. Even better, when you share files in these formats, students can use Canvas tools to choose the format that works best for them—like responsive views for mobile or tablet, or audio versions to listen on the go!
When a PDF is required, make sure it’s accessible: searchable text, proper tagging, and no scanned images of text. The more flexible the format, the more students can focus on learning—not fighting the file.
