Accessibility

What is Accessibility?

Excerpt from the University of Washington website:  Accessible Technology - Getting Started with Accessibility: "Accessibility is the degree to which a product, device, program, service, resource, or environment is available to a given user.  If a building on campus has a wheelchair ramp leading to its main entrance, that entrance is accessible to wheelchair users." 

What is Accessible technology?

"Accessible technology is technology that has been designed in a way so that it can be accessed by all users. This includes electronic documents, websites, software, hardware, video, audio, and other technologies. People who interact with technology are extremely diverse. They have a wide variety of characteristics, and we cannot assume that they’re all using a traditional monitor for output, or keyboard and mouse for input."

Excerpt from the University of Washington website:  Accessible Technology - Getting Started with Accessibility. 

Why is Accessible technology important?

Our mission is: Maximizing opportunities for the independence and well-being of people with disabilities and older adults in Connecticut. Access is an important part of this work, and our goal with this page is to provide resources and tips on how to you can make sure your website and documents are accessible for everybody.

Below are a variety of resources and tips for creating accessible technology:

Microsoft Office

Did you know Microsoft Office offers built in accessibility features? Learn how to use them by following this link - What Accessibility Features Windows Offers and clicking on "Ease of Access."

Overview

University of Washington: Overview of Accessible Documents

PDFs and PDF Forms

WebAim's PDF: PDF Accessibility article
WebAim's PDF Forms: Accessible Forms in Acrobat
University of Washington: Creating Accessible PDFs from Microsoft Word

Plain Language 

Learn how to write using Plain Language. It saves time and makes it easier for all people to understand what you have to say. Self Advocacy Resource and Technical Assistance Center 

PowerPoint

Websites

University of Washington: Developing Accessible Websites

ADA Best Practices Tool Kit for State and Local Governments: Website Accessibility Chapter 5

National Clearinghouse of Rehabilitation Training Materials - Accessibility Resources
New Editions Consulting, Inc. offers technical assistance in accessibility to grantees, individuals, and organizations who submit their rehabilitation training materials to the NCRTM. The resources on this page are designed for a wide audience: whether you are just getting started in making your resources accessible or continuing to further develop your remediation skills.

Word Documents

WebAim's Microsoft Word: Creating Accessible Documents WebAim's Word: Accessibility Checker University of Washington: Creating Accessible Word Documents