Who are these Guidelines for? ……………………………………………………

CONTENTS
Preamble ………………………………………………………………………………….. 5
Introduction and rationale for the Guidelines ………………………………………. 6
What is meant by ‘accessible information’? ……………………………………….
Who are these Guidelines for? ………………………………………………………. 8
What support is provided through the Guidelines? ……………………………… 9
Step 1: Making different types of information accessible ………………………. 12
Section 1: Making your text accessible ………………………………………….. 12
1.1 How to make your textual information accessible ……………………… 12
1.2 Resources to help make your textual information accessible ………… 14
Section 2: Making your images accessible ……………………………………… 15
2.1 How to make your image-based information accessible ………………. 15
2.2 Resources to help make your image-based information accessible…. 15
Section 3: Making your audio accessible ………………………………………… 16
3.1 How to make your audio information accessible ……………………….. 16
3.2 Resources to help make your audio information accessible ………….. 16
Section 4: Making your video accessible ………………………………………… 18
4.1 How to make your video media accessible ………………………………. 18
4.2 Resources to help make your video media accessible …………………. 18
Step 2: Making the delivery of media accessible ………………………………… 19
Section 1: Making your electronic documents accessible…………………….. 19
1.1 How to make your electronic documents accessible …………………… 19
1.2 Resources to help make your electronic documents accessible ……… 20
Section 2: Making your online resources accessible ………………………….. 22
2.1 How to make your online resources accessible …………………………. 22
2.2 Resources to help make your online resources accessible ……………. 23
Section 3: Making your printed material accessible …………………………… 25
3.1 How to make your printed material accessible …………………………. 25
3.2 Resources to help make your printed material accessible ……………. 25
Applying the Guidelines to different media and specific formats ……………… 26
Slideshows and presentations …………………………………………………….. 26
Guidelines for Accessible Information 4
Step 1: ……………………………………………………………………………… 26
Step 2: ……………………………………………………………………………… 27
Online or e-learning tools ………………………………………………………….. 28
Step 1: ……………………………………………………………………………… 28
Step 2: ……………………………………………………………………………… 28
PDF documents ………………………………………………………………………. 30
Step 1: ……………………………………………………………………………… 30
Step 2: ……………………………………………………………………………… 30
Glossary …………………………………………………………………………………. 31
Key terms …………………………………………………………………………….. 31
Guidelines for Accessible Information 5
PREAMBLE
The Guidelines for accessible information are an open educational resource
(OER) to support the creation of accessible information in general and for
learning in particular. These Guidelines do not aim to contain all available
information on accessibility or cover every aspect of the field, but to
summarise and link to existing and useful resources which can be helpful for
non-information and communications technologies (ICT) experts.
The purpose of developing such Guidelines is to support the work of
practitioners and organisations working in the field of education to provide
accessible information to all learners who require and will benefit from more
accessible information. The procedure for creating accessible information is
universal. Therefore, these Guidelines support all individuals or organisations
wishing to create information that is accessible in different formats.
The justifications for the development of such Guidelines are very clear in both
European and international policy, which highlight access to information as a
human right. The ICT4IAL website includes a summary of these key policies.
Within the Guidelines you will find:
 a general introduction, description of the main terms, the target group
and scope of the Guidelines;
 steps to make information and media accessible, including
recommendations and relevant resources;
 examples of accessibility checklists for specific formats; and
 an extensive glossary providing working definitions of relevant terms.
The Guidelines include two steps for action that build upon each other. By
following the Guidelines in Step 1 to make different types of information
accessible, Step 2 becomes easier, as already accessible information is
available to be used within the different media.
The Guidelines give guidance on actions to be taken and resources are
provided which give more in-depth information.
The Guidelines have been developed as an OER and are intended to be
adapted to varying contexts and technological developments, as well as to
grow with usage.
Throughout all sections of the Guidelines, you will find links either to an
explanation of a key term within the glossary or to external resources.
These Guidelines were developed through the ICT for Information Accessibility
in Learning (ICT4IAL) project, which was co-funded by the Lifelong Learning
Programme of the European Commission.
Guidelines for Accessible Information 6
INTRODUCTION AND RATIONALE FOR THE
GUIDELINES
During this time of technical innovation, every person can potentially become
an author of information that is used for learning, but not everyone needs to
be an expert in making information accessible. However, it is important for
everyone to be aware that information may not be accessible to different users
depending on the way it is presented.
Currently the World Health Organization (WHO) states:
 Over a billion people, about 15% of the world’s population, have some
form of disability.
 Between 110 million and 190 million adults have significant difficulties in
functioning.
 Rates of disability are increasing due to population ageing and increases
in chronic health conditions, among other causes (WHO, 2014).
Some 15% of the world’s population cannot access information, unless it is
made accessible.
Within the Guidelines, the term ‘learners with disabilities and/or special needs’
is used to refer to the potential target group of people who can benefit from
more accessible information provision. This phrasing respects the terminology
of both the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with
Disabilities – UNCRPD (2006) and agreements reached with the ICT4IAL
project partners, as the term ‘special needs’ often covers a broader range of
learners with additional needs than those identified as having disabilities as
defined under the UNCRPD.
It is now technologically possible for many people to create and share
information. In addition, there are numerous resources for these authors to
learn how to create documents that do not exclude anyone from accessing and
using them. This does not require every author of information to become an
expert in information accessibility for all forms of disabilities and/or special
needs, but it does mean that all authors should aim to achieve a minimum
standard of information accessibility that is universally beneficial for all users.
It is crucial to provide information in general – and information for learning in
particular – in a way that is accessible to all users. Providing information that
is not accessible creates an additional barrier for learners with disabilities
and/or special needs. Information that is not accessible does not support
people in the best way possible and excludes them from benefiting from and
participating in knowledge exchange.
With this rationale in mind, the ICT for Information Accessibility in Learning
project developed a set of Guidelines to support practitioners in creating
accessible material.
Guidelines for Accessible Information 7
As an open educational resource (OER) – which permits free use and repurposing by others – these Guidelines aim to provide easy and practical
instructions for authors to create accessible information that can be shared
through accessible media. The Guidelines can be applied to all types of
information produced, but will be especially beneficial to learners with
disabilities and/or special needs when applied to information for learning.
However, accessibility of information is not only beneficial for learners with
disabilities and/or special needs, but has the potential to benefit all learners.
Therefore the Guidelines also take an inclusive approach and do not focus on
single disabilities.
What is meant by ‘accessible information’?
Within the Guidelines ‘accessibility’ is understood as described in Article 9 of
the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities as:
… appropriate measures to ensure to persons with disabilities access, on
an equal basis with others, to the physical environment, to transportation,
to information and communications, including information and
communications technologies and systems, and to other facilities and
services open or provided to the public, both in urban and in rural areas
(United Nations, 2006, p. 8).
This is a wider concept covering many environmental and physical factors. The
Guidelines focus on one area within this definition – the accessibility of
information.
Within the Guidelines, information is understood to refer to a message or data
that is communicated concerning a specific issue. Specifically, these Guidelines
focus on the aim of sharing messages to inform learners and build knowledge
in a learning environment.
Within the Guidelines the different types of information considered are text,
image, audio and video. These types of information can be shared or delivered
through different media channels, such as electronic documents, online
resources, videos and printed material.
These media channels usually contain different types of information
simultaneously.
In relation to media channels, the Guidelines consider how information is
converted or packaged into a certain format using (for example) text-editing
programmes – and delivered or presented to the user.
In education, the types of materials this applies to include (but are not limited
to):
 Learning materials
 Course content
 Course descriptions
Guidelines for Accessible Information 8
 Registration information and registration systems
 Research material
 University and library websites
 Catalogues and repositories
 e-learning software and learning platforms.
Accessible information is understood as information provided in formats that
allow every user and learner to access content ‘on an equal basis with others’
(UNCRPD). Accessible information is ideally information that:
 allows all users and learners to easily orientate themselves within the
content; and
 can be effectively perceived and understood by different perception
channels, such as using eyes and/or ears and/or fingers.
Accessibility is not the same as usability. Accessibility is about ensuring people
with disabilities and/or special needs have access on an equal basis as
everyone else. Usability is about creating an effective, efficient and satisfactory
user experience.
Full 100% accessibility of information for every user or learner is an ideal that
is not easy to achieve. However, technology allows us to create and share
information in a way in which the content is adaptable by the user, which
means users may change the content according to their needs.
Numerous additional terms related to accessibility appear throughout this
resource. All relevant terms are defined in the glossary.
Who are these Guidelines for?
The intended audience for these Guidelines is any individual or organisation
that creates, publishes, distributes and/or uses information within a learning
environment. This includes, but is not limited to, information providers such
as:
 School staff
 Librarians
 University staff
 Communication officers
 Publishers
 Support groups and non-governmental organisations.
It is important to note that, although an individual author or information
provider can initiate many actions to improve accessibility, providing accessible
information in general and for learning in particular may require the
involvement of a wider group of stakeholders, for example:
Guidelines for Accessible Information 9
 Decision makers in schools and universities who support accessible
approaches and have agreed policies on accessibility;
 Computer scientists and information technology (IT) experts responsible
for establishing accessible internet platforms, tools, sites and repositories
where accessible information can be shared.
The Guidelines focus on possibilities for non-expert practitioners to create
accessible information within their working environments. Recommendations
for organisations on how to support accessible information provision at an
organisational level have been developed in the Accessible Information
Provision for Lifelong Learning project.
What support is provided through the Guidelines?
The Guidelines aim to be content and context free, but offer some concrete
examples of how they can be applied to different learning situations.
The Guidelines consider different levels of information accessibility, ranging
from easy instructions to professional instructions, and include some aspects
for ICT and accessibility experts. There are many steps an average IT user can
take to achieve a certain degree of accessibility. However, the creation of some
materials – such as e-books and interactive learning materials – requires more
sophisticated software than the average user may have access to. These
Guidelines focus on the steps every practitioner can take to make the learning
information they produce as accessible as possible.
These Guidelines are available as a stand-alone document, as well as an OER
that supports searching across different types of information and media. The
Guidelines as OER are open for users to adapt to their context, as well as to
comment on and contribute to.
The Guidelines build on a set of premises:
 The general steps to achieve accessible information are universal.
Therefore the Guidelines apply to information in general and to
information for learning in particular.
 The Guidelines take an inclusive approach and do not focus on particular
disabilities or special educational needs.
 The challenges regarding the accessibility of content vary hugely
according to the structural complexity of the content. For example, a
typical bestseller book is structurally less complex than
educational/scientific material.
 The accessibility of learning materials has specific challenges, for
example interactivity between the learner and the content, filling in
forms or usage of formulas for which technology does not yet offer easy
solutions for non-ICT experts.
 In some cases, providing accessible information is not enough. Many
users and learners with disabilities and/or special needs also require
Guidelines for Accessible Information 10
access to assistive technologies. The use of assistive devices is not made
redundant by the provision of accessible information, but complements
it.
 Providers of information in general and information for learning in
particular do not have to be accessibility experts in order to achieve a
basic level of information accessibility.
 The Guidelines do not encompass every step in the production of
accessible information, nor do they replace existing resources. The
Guidelines are a carefully considered and validated starting point for
producing accessible information that leads to more detailed resources
including descriptions, tutorials, recommendations or standards.
 The Guidelines are not a static resource, but are intended to be adapted
to varying contexts, technological developments and to grow with usage
(for example, adaptations could be made for texts with a right-to-left
reading direction).
 The Guidelines can support the creation of new, accessible content, as
well as support the review of existing material.
 Currently technology is in a transition phase regarding the production,
distribution and reading of accessible information. Software allows users
to create most material in an accessible format. However, in newer
technologies, such as e-books, games and mobile applications, software
for average users to create this is not always available. Therefore there
are currently limits to what the average user can create with accessibility
in mind.
 Given the limits of producing accessible information with average
software, there are actions which can be outsourced to third parties,
such as IT specialists or web developers. These Guidelines can support
requirements to be mentioned as criteria in the procurement process.
These Guidelines build on two steps for action:
Step 1 describes how to create accessible information via text, images, and
audio.
Step 2 considers how media can be made accessible – for example, electronic
documents, online sources or printed material.
These two steps build upon each other. By following the Guidelines in Step 1 to
make different types of information accessible, Step 2 becomes easier as
already accessible information is available to be used within the different
media.
For each step, the Guidelines provide recommendations on how different types
of information can be made accessible. Each recommendation is accompanied
by a list of resources available to support this process. The resources listed in
the following sections are categorised into:
Guidelines for Accessible Information 11
 ‘easy’: actions which can be completed with a general knowledge of
common software programmes;
 ‘advanced’: actions which can be completed with an in-depth knowledge
of common software programmes; and
 ‘professional’ levels: actions which can be completed with a more
professional knowledge of software and general knowledge of
programming.
Unless otherwise specified, the online resources linked to in the Guidelines are
in English. Applying the Guidelines by making use of the recommendations and
resources will lead to more accessible information for learning.
Guidelines for Accessible Information 12
STEP 1: MAKING DIFFERENT TYPES OF
INFORMATION ACCESSIBLE
Section 1: Making your text accessible
One of the most important issues in making text accessible is its structure and
the ability to navigate it (navigability).
‘Text structure’ usually refers to whether the paragraphs are in the right order
for the user to follow, making it easier to read. When it comes to text
accessibility, structure has a slightly different meaning: it refers to what makes
it easy to navigate around that text. Each chapter heading and any subheadings are set out in the table of contents, just as they are in this document.
In an exam paper it could refer to the individual questions. Each element that
is important – for example, chapter heading, table, figure, exam question –
may be given certain attributes and labelled.
Once structure is applied, a document’s accessibility is enhanced in two ways.
First, it makes it easier for any user, including those using assistive
technologies, to find their way around it. Second, it allows a different user to
transfer the text to a different format more easily.
Structuring textual information (a text) is essential in order to make it
accessible to all users. Textual information is structured by logically labelling
different elements within it, such as sequential use of headers, captions and
tables. A properly structured document can be easily converted to the format
that is preferred by the user; for example, a well-structured text document can
be read out loud and navigated by screen readers or other assistive
technologies, maintaining the logical order embedded in the text.
The more complex the visual layout (tables, footnotes, boxes, icons, etc.), the
more important it is to indicate the logical reading order within the structure.
With very complex texts, it is important to know who the target audience is
and structure it accordingly. In many instances a more simplified version of the
text may be more useful to a wider range of users.
It is particularly challenging to make interactive features within text-based
learning material accessible.
1.1 How to make your textual information accessible
 Use the simplest language that is appropriate for your document.
 Use a point size of minimum 12.
 Use a sans-serif font such as Arial, Helvetica or Verdana.
 For online texts, use the fonts Verdana, Tahoma and Trebuchet MS,
which are specially designed for reading on a screen.
 Allow the user to change font and point size as needed in online texts.
Guidelines for Accessible Information 13
 Left align text instead of using block text (full justification).
 Provide the full name the first time you use abbreviations and acronyms.
 Provide a text structure by using pre-defined headings (‘styles’) and
body text offered by the used software. These headings should follow a
logical order.
 Use headers only where they define structure, not for font effects that
should highlight content.
 Use ‘Bullets and Numbering’ functions for lists.
 State the primary natural language of your document in the metadata for
the document. Mark changes to another language in the text.
 Identify and provide keywords for your text.
 Add short summaries of content or chapter where possible.
 Make navigation in online texts possible with keyboard only or keyboard
shortcuts.
 Ensure that colours and the use of bold and italics are not your only
method of conveying meaning.
 Ensure that text and background colour combinations provide a very
good contrast.
 Ensure that your text and graphics are easily understandable when
viewed without colour. Ensure that all information conveyed with colour
is also available without colour. Do not rely on colour alone to highlight
different content.
 Provide non-text equivalents (e.g. pictures, videos, and pre-recorded
audio) of your text. This is beneficial to some users, especially nonreaders or people who have difficulty reading.
 Footnotes and links that are particularly relevant to complete/clarify the
information in the main elements of the text structure should be
numbered and the numbers should be specifically associated with these
main elements.
 Give data tables row and column headers and describe their content in a
summary.
 Make sure that the layout supports the reading direction which makes
sense in relation to the content (left-to-right or right-to-left, depending
on the language used).
 Make sure that each link and element has a unique and well-described
label.
 Give form fields a label.
 Make navigation in online texts possible with keyboard only or keyboard
shortcuts.
Guidelines for Accessible Information 14
1.2 Resources to help make your textual information accessible
Easy instructions
 Load2Learn video tutorials: creating structured documents and
accessible portable document format (PDFs) in Microsoft Word
 Books for All – Accessible Text: Guidelines for Good Practice: A teacher’s
guide to creating accessible learning materials
 Inclusive Learning Design Handbook – Introduction: resource to assist
teachers, content creators, web developers, and others in creating
adaptable and personalisable educational resources
 Accessible Digital Office Document Project: accessibility in word
processing, spreadsheet, presentation, PDF and e-book applications
Advanced instructions
 Understanding content structure: W3C guideline on creating content that
can be presented in different ways without losing information or
structure
 Use of colour: W3C guideline on making content distinguishable
 Inclusive Learning Design Handbook – Inclusive EPUB 3: resource for
content creators and educators who wish to use EPUB 3
 National Center for Accessible Media: resources for creating accessible
educational, TV, web and multimedia materials
 DIAGRAM Center: creating and using accessible digital images
Professional instructions
 Creating adaptable text structure: creating content that can be
presented in different ways without losing information or structure
 Separating information and structure from presentation to enable
different presentations
 Aligning text to one side on web pages
 Allow navigation with keyboard shortcuts to allow content to be operated
through a keyboard or keyboard interface
Guidelines for Accessible Information 15
Section 2: Making your images accessible
Images can help to convey meaning. In order for images to be useful for all,
the visual input must also be presented using an additional description of the
information. Images could be photographs, drawings or diagrams.
The main task for making images accessible is to give them alternative text.
2.1 How to make your image-based information accessible
 Avoid adding images that do not provide any additional, meaningful or
valuable information.
 Avoid using images to represent text.
 Give your images alternative text – a description that shares the same
message as the visual image. State what is being portrayed and avoid
descriptions such as ‘image of’ in the alternative text.
 Provide alternative text for every non-text element.
 Avoid use of red, green and yellow, and lighter greys.
 Use sufficient contrast of colours between text and background.
 Avoid unnecessary backgrounds with too many images, shapes or
colours.
 Avoid hyperlinks or text being hidden behind other objects such as
images.
 Allow the size of online images to be scalable as needed.
2.2 Resources to help make your image-based information accessible
Easy instructions
 WebAIM accessible images: accessibility principles and techniques for
images
Advanced instructions
 WebAIM alternative text for web images
 Making complex or dynamic images representing processes accessible
Guidelines for Accessible Information 16
Section 3: Making your audio accessible
An audio version of information can be beneficial for a larger group of users,
who cannot access information which is purely shared through visual channels.
In order for audio to be accessible to all, it needs to be shared in combination
with another type of information, such as text, or replaced by a sign language
video.
3.1 How to make your audio information accessible
 Give your audio a text equivalent. This is text which shares the same
information as the video, without important content being lost.
Transcripts and captions are examples of a text equivalent.
 If possible, provide the option of word highlight in the text equivalent.
 Provide volume controls.
 Provide visual equivalents to audio alerts.
 Provide alternatives for audio media.
 Avoid automatic playing of audio or video.
 Provide keyboard-accessible fast forward, rewind and pause functions.
 Give the user the possibility of inserting bookmarks.
3.2 Resources to help make your audio information accessible
Advanced instructions
 IMS Global Learning Consortium: Guidelines for Accessible Delivery of
Text, Audio, Images and Multimedia for learning
 International Standard – ISO/IEC 40500:2012 – Information technology
– W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 – Abstract:
recommendations for making web content more accessible
 Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 – W3C
Recommendation 11 December 2008: providing alternatives for audio
media
 How to Meet WCAG 2.0: quick reference to WCAG 2.0 requirements and
techniques
 Understanding WCAG 2.0: detailed technical description of the WCAG 2.0
guidelines and their Success Criteria
 DAISY Consortium: creating navigable audio books
Professional instructions
 W3C: Provide equivalent alternatives to auditory and visual content
 W3C: Examples of text equivalent given for non-text information
Guidelines for Accessible Information 17
 W3C: Success Criteria For Providing Alternatives For Audio
 W3C: Provide alternatives for time-based media
Guidelines for Accessible Information 18
Section 4: Making your video accessible
Users who cannot access visual media channels need an audio description of
what can be seen. Users who cannot access audio media channels need closed
captions about the dialogues and all important audio information. Users who
do not understand the language being used in the video need subtitles of the
dialogue. Scripts about the video are required for users who cannot access
visual or audio media channels.
4.1 How to make your video media accessible
 Give video either a text equivalent or captions. Aim not only to provide
captions of the words spoken, but also a brief description of what is
taking place.
 Ensure the text equivalent/script or captions are synchronised with the
video. Captions are an alternative way of showing what people can hear.
Scripts contain all the information that the video gives.
 Ensure the user can control the video: adjust volume, pause the video.
Provide fast forward, rewind and pause functions.
 Ensure the video can be played in different media players.
 Ensure the video can be downloaded.
 Provide alternatives for video.
 Avoid automatic playing of video.
4.2 Resources to help make your video media accessible
Easy instructions
 Introduction to captions, transcripts and audio descriptions
Advanced instructions
 Guidelines on accessible video applications
 AccessGA captioning: principles, techniques, resources and
recommendations
 W3C: Providing closed captioning
Professional instructions
 OFCOM / ITC Guidance on Standards for Audio Description
 YouTube video accessibility: embedding an accessible YouTube video and
YouTube player on a website
Guidelines for Accessible Information 19
STEP 2: MAKING THE DELIVERY OF MEDIA
ACCESSIBLE
Increasingly, information that is shared contains all of the information types
mentioned in step 1: text, image, audio and video. Information is delivered as
a mix of types within electronic documents, online-based resources or printed
material.
If the various types of information are made accessible according to the
Guidelines in Step 1, it is easier to create media – for example, websites – that
are accessible. Therefore, the accessibility of the types of information is
considered a prerequisite for delivering accessible information and is not
repeated below. It is assumed that Step 1 has been addressed.
Section 1: Making your electronic documents accessible
The electronic document is one of the most common mixtures of the types of
information. Electronic documents allow authors to embed pictures, tables and
videos, for example.
Information in electronic documents can be delivered in text documents – such
as Microsoft Word, Adobe PDF, presentations or slideshows – or in audio
format – such as MP3 or analogue tape. While the steps to achieve full
accessibility may vary depending on the approach used, the ease with which
these electronic documents can be made accessible grows with the inclusion of
accessible types of information.
It is important to note that many authoring tools now offer accessibility
features and checking tools to ensure documents are created in an accessible
format.
An accessible PDF, for example, often begins its life as an accessible text
document. Most accessibility features are transferred into different formats.
However, depending on software versions, it is still possible that individual
accessibility features may not transfer across.
In the future, enhanced e-books will considerably improve access to all kinds
of content in special standards such as EPUB 3 and, more specifically, EDUPUB.
E-books present new challenges with regard to accessibility as they can include
interactive functionalities, animations and other advanced features.
1.1 How to make your electronic documents accessible
 Specify the language of your document.
 Tag your document to give it structure, using the function in the
software you are using.
 Use the accessibility checker offered by your software as a simple check
before sharing the document.
Guidelines for Accessible Information 20
 Use the most up-to-date versions of software to create a PDF. Newer
software versions include more up-to-date accessibility features.
However, make sure that your electronic document is also usable in
older versions.
 Fill in the metadata information to help users find the information
through internet searches. Minimum information to be included are the
document title and the main natural language of the document.
 Include all relevant elements in your document structure.
 Avoid horizontal scrolling (scrolling from left to right or vice versa).
 Provide descriptions for form fields.
1.2 Resources to help make your electronic documents accessible
Easy instructions
 Introduction to Accessible Instructional Materials for educators,
producers and users
 Books for All – Accessible Text: Guidelines for Good Practice: teacher’s
guide to creating accessible learning materials
 Inclusive Learning Design Handbook: resource to assist teachers, content
creators, Web developers, and others in creating adaptable and
personalisable educational resources
 Tingtun PDF accessibility checker: upload or link to a PDF to check its
accessibility
 WebAIM PDF accessibility: introduction to and instructions for accessible
PDFs
 CATEA guidelines on accessible PDF documents
 Load2Learn video on how to create accessible PDFs from Microsoft Word
2007 and 2010
 Load2Learn video tutorials: accessible documents, structured
documents, audiobooks, text-to-speech, e-books, productivity and
accessibility
 WebAIM guidance on accessible Microsoft Word documents
 CATEA guidelines on accessible Word documents
 CATEA guidelines on accessible Excel documents
 WebAIM guidance on PowerPoint accessibility
 CATEA guidelines on accessible PowerPoint files
Advanced instructions
 Adobe Acrobat X accessibility support for creating accessible PDF forms
Guidelines for Accessible Information 21
 PDF Accessibility Checker (PAC2) based on the Matterhorn Protocol
 WebAIM guidance on creating accessible forms
 WebAIM guidance on creating accessible tables
 Load2Learn video on creating a DAISY book from Word
 Accessible EPUB 3 by Matt Garrish: free e-book from O’Reilly
 DAISYpedia: information resource to assist in and support the
implementation of the DAISY standards
 Contrast-A contrast checker for finding accessible colour combinations
Professional instructions
 WebAIM guidance on creating accessible frames
 EPUB accessibility forum at idpf.org: global trade and standards
organisation dedicated to the development and promotion of electronic
publishing and content consumption
 DIAGRAM Center Top Tips for Creating Accessible EPUB 3 Files
Guidelines for Accessible Information 22
Section 2: Making your online resources accessible
Online resources, such as web pages, databases and online platforms, are also
likely to include all types of information – text, images, audio and video. There
are many resources to help making online resources accessible and there are
international standards which are widely recognised and adopted.
When creating online resources, the most important step towards accessibility
is to meet the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.0). These are
guidelines for advanced users.
Information providers are likely to outsource the development of online
resources. In this case, the items below can act as a list of criteria for
procurement and the selection of contractors.
2.1 How to make your online resources accessible
 Provide metadata. Labelling resources with relevant vocabulary or
accessibility features makes it easier for the user to find relevant and
accessible information.
 Use responsive web design, which allows the content to adapt to the end
users’ output device.
 Create your website according to the User Centered Design (UCD)
guidelines.
 Provide a site map. Give users a sense of where they are within your
website.
 Use navigation mechanisms consistently.
 Provide a breadcrumb to determine where users are (navigation).
 Allow links and headings to be navigated using the Tab key. Provide
keyboard shortcuts to important links.
 Provide ways to help users to find content. Include a search feature on
each page.
 Offer a logical order of links and headers for users to navigate.
 Divide your information into manageable blocks.
 Use style sheets to control layout and presentation. Organise your
documents so they may be read without style sheets.
 Create a style of presentation that is consistent across pages. Give each
page a structure by using predefined headings. Your headings should
follow a logical order.
 Include alternative text descriptions (alt text) for images.
 Check colour contrast with free tools.
Guidelines for Accessible Information 23
 Allow all page functionalities to be device independent, meaning they can
be used through a keyboard or voice control for example.
 Ensure that moving, blinking, scrolling or auto-updating objects or pages
can be paused or stopped.
 Ensure the keyboard focus is not lost when a page refreshes.
 Include a Skip Navigation feature on each page.
 Separate information and structure from presentation to enable different
presentations.
 Use a semantic structure for title, heading, quotations, block quote
emphasis, list.
 Group related links, identify the group (for user agents), and, until user
agents do so, provide a way to bypass the group.
 For data tables that have two or more logical levels of row or column
headers, use markup to associate data cells and header cells.
 Ensure that equivalents for dynamic content are updated when the
dynamic content changes.
 Check your web pages for accessibility issues using a three-step process:
o Manual check.
o Automated check using free resources provided below.
o Test by trusted users of assistive technology, like screen readers,
screen enlargement software and voice-input dictation.
 Test your pages in a speech browser.
 Avoid horizontal scrolling (scrolling from left to right or vice versa).
 Provide descriptions for form fields.
2.2 Resources to help make your online resources accessible
The following list of resources includes a selection of automated tools which
can be used for accessibility checks. These tools are extremely valuable and
useful, but can give false positives and negatives so please do not solely rely
on them.
Easy instructions
 W3C Web Accessibility Initiative: strategies, guidelines and resources for
web accessibility
Advanced instructions
 WebAIM WCAG 2.0 Checklist: checklist presenting recommendations for
implementing HTML-related principles and techniques for those seeking
WCAG 2.0 conformance
Guidelines for Accessible Information 24
 W3C markup validation service: checks the markup validity of Web
documents in HTML, XHTML, SMIL, MathML, etc.
 WAVE: web accessibility evaluation tool
 Functional Accessibility Evaluator (FAE): website accessibility evaluation
tool
 The Paciello Group Colour Contrast Analyser: provides a pass/fail
assessment against WCAG 2.0 colour contrast success criteria and
simulates certain visual conditions to demonstrate how web content
appears to people with less than 20/20 vision.
 TAW: WCAG 1.0 and 2.0 and mobileOK web checker (in English,
Spanish, Catalan and Galician)
 ACHECKER: web accessibility checker
 Total Validator: all-in-one (X)HTML validator, accessibility validator, spell
checker and broken links checker
 AccessMonitor: web accessibility checker (in Portuguese)
 Examinator: web accessibility checker (in Spanish)
 MSF&W colour contrast ratio calculator: to check the contrast of colours
on web pages
 Pause, Stop, Hide: guidance on mechanism for users to pause, stop or
hide animated content
 TRACE Photosensitive Epilepsy Analysis Tool (PEAT): free, downloadable
resource to identify seizure risks in web content and software
Guidelines for Accessible Information 25
Section 3: Making your printed material accessible
Although printed documents are difficult to access for many users with print
disability, the continued usage of printed documents in general – and
especially in learning environments – will continue for the foreseeable future.
Print cannot be made as accessible as electronic information. Electronic
information has the potential to integrate multimedia; therefore content can be
shared through different media. For example, text can be replaced by audio or
sign language video. Depending on a user or learner’s specific disability and/or
special need, they may need a different perception channel or a mix of
channels that print material cannot offer.
However, there are also users/learners that find printed material more
accessible than electronic. Therefore print remains important, but cannot be
made universally accessible.
One alternative to print material – with the same restrictions – is Braille.
3.1 How to make your printed material accessible
 Use 12 or 14 font or larger.
 Use sans-serif fonts.
 Provide an electronic copy of your file as an alternative.
 Use font and paper colour depending on user preference.
 Provide alternate modalities of your document, such as Braille (upon
request) or large print versions. To create large print documents from an
electronic file: first, use the keyboard shortcut ‘ctrl shift A’ to select all
text, and then use the keyboard shortcut ‘ctrl shift >’ to increase the font
size proportionally.
 Create and insert descriptions or alternative texts for hyperlinks, images,
tables and all other types of content that cannot be seen by people with
visual disabilities for Braille printers.
3.2 Resources to help make your printed material accessible
 Load2Learn video on producing accessible files
 Load2Learn video on producing large print
Guidelines for Accessible Information 26
APPLYING THE GUIDELINES TO DIFFERENT MEDIA
AND SPECIFIC FORMATS
The checklists below are designed for practitioners and are examples of how
the Guidelines can be applied to specific media and formats.
For each specific format a combination of actions from Step 1 and Step 2 are
combined to demonstrate how the recommendations can be applied. These
checklists can be used to check or audit created materials.
Slideshows and presentations
Step 1:
 Text:
 Use the simplest language which is appropriate for your document.
 Use large fonts.
 Use a sans serif font such as Arial, Helvetica or Verdana.
 Use ‘Bullets and Numbering’ functions for lists.
 Avoid excessive amount of information on one slide.
 Use text and background colour combinations that provide a very
good contrast.
 Ensure text and graphics are also understandable when viewed
without colour.
 Image:
 Give your images an alternative text to describe the image.
 Use a sufficient contrast of colours between image and
background.
 Avoid backgrounds with too many images, shapes or colours.
 Avoid links or text being hidden behind other objects such as
images.
 Audio:
 Give your audio a text equivalent.
 Allow volume control, fast forward, rewind and pause functions.
 Make sure captions are synchronised with your audio.
 Video:
 Ensure captions are synchronised with your video.
Guidelines for Accessible Information 27
Step 2:
 Use the slide layouts offered by your software.
 Copy the text from the slide into the notes area.
 Fill in the metadata information to help users find the information
through internet searches.
Guidelines for Accessible Information 28
Online or e-learning tools
Step 1:
 Text:
 Use the simplest language which is appropriate for the target
group.
 Divide your information into manageable and equal blocks.
 Use ‘Bullets and Numbering’ functions for lists.
 Adopt accessible templates for consistency.
 Ensure your online training materials are also available in print.
 Ensure online training can be paused, stopped and resumed.
 Images:
 Give your images alternative text to describe them.
 Avoid use of red, green and yellow, and lighter grey colours.
 Use a high contrast of colours between image and background.
 Avoid backgrounds with too many images, shapes or colours.
 Audio:
 Give your audio a text equivalent.
 Video:
 Ensure captions are synchronised with your video.
Step 2:
 Give each page a structure by using predefined headings. Your
headings should follow a logical order.
 Offer a logical order of links, headers and all page functions for
users to navigate.
 Provide metadata when offering a range of resources. Labelling
resources with relevant vocabulary or accessibility features makes
it easier for the user to find relevant and accessible information.
 Give users a sense of where they are within your website by
ensuring that there is a visible or audible cue to show them where
they are within the navigation.
 Give video either a text equivalent or captions. For videos do not
just give captions of the words spoken, but also provide a
description of what is taking place.
 Provide descriptions for form fields.
Guidelines for Accessible Information 29
 Include a search feature on each page.
 When using interactive scenarios or cases, ensure a text equivalent
is also available and can be accessed using a keyboard only.
 Use responsive web design, which allows the content to adapt to
the end users’ output device.
 Allow all page functionalities to be used through a keyboard only,
including login, launch and print functions.
Guidelines for Accessible Information 30
PDF documents
Step 1:
 Text:
 Use the simplest language which is appropriate for your document.
 Use large fonts.
 Use a sans-serif font such as Arial, Helvetica or Verdana.
 Use ‘Bullets and Numbering’ functions for lists.
 Image:
 Give your images alternative text to describe them.
 Use a high contrast of colours between text and background.
 Avoid backgrounds with too many images, shapes or colours.
 Avoid links being hidden behind other objects such as images.
Step 2:
 Specify the language of your document under ‘properties’.
 Avoid saving your PDF document as an image.
 Tag your document.
 Use the accessibility checker offered by your software as a simple
check before sharing the document.
 Use the most up-to-date versions of software to create a PDF.
Newer software versions include more up-to-date accessibility
features.
 Fill in the metadata information to help users find the information
through internet searches.
 Include all relevant elements in your document structure.
 Provide descriptions for form fields.
 Ensure accessibility is not compromised when protecting PDF
documents.
Guidelines for Accessible Information 31
GLOSSARY
This glossary of key terms aims to support a shared language for all users of
the Guidelines. Different sources for definitions have been used for this
glossary:
 Existing definitions that are already in use at the international level, in
particular key terms defined within:
(1) United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
(UNESCO) / Microsoft ICT Competency Framework for Teachers (2011)
(2) UNESCO Institute for Information Technologies in Education /
European Agency ICTs in Education for People with Disabilities: Review
of innovative practice (2011)
 Key literature quotations and citations
 Operational definitions developed within the i-access and ICT4IAL
projects.
Key terms
Accessibility – Article 9 of the United Nations (UN) Convention on the Rights
of Persons with Disabilities defines accessibility as: ‘appropriate measures to
ensure to persons with disabilities access, on an equal basis with others, to the
physical environment, to transportation, to information and communications,
including information and communications technologies and systems, and to
other facilities and services open or provided to the public, both in urban and
in rural areas’ (United Nations, 2006, p. 8) (2).
Accessible information – information provided in formats which allow every
learner to access content ‘on an equal basis with others’ (United Nations,
2006, p. 8).
Assistive technologies (ATs) – ‘adaptive devices that enable people with
special needs to access all manner of technical products and services. ATs
cover a whole range of ICTs, from customised keyboards and speech
recognition software to Braille computer displays and closed captioning
systems for TV’ (European Commission, 2011, E-inclusion) (2).
Captions – are intended for audiences who cannot hear the dialogue. In
contrast to subtitles, captions also include a description of who is speaking as
well as sounds.
Closed captions – captions that can be selected to be visible or not versus
captions that are visible by default.
Digital – (as in digital content, digital devices, digital resources, digital
technology) – essentially, another word for computers and computer
technology. (Computers store and process information by converting it all to
single-figure numbers – digits.) (1).
Guidelines for Accessible Information 32
The ‘skills required to achieve digital competence. It is underpinned by basic
skills in ICT and the use of computers to retrieve, assess, store, produce,
present and exchange information, and to communicate and participate in
collaborative networks via the Internet’ (European Commission, 2008, p. 4)
(2).
e-accessibility – ‘overcoming the barriers and difficulties that people
experience when trying to access goods and services based on ICTs’ (European
Commission, 2005) (2).
EDUPUB – adapts ‘the functionality of the EPUB 3 format to the unique
structural, semantic and behavioral requirements of educational publishing’
(International Digital Publishing Forum, 2015).
e-inclusion – ‘both inclusive ICT and the use of ICT to achieve wider inclusion
objectives. It focuses on participation of all individuals and communities in all
aspects of the information society’. e-inclusion policy ‘aims at reducing gaps in
ICT usage and promoting the use of ICT to overcome exclusion, and improve
economic performance, employment opportunities, quality of life, social
participation and cohesion’ (European Commission, 2006a, p. 1) (2).
e-learning – any forms of electronically supported learning and teaching. (2).
e-learning/online tool – tool or system that supports online learning.
Electronic – used to refer to materials that are accessible by a computer or
other digital devices. It may include text, images, audio, video or a
combination of these.
EPUB – a format of electronic or e-books. More specifically the ‘.epub is the
file extension of an XML format for reflowable digital books and publications’.
EPUB is composed of three open standards produced by the IDPF
(International Digital Publishing Forum) (DAISY, 2015).
Font – a typography used in text-editing software. A san serif font is a font
without curls or strokes at the end of each character. Times New Roman is an
exception of a sans serif font.
Format – how information is converted or packaged – such as text-editing
programs or presentations – and delivered or presented to the user. The
ending within file names usually shows the format it is saved in, such as .doc,
.docx, .rtf, .xls, .csv, .jpg, .pdf, etc.
Information – generally understood to refer to a message or data that is
communicated concerning a specific issue. Specifically, these Guidelines focus
on the aim of sharing messages to inform and build knowledge in a learning
environment.
Within the Guidelines the different types of information considered are text,
image, audio and video.
Information and communication technology (ICT) – ‘consists of all
technical means used to handle information and aid communication, including
Guidelines for Accessible Information 33
both computer and network hardware as well as necessary software. In other
words, ICT consists of IT as well as telephony, broadcast media, and all types
of audio and video processing and transmission’ (FOLDOC, cited by European
Agency) (2).
Information providers – any individual or organisation that creates and
distributes information.
Information society – ‘a society in which the creation, distribution and
treatment of information have become the most significant economic and
cultural activities’ … The information society is ‘considered as a necessary
previous step to build Knowledge Societies’ (UNESCO/IFAP, 2009, pp. 20–22)
(2).
Learners with disabilities and/or special needs – the potential target
group of people who can benefit from more accessible information provision.
This phrasing respects the terminology of both the United Nations Convention
on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities – UNCRPD (2006) and agreements
reached with the ICT4IAL project partners.
Media – a channel through which information can be shared. Media usually
contains different types of information simultaneously. Examples include
electronic documents, online resources and online learning tools.
Metadata – a digital label given to information. It is machine-readable and
aids the search and categorisation of information, thereby improving
searchability.
Open Educational Resource (OER) – defined by the European Commission
as ‘learning resources that are usable, adaptable to specific learning needs,
and shareable freely’. Another widely used definition, promoted by the William
and Flora Hewlett Foundation, defines OER as ‘teaching, learning, and research
resources that reside in the public domain or have been released under an
intellectual property license that permits their free use and re-purposing by
others’.
Print disability/impaired – persons ‘who are not able to use printed books,
newspapers and magazines – including those with dyslexia, motor disabilities
or age related macular degeneration’ (DAISY, 2015).
Scalable – the ability to change size and zoom of information according to the
needs of the user/learner or the device used.
Semantic – literally ‘meaning’. When used in connection with giving
information structure, it stresses the necessity to give a meaningful structure.
Screen reader – a software program designed to give access from a
computer, tablet, mobile or other digital device by reading the presented
information with the use of a synthetic voice. In addition to reading text, a
screen reader also allows a user/learner to navigate and interact with the
content using their voice. For Braille users a screen reader can also supply the
information in Braille.
Guidelines for Accessible Information 34
Structured text – text information which has been organised with an
established reading order and headings using software functions such as
applying styles or tagging.
Subtitles – are intended for audiences that do not understand the language
used in a dialogue.
Tagging – process which embeds information about the reading order, flow
and organisational structure within an electronic document.
Technology – often used as another word for ICT, although strictly speaking
‘technology’ can mean almost any type of tool or applied knowledge. For
example, pencil and paper, slates, blackboards and whiteboards are all types
of writing technology (1).
Usability – ‘extent to which a product can be used by specified users to
achieve specified goals with effectiveness, efficiency and satisfaction in a
specified context of use’ (International Organization for Standardization,
ISO 9241-11:1998(en)).
User-centred design – a design approach that focuses on making systems
and tools usable. The goal is a high degree of usability.
WCAG – ‘Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) is developed through
the W3C process in cooperation with individuals and organizations around the
world, with a goal of proving a single shared standard for web content
accessibility that meets the needs of individuals, organizations, and
governments internationally’ (World Wide Web Consortium – W3C, 2012).
Web 2.0 – ‘web applications that facilitate interactive information sharing,
interoperability, user-centred design, and collaboration on the World Wide
Web. A Web 2.0 site gives its users the free choice to interact or collaborate
with each other in a social media dialogue as creators of user-generated
content in a virtual community, in contrast to websites where users
(consumers) are limited to the passive viewing of content that was created for
them. Examples of Web 2.0 include social-networking sites, blogs, wikis,
video-sharing sites, hosted services, web applications’. The term ‘Web 2.0’ can
be traced back to Tom O’Reilly and the O’Reilly Media Conference in 2004 (2).
World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) – ‘an international community where
Member organisations, a full-time staff, and the public work together to
develop Web standards. […] W3C’s mission is to lead the Web to its full