Document Accessibility 

Digital documents can be shared in various ways: on websites, via email, on social media, in blogs, etc.  To ensure that all people have equal access to your information, documents should be designed and developed in a way that can be easily perceived, operated, and understood by a wide range of users (including individuals with visual, auditory, motor, and cognitive disabilities), and robust enough to be interpreted by various assistive technologies. 

It is easiest to make a document accessible during content development instead of retroactively remediating it, which may be challenging and resource-intensive. Here are a few basic steps that can be followed in most document authoring tools to help ensure that your content is accessible.

Best Practices for Document Accessibility:

• Use plain language and avoid jargon and acronyms that are not defined.
• Use Headings
• Provide Alternative Text for Images and Charts
• Use Sufficient Color Contrast
• Make Links Descriptive, Succinct, and Unique
• Create Accessible Tables 
• Utilize Accessibility Checkers

CCC Accessibility Center Training Resources and Tools:

• To learn how to create accessible documents, enroll in WebAIM Accessible Document Training
• To learn why these concepts are important, enroll in  CCC Accessibility Center Canvas Courses 
• For assistance with PDF Remediation, licenses of Equidox are available 

Platform Specific Guidance:

Word

• Make Your Word Documents Accessible
• Accessibility Tools for Word
• Create Accessible Office Documents
• WebAIM Creating Accessible Word Documents
• Section 508.gov Creating Accessible Documents

PDF

• Workflows for PDF Remediation: PDF Accessibility Checking (Self-Paced Canvas Course)
• Understanding PDF Barriers (Self-Paced Canvas Course)
• PDF Accessibility (WebAIM)
• Accessible Forms in Acrobat (WebAIM)
• How to check and fix PDF accessibility issues (Pope Tech)
• PDF Accessibility Overview (Adobe) 

PowerPoint

• Make Your PowerPoint Presentations Accessible
• Accessibility Tools for PowerPoint
• WebAIM Creating Accessible PowerPoint Presentations
• Section 508.gov Creating Accessible Presentations

Excel

• Accessibility Best Practices with Excel Spreadsheets
• Accessibility Tools for Excel
• WebAIM Creating Accessible Spreadsheets
• Section 508.gov Creating Accessible Spreadsheets

Google Workspace Document Accessibility

• Google Document Accessibility Guidelines
• Accessibility for google sheets slides & drawings

Web Accessibility

Web accessibility is the inclusive practice of reducing barriers on websites so people with disabilities can equitably use the web and web-based resources. Websites and web applications should be designed and developed to provide access to the widest population available, including individuals with disabilities.

Web Accessibility Standards

The CCC System is required to follow Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 AA standard. The current version of WCAG is 2.2 and while not required, the Accessibility Center recommends coding to the WCAG 2.2 AA standards for enhanced accessibility.

Evaluating Web Accessibility

Accessibility evaluations help verify the accessibility of websites and web applications against the WCAG standard. Accessibility evaluations consist of two types - automated evaluation and manual (human) evaluation. The combination of both evaluation methods supported by accessibility tools will provide the most comprehensive picture of a website’s accessibility. Learn more about web accessibility evaluations.

Pope Tech Website Scanning Tool

The Pope Tech website scanning tool is an enterprise accessibility scanning and evaluation tool designed to crawl an institution's public-facing website and identify potential accessibility errors. It has several helpful features that include assisting with manual testing, website reporting and website scheduling. Learn more about the Pope Tech Website Scanning Tool.

Building Accessible Websites

Creating accessible web pages and web-based applications is most effective when it is addressed early in the design and planning stages. Whether it is building wireframe examples for web pages, publishing videos, or authoring electronic documents, incorporating accessibility principles and techniques during the creation period can ensure the final product is usable to a wider audience. Visit our web developer tutorial videos to learn more.

Support from the Accessibility Center

The CCC Accessibility Center supports the system by providing guidance, tools and support on web accessibility. If you need assistance, please contact us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Reporting & Complaint Process

Most websites provide the opportunity for site visitors to provide feedback or comments to the college. However, what is not always well defined is how to support feedback or complaints related to an accessibility issue on a website. A California State Audit of three California Community Colleges found a lack of documentation existed for addressing feedback and complaints related to website accessibility barriers. Creating and documenting a reporting process for website accessibility barriers is a necessary step towards embracing a cultural of access at an institution.

1. Create a Web Page

Colleges should provide a web page that outlines the institutional approach to accessibility as well as contact information or a response form for reporting an accessibility issue. This web page should include information on how to submit a complaint, offer multiple methods for reporting the issue, and who the designated entity may be at the college for addressing the issue. The most common strategy is to create a hyperlink in the footer of the website that directs users to the accessibility web page or website.

Examples

• CCC Technology Center Accessibility page
• CCC Chancellor's Office Accessibility information
• Santa Monica College Accessibility page
• Stanford University Accessibility site
• CU-Boulder Accessibility site

2. Document the Process

When an accessibility complaint or feedback is received, it is important to have a documented response process so that college staff understand their roles and responsibilities in resolving the accessibility issue and communicating with the reporting individual. While colleges may follow an informal process to resolve accessibility barriers, it is important to follow a documented process to ensure the reporting individual's needs are met and to identify if there may be recurring issues on the website (e.g., same or similar barrier keeps occuring).

The following documents are draft versions intended for colleges to edit and modify as appropriate for their institutional needs:

• Website Accessibility and Complaint Process template [docx]
• Accessibility Complaint Process Flow Charts [pptx]