Make Text Accessible

Accessible Text

UBC Best Practices

  • Create contrast – Choose text colours with high colour contrast against the background colour. Higher contrast increases visibility and readability.
  • Split into sections – Organize text into clear sections and sub-sections. Good organization makes it easier to understand and navigate the content.
  • Designate headings – Label each section or sub-section with concise, descriptive text and designate the text as a heading using the application or text editor. Headings allow students using screen readers to correctly read and navigate content.
  • Add heading hierarchy – Choose an appropriate heading level for each heading using the application or text editor that you are in. The levels should create a logical flow as you move through the text.
  • Write descriptive links – When including links, use hyperlink text that explains the destination of each link, rather than only a web address or non-descriptive text such as “Click here”. Descriptive links help orient students—especially those using screen readers— without requiring them to click the link first.
  • Use readable, tagged PDFs – PDF files should have readable text (i.e., uses OCR if it scanned) and has been tagged. Using the PDF format will ensure that students can open the file, and tags in the PDF will let students using screen readers read the content.

Step-by-step help for accessible text

Select the tool you are using to create or edit content to find suggestions to apply accessibility best practices to your text. You can also explore the general UBC accessibility FAQs for more guidance.

 

Check and adjust text contrast in Canvas

  1. When creating or editing content in the Canvas editor, click the “Accessibility Checker” person icon below the editor. This action will open a new sidebar with the Accessibility Checker’s detection of common accessibility errors.
  2. When Canvas detects poor contrast, it will note the issue in the sidebar and prompt you to change the text. Use the sliders to adjust any low contrast text until you reach the minimum contrast ratio, which will then allow you to click the Apply button.
  3. When you are done adjusting contrast, save the content to save your changes.

Designate headings and hierarchy in Canvas

  1. When creating or editing content in the Canvas editor, highlight the text for the heading to select it.
  2. In the editor toolbar, click the text formatting drop-down (next to the font size) and select the appropriate heading level. Note that Canvas headings for course content start at the second level (Heading 2), as the first level is reserved for the standard Canvas layout.
  3. When you are finished adding headings, click either Save or Publish (depending on which option is available).

Use readable, tagged PDFs in Canvas

  1. In your Canvas course, click Files in the Course Navigation menu, and download the PDF(s) you want to check or edit.
  2. Use the instructions in the PDF tab above to check and edit each file.
  3. Re-upload any edited PDF(s) to the course. To keep the same links for a file, use the same file name and choose to replace the existing file when prompted.

Check a PDF for readable text

Mac

  1. Open the PDF in Adobe Acrobat Pro. All UBC faculty and staff can access Adobe Acrobat Pro for a yearly subscription fee.
  2. Search for a term that is in the content. If the term is found, the PDF uses readable text.
  3. If the term is not found, run Optical Character Recognition (OCR) to create readable text from the scanned content. Under “All Tools” in the left sidebar, click Scan & OCR.
  4. Click In this file, set the pages and language, then click Recognize text. Note that you may be unable to complete this step if the PDF does not allow editing.
  5. When the OCR completes, save the PDF.

Windows

  1. Open the PDF in Adobe Acrobat Pro. All UBC faculty and staff can access Adobe Acrobat Pro for a yearly subscription fee.
  2. Search for a term that is in the content. If the term is found, the PDF uses readable text.
  3. If the term is not found, run Optical Character Recognition (OCR) to create readable text from the scanned content. Under “All Tools” in the left sidebar, click Scan & OCR.
  4. Select In this file, set the pages and language, the click Recognize Text. Note that you may be able to complete this step if the PDF does not allow editing.
  5. When the OCR completes, save the PDF.

Check and tag a PDF

Mac

  1. Open the PDF in Adobe Acrobat Pro. All UBC faculty and staff can access Adobe Acrobat Pro for a yearly subscription fee.
  2. Click on the Preferences menu and select Accessibility. Uncheck the box for Enable cloud-based auto-tagging for accessibility.
  3. Under All Tools in the left sidebar, click View more, and click Prepare for accessibility.
  4. Select Automatically tag PDF. Note that you may be unable to complete this step if the PDF does not allow editing.
  5. If tags already exist, you will see a pop-up. If tags are missing within the PDF, they will be displayed and can be edited in the tag sidebar.
  6. When the tags are ready, save the PDF.

Windows

  1. Open the PDF in Adobe Acrobat Pro. All UBC faculty and staff can access Adobe Acrobat Pro for a yearly subscription fee.
  2. Click on the Preferences menu and select Accessibility. Uncheck the box for Enable cloud-based auto-tagging for accessibility.
  3. Add the Accessibility menu item to the sidebar. Click More Tools in the right sidebar, then click Add under the Accessibility option. The Accessibility menu will now be available to you.
  4. In the right sidebar, click Accessibility. Select Autotag document. Note that you may be unable to complete this step if the PDF does not allow editing.
  5. If tags already exist, you will see a pop-up. If tags are missing, they will be displayed and can be edited.
  6. When the tags are ready, save the PDF.

Adjust contrast in a PDF

  1. Open the PDF in Adobe Acrobat Pro. All UBC faculty and staff can access Adobe Acrobat Pro for a yearly subscription fee.
  2. Under “All Tools” in the left sidebar, click Edit a PDF. Your edit toolbar should now provide you with options to change your font, font size, and font colour.
  3. Select the text you want to edit choose a new colour that has high contrast with the background..
  4. Save your document.

Check and adjust contrast in PowerPoint

  1. Open the PowerPoint file in the PowerPoint desktop application.
  2. Click the Review tab at the top, then click Check Accessibility. This action will open a new sidebar.
  3. When PowerPoint detects poor contrast, it will note the issue in the sidebar. Click any issue to see details on how to fix it.
  4. When you are done adjusting contrast, save the file.

Designate headings and hierarchy in PowerPoint

  1. Use slide layouts, which come with designated placeholders for titles (headings) and text. To check if your slides use layouts, open the PowerPoint file in the PowerPoint desktop application.
  2. Click the View tab at the top, then click Outline View. If you see all the expected text for each slide, you are using layouts correctly.
  3. If any of your slides do not show the expected text, you will need to put the text into a layout. From any slide missing a layout, click the Home tab at the top, click the Layout button, and select a layout that will work for the content.
  4. Transfer the existing text into the new layout box(es).
  5. Repeat the process of moving slides into layouts as necessary, then save the file.

Create a tagged PDF from PowerPoint

  1. Open the PowerPoint file in the PowerPoint desktop application.
  2. In the upper menu, click File and select Export.
    • If you are on a Mac, choose the PDF file format, make sure Best electronic distribution and accessibility is selected, and click Export.
    • If you are on Windows, click Create a PDF/XPS Document, make sure Best for electronic distribution and accessibility is selected. Follow the instructions to save the file.

Check and adjust contrast in PowerPoint Online

  1. Open the PowerPoint file in the online version of PowerPoint.
  2. Click the Review tab at the top, then click Check Accessibility. This action will open a new sidebar. PowerPoint will note any issues in the sidebar as either Errors (red x inside a circle) or Warnings (exclamation point inside a yellow rectangle). Click the > next to issues to read more about specific issues.
  3. If PowerPoint detects poor contrast, it will note the issue as a “Hard to Read Text Contrast” warning in the sidebar.  However, due to the way text boxes are used in PowerPoint, the Accessibility Checker in PowerPoint may not confirm if your text contrast is accessible. You may need to determine which text contrast needs to be adjusted by checking it visually.
  4. To adjust the contrast, select the text (or click the text in the sidebar) and use the Font Color dropdown on the Home tab to select a colour that offers more contrast against the background.

Designate headings in new PowerPoint Online slide

  1. To ensure your slides have titles (headings), you must use preset slide layouts.
  2. For a new slide, click the Home tab at the top, then click the dropdown arrow next to the New Slide. Select the layout you would like to use.
  3. Enter your title to the Click to add title placeholder, which will serve as the slide’s heading.

Confirm headings in an existing PowerPoint Online slide

  1. In order to ensure your slides have titles (headings), you must use preset slide layouts, which come with designated placeholders for titles and text. Because of the way text boxes are used in PowerPoint, the Accessibility Checker is not able to check your existing slides to determine if you’ve used slide layouts.
  2. For an existing slide, click the slide to view it and then click the dropdown arrow next to the Slide Layout button on the Home tab. If you are using a preset slide layout, you will see an outline around the layout in the drop down menu.
  3. If you do not see an outline around a layout in the drop down menu, select a layout for your slide.
  4. Transfer the existing text into the new layout box(es).

Create a tagged PDF from PowerPoint Online

  1. Open the file in the online version of PowerPoint .
  2. In the upper menu, click File and select Save As.
  3. Choose Download as PDF. PowerPoint will automatically apply tags to the PDF.

Check and adjust contrast in Word

  1. Open the Word file in the Word desktop application.
  2. Click the Review tab at the top, then click Check Accessibility. This action will open a new sidebar.
  3. If Word detects poor contrast, it will note the issue in the sidebar. Click any issue to see details on how to fix it.
  4. When you are done adjusting contrast, save the file.

Designate headings and hierarchy in Word

Mac

  1. Open the Word file in the Word desktop application. Select the text that you would like to designate for the heading.
  2. Click the Home tab at the top, then click Styles Pane to open a sidebar with different text styles to choose from.
  3. In the styles sidebar, under the Apply a style box, choose to list All styles. This action will allow you to choose from all heading levels.
  4. Select the appropriate heading level from the list in the “Apply a style” box. This selection will designate the heading and apply the preset Word style to the text. If you don’t like how the heading looks, you can customize the preset styles in Word.

Windows

  1. Open the Word file in the Word desktop application. Select the text that you would like to designate as a heading.
  2. Click the Home tab at the top, click the diagonal arrow icon next to the Styles Pane item, and check the Show Preview box to expand a sidebar with different text styles to choose from.
  3. In the Styles box, select the appropriate heading level from the list. This selection will designate the text as a heading and apply the preset Word style to the text. If you don’t like how the heading looks, you can customize the preset styles in Word.

Create a tagged PDF from Word

Mac

  1. Open the Word file in the Word desktop application.
  2. In the upper menu, click File and select Save As.
  3. Choose the PDF file format and select the Best for electronic distribution and accessibility option.
  4. Click Export. Word will automatically apply tags to the PDF.

Windows

  1. Open the Word file in the Word desktop application.
  2. In the upper menu, click File and select Export.
  3. Click Create a PDF/XPS Document and follow the instructions to save the file. Word will automatically apply tags to the PDF.

Check and adjust contrast in Word Online

  1. Open the file in the online version of Word.
  2. Click the Review tab at the top, then click Check Accessibility. This action will open a new sidebar.
  3. Word will note any issues in the sidebar as either Errors (red x inside a circle) or Warnings (exclamation point inside a yellow rectangle). Click the > next to the items listed to read more about specific issues.
  4. When Word detects poor contrast, it will note the issue as a “Hard to Read Text Contrast” warning in the sidebar.
  5. To adjust the contrast, select the text (or click the text in the sidebar to select) and use the Font Color dropdown on the Home tab to select a colour that offers more contrast from the background.

Designate headings and hierarchy in Word Online

  1. Open the file in online version of Word.
  2. The Accessibility Checker in Word Online will not notify you if your document is missing headings. You must determine which text should be a heading.
  3. Once you have determined which text should be a heading, select the text.
  4. Click the Home tab at the top, then click the Headings and Other Styles drop down to select the appropriate heading level. This will designate the heading and apply the preset Word style to the text.

Create a tagged PDF from Word Online

  1. Open the file in the online version of Word .
  2. In the upper menu, click File and select Save As.
  3. Choose Download as PDF. Word will automatically apply tags to the PDF.

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