Accessible Electronic Documents

According to TAC §206.70, if a page or document takes too long to load, it affects accessibility. This is important because not everyone has fast internet, especially in rural areas. If the content doesn't load quickly, you or your device might give up, making it impossible to access the content.

According to TAC §206.70, if documents don't make sense on any device screen size, people might not be able to access the content.

For example, if you can't follow a table's rows and columns in a PDF or have to scroll back and forth to understand the message, it can be confusing. That's why PDFs are less preferred than webpages for reading materials.

If a webpage meets WCAG 2.1 AA accessibility standards, it has several benefits:

• Screen reader and keyboard users: They can use features to skip navigation and go straight to the main content.
• Reading mode in browsers: This mode scans the webpage for main content and displays it in a reading view. It often includes options for color, size, and font to improve the reading experience. Some modes can even read the text aloud.

Webpage design can make or break this kind of access. Make sure your webpages are not so busy that they cannot be converted into user-friendly reading modes.

We usually don't talk about reading order or preferred language of documents because our website templates handle that. But it's different for documents, especially if they have complex content like tables.

Reading order helps screen readers know which content to read next, instead of just reading top-down, left-to-right. Some software lets you change the order by numbering the content.

Example issues:

• If your content is arranged in a circular or unusual order on the page.
• If a badge is placed over or near some content, interrupting the reading flow.

We usually don't talk about reading order or preferred language of documents because our website templates handle that. But it's different for documents, especially if they have complex content like tables.

Setting the language is simple: define the main language of the document and note any foreign languages (like Latin or French) used in words and phrases.

Language settings help people who know a foreign language understand your content better. It also helps screen readers pronounce words correctly, since pronunciation can change based on the language.

The document title is announced to assistive technology so people know right away what document they are viewing. Adding a title to a document is easy in most applications.

• Cascade CMS: Fill in the Title field on the web page.
• Microsoft files: Go to File, then Info to set the document properties.
• Adobe Acrobat: Go to File, then Properties to check the Description tab options.

Basic document properties usually include the title, author, and keywords.

Usually, when we design documents for printing, we don't think about adding alternative text for images. But it's important when putting documents on websites or converting them to PDF. It's best to add the alternative text in the original software before converting.

What needs alternative text?

• Graphs/Charts: Describe the points on the graph or summarize the results.
• Photography: Explain what the photo shows (who, what, when, where, why, how, and any emotions it conveys).
• Graphics: Explain what the graphic shows if it has important information for the reader.

Usually, we design documents for printing, so we don't always think about color contrast. But for digital documents, we need to consider:

• Choosing text colors that stand out against the background or photos
• Making sure graphs and charts are easy to read with the chosen colors against the background or photos

There are several issues to consider with links. One important thing is to create link text that clearly explains where the link goes, even without the surrounding paragraph. But the biggest problem is often broken links.

For example, if you link to an Excel file in your documents folder from a Word document, the link will work for you when you test it. However, when you send the Word document to someone else, they won't be able to access the link because they don't have access to your documents folder. You need to make sure links are publicly accessible or that your audience has permission to access them.

• Onix: PDF vs HTML: Which is the Best Route to Reach WCAG Compliance
• Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI)
  • Tutorials
    • Page Structure
    • Images
    • Tables
    • Forms
  • Designing and Developing
    
    • Use headings to convey meaning and structure
    • Make link text meaningful
    • Write meaningful text alternatives for images
    • Provide clear instructions
    • Keep content clear and concise
    • Provide sufficient contrast between foreground and background
    • Don’t use color alone to convey information
    • Ensure that interactive elements are easy to identify
    • Ensure that form elements include clearly associated labels
    • Include image and media alternatives in your design
    • Include alternative text for images
    • Identify page language and language changes
    • Use mark-up to convey meaning and structure
    • Reflect the reading order in the code order
• Nielsen Norman Group
  • Top 10 Mistakes in Web Design
  • Can Hated Design Elements Be Made to Work?