Karen McCall, Accessible Document Design Consultant and Educator, Karlen Communications
Disability Area: Topic Area:
Length of Session (in hours): 5-6 hr
Format: Lab
Expertise Level: Beginner / Intermediate
Type of session: Pre-Conference
Summary of Session
This hands-on workshop guides participants through the steps of creating and working with more accessible Word and PowerPoint documents.
Abstract
This hands-on workshop guides participants through the steps of creating and working with more accessible Word and PowerPoint documents. The topics are framed around the Proposed Rule Making (PRM) of Section 508, what the legislation means to the availability of accessible documents, and how creating more accessible documents makes the conversion to other formats easier and less painful. General topics include accessible tables, lists, using styles, importing/exporting styles and the improved accessibility of text boxes and content controls. In PowerPoint, we’ll identify the accessible and inaccessible elements of a slide presentation, the use and testing for good colour contrast and the use of Slide Masters for specific types of content. We’ll also make good use of the Accessibility Checkers in both applications!
Keypoints
Identify the accessible and inaccessible elements of Word and PowerPoint content.
How adding or removing elements increases or decreases accessibility.
Techniques to save time when remediating Word or PowerPoint content.
Speaker Bio(s)
Karen McCall
Karen McCall, M.Ed. has been working in the field of accessible document design since 1999. She began her career in website accessibility and auditing and moved to accessible Word, PowerPoint and PDF documents in 2004. Karen is:
A Canadian delegate of the ISO 14289 or PDF/UA (Universal Accessibility) committee and has been for a number of years. A Canadian delegate to the ISO 32000 PDF committee. A Microsoft MVP for Word (Most Valued Professional) since 2009. A Microsoft Accessibility MVP since 2017 when this category of MVP was established.
Karen has written several books on the topic of accessible document design for Word, PowerPoint and PDF documents as well as smaller publications with specific techniques for working with Office applications if you are using adaptive technology and/or the keyboard.
Karen is the president of Karlen Communications.
