Can all students read your PowerPoint? Website? Social media posts? Get help here

Do you know if students with disabilities can access your lecture’s PowerPoint presentation? Can your department’s PDF forms can be filled out by someone using an e-reader? Can they also read your website?

As part of Purdue’s commitment to provide students with equal access, the University’s Electronic Information, Communication and Technology Standard sets guidelines that faculty, staff and departments should follow to create websites, digital instructional materials, documents, electronic media and hardware and software.

This fall, Purdue Innovative Learning is hosting a series of workshops designed to help faculty and staff ensure that their materials meet the University’s standard. Topics include creating accessible documents, PowerPoint presentations, websites and social media posts.

Those unable to attend a workshop may request a one-on-one consultation, and departments or schools can request customized workshops for their staff, graduate students or faculty. Instructional designers are also available to help develop accessible course materials. To learn more contact InnovativeLearningTeam@purdue.edu or visit Innovative Learning’s enhancing accessibility page.

Accessibility workshops scheduled for the fall semester are listed below. Space is limited and registration is required:

Classroom Accessibility Basics  
Sept. 9 and Nov. 12

Learn about the University’s accessibility policies and resources, including a review of the current university accessibility standard, how it applies to classroom learning and some important steps to take to ensure that your classrooms are accessible. The workshop will provide a brief overview of document formatting, video captioning, creating alt texts, and responding to student accommodation requests.

Creating Accessible Presentations with PowerPoint
Sept. 16, Oct. 8, Nov. 18

Learn how to make PowerPoint presentations more inclusive for students with disabilities, including how to use template fields, add alt text, change the reading order and do accessibility checks.

Creating Accessible Documents with Word and PDF
Sept 16, Oct. 8, Nov. 18

Learn how to make accessible documents using Microsoft Word and Adobe Acrobat Pro, including how to use headings, add image alt text and save documents in a way that improves accessibility.

Accessible Website Basics
Sept. 30 and Nov. 14

Learn about the university's web accessibility standard and guidelines and get hands-on experience in creating and testing a website for accessibility in a WYSIWYG environment. Attendees should have some experience creating and managing their own websites before attending.

Engaging Students with Accessible Social Media
Oct. 1

Learn the basics of social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram) accessibility, including an introduction to key concepts and the tools built into the individual platforms.

Accessible PDF Forms Basics
Oct. 15

Did you know that how you create your PDF form can make it easier – or more difficult – for people with disabilities to use it? Learn how to create accessible forms and how to repair an existing PDF form to make it more accessible.

To request more information about accessibly resources on campus, contact tlt@purdue.edu.

Writer: Dave Stephens, technology writer, Information Technology at Purdue, 765-496-7998, steph103@purdue.edu

Last updated: August 13, 2019