Digital Accessibility News

From the Office of Accessibility at Minnesota IT Services

Accessible Presentations: Getting Presenter Buy-In

By Dalena Nguyen, Project Analyst and Anne Sittner Anderson, Director of Communications for the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing (MNCDHH)

Accessibility, including communication access and equal opportunity, is at the heart of the work of the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing. When MNCDHH hosts events and conferences, we make accessibility a priority.

Beginning with our calls for presenter proposals for an upcoming conference or event, we make it clear that presenters must provide accessible slides and handouts for their presentation. This is the only way we can ensure that all our audience members have equal opportunities to access the content before, during, and after the event.

Why accessible presentations matter.

When people think about accessibility, they may think of curb cuts or automatic doors. Some presenters may already be strong advocates for captioning and sign language interpreters.

Unfortunately, many presenters do not realize that document accessibility is just as important as curb cuts and captions.

MNCDHH has experienced resistance from some presenters about making PowerPoint presentations accessible. This is a common experience also shared by many conference organizers.

This month Dalena and Anne share the top objections they receive from presenters, and tips they and other conference organizers use to get more presenters to create Accessible Presentations.

Checklist for accessible PowerPoint presentations

The Office of Accessibility has a PowerPoint Accessibility Checklist you can use as you:

• Plan your content
• Create your slides
• Test for accessibility
• Consider making an accessible PDF of your presentation

Do you have an accessible PowerPoint template? If so, be sure to use it. If not, you can still create an accessible PowerPoint. 

One more idea: include a resource like this in conference call for papers and presenter requirements.

Wouldn't it be nice if your conference feedback includes "And all the presentation handouts were accessible!" 

Tech Tip: Understanding Documents for WCAG 2.0 and 2.1

Want to learn more about WCAG 2.0 or 2.1 success criteria? The How to Meet WCAG (Quick Reference) is an easy way to get more information.

For example, maybe you need to learn more about bypass blocks?

1. Go to the Quick Reference section about 2.4.1 Bypass Blocks – Level A
2. Select Understanding 2.4.1

You will find:

• Information about why it’s important
• Real life examples
• Techniques you can use
• Definitions of key terms

Review these documents to learn more when you are designing, writing requirements, in production, and improving your digital accessibility testing skills.

Events and Trainings

Webinar: Authoring Text Alternatives for Images (Part 1 of 2)

“Images often add value to websites and other digital content. For sighted users, images can inform, build interest, and motivate. The text alternatives (alt text) for these images must serve the same purpose for listening users. Alt text can also help users with low vision and cognitive disabilities better understand content viewed via common technology. Part 1 of this 2-part webinar introduces attendees to the theory and practice of authoring alt text for images on business, marketing, informational, educational, and networking websites, as well as other digital products. This session addresses four topics: (1) writing 'equivalent' alt text versus describing what an image looks like; (2) image context and purpose; (3) user needs and preferences; (4) current product-specific workflows, authoring tools, and emerging AI-based solutions.

An advanced Authoring Text Alternatives (part 2 of 2) will be offered on February 18th.”

Presenters: Todd Marquis Boutin and Pina D'Intino
Date: Tuesday, February 4, 2020
Cost: varies depending on IAAP membership status.

Authoring Text Alternatives for Images information and registration.

In Person Event: 35th CSUN Assistive Technology Conference

Maybe you have never heard of the conference known as CSUN, but this long-occurring conference will be held in Anaheim, California March 9 – 13, 2020.

State of Minnesota presentations:

Building InDesign Accessibility Best Practices
Develop & Deploy: Accessible Email & Document Templates

Dates: March 9 – 13, 2020
Location: Anaheim, California

Fee: Varies – see CSUN registration page for more details.

In Person Event: DrupalCon

While sessions will be posted in February of 2020, this conference already lists some trainings that may be of interest:

• User experience and content strategy for Drupal on Monday, May 18
• Accessibility for Devs on Tuesday, May 19

Conference Dates: May 18-21, 2020
Location: Minneapolis Convention Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota

The DrupalCon Minneapolis 2020 website has more information about registration fees, sessions, and how to register.

In Person Event: StrategicA11y – Strategic Web Accessibility Workshop

WebAIM is holding a 2.5 day training presented by their staff. Here is the description from their website:

“Web accessibility is an issue of civil rights for individuals with disabilities. Organizations are often challenged to achieve system-level accessibility that can be sustained over time. While typical conferences and workshops on web accessibility provide key information or training on discrete elements of web accessibility, these are often tactical in nature - they hit one problem, then another. It is time to move away from a tactical approach to one that is strategic in nature.

This 2.5 day meeting will help participants think in strategic ways about the accessibility of their broader systems, making accessibility a systemic issue that must be conquered, if it is to be sustained. At the end of the workshop, participants will leave having engaged strategically and developed a written plan to implement accessibility in a way that will be optimal for their organizations.”

Dates: May 19-21, 2020
Where: Logan, Utah
Cost: $1200/person, $1000/person for groups of two or more.

StrategicA11y – Strategic Web Accessibility Workshop information and registration

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