Making the content you create universally accessible is a good habit to form. When creating a lecture recording or screencast, remember to be descriptive in your narration. This, in addition to captions, will help ensure that your video is easily understood by your viewers.
For example:
Describe what you are doing as you go. For example, say something like "I am now clicking on the article from the New York Times titled 'How to Become a ‘Digital Nomad’" as you demonstrate a search.
Do not be tempted to fill every moment; it's okay to pause for a moment to collect your thoughts before carrying on.
Speed is not of the essence, clarity is.
Avoid the term "we see," instead be sure to describe the action you are taking or the item on the screen that you are referencing.
Listen to your video/audio before publishing it. This is the audio equivalent of proofreading.
Don't be afraid to show that you're human. Mistakes happen; perfection isn't what we are aiming for. Done is better than perfect.
The basic six things to consider when creating accessible information.
SCULPT
Both Word and Adobe Pro have accessibility checkers. These tools aren't perfect and can miss things, but they can help you find and fix some accessibility issues. When creating content directly in your Carmen course, there is also accessibility help available.
The Carmen rich text editor also has an accessibility checker tool. This is available when creating Carmen assignments, discussion boards, pages, etc. Again, these tools aren't perfect, but can help you identify some accessibility problems.
The Carmen rich text editor also has an accessibility checker tool. This is available when creating Carmen assignments, discussion boards, pages, etc. Again, these tools aren't perfect, but can help you identify some accessibility problems.
Don't rely exclusively on color to convey meaning.
Pay attention to color contrast. It is important to use high enough contrast between the background and foreground colors that the content is readable.
Document Structure & Layout
Use titles and heading styles in your document to help ensure that screen readers can understand your reading order. Don't skip heading levels.
Avoid using tables to create layout. Instead, use them to share data when necessary and make sure to assign header rows/columns in your table properties.
Avoid merging and splitting cells in tables. Simple table structures are best and are easier for screen readers to interpret.
When images are used in a document, include descriptive alt text. If the image is purely decorative and conveys no meaning, mark it as so. Many tools will give you this option. If using HTML, leave the alt attribute empty for purely decorative images (alt="")
When linking to content, don't say 'click here.' Instead, make it clear in your link text just what the link will open.
Example: "Visit our Tips for Accessibility page for more information on this topic
Avoid jargon as much as possible. This is not just an accessibility guideline, but a good general rule of thumb.
A useful note about Zoom Cloud Recordings: automatic transcripts/captions are created when recording presentations or lectures in Zoom. These are created when you choose the Save to the Cloud option.
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