Accessible Documents allow individuals who use assistive technology, such as a screen reader, to have equal access to information that most of us take for granted. It's an important part of the user experience and should be considered when creating content.
"The power of the Web is in its universality. Access by everyone regardless of disability is an essential aspect" - Tim Berners-Lee, W3C Director and inventor of the World Wide Web.
Why is Accessibility important?
Accessible Documents help to ensure a positive experience for all users, regardless of any visual disabilities. With Accessibility mode, no one is left out of the experience, as everyone can access and engage with the content.
Getting started
If you have created a document using the 'Upload a File' option and would like to make your content more accessible, the Legacy option can be used.
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Select 'Manage' for your document from the homepage.
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Select 'Manage Version' > followed by 'Version Settings'.
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Scroll down to the Accessible Interface section and select Legacy.
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Save your changes.
Adding accessible content
You can now open your document and start adding the accessible content.
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Select the ‘Pages’ palette found at the top right of the page.
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Right click on a page and select ‘Page Properties’.
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Complete the ‘Accessibility’ section for each page by entering the text that you would like the screen reader to read aloud.
Be mindful of the text entered - you may wish to choose different wording to ensure all readers can be accommodated.
How to make a 'More Information' pop-up box accessible
In addition to page content, accessible content can be added to any More Information pop-up box in your document.
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Edit the 'More Information' element on your page.
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Select the ‘Accessibility’ tab.
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Enter a 'Title' for the element, for example 'Staff Benefits'.
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Select ‘Edit’ for ‘Accessibility Content’.
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The ‘Accessibility’ section can then be completed by entering the text that you would like to be available to the reader if they are using a screen reader.
More Information pop-up box content will display after the page content and can be assigned an order number if you have several on the page.