We suggest you use this checklist as a guide for library staff when they are starting their accessibility journey or when you provide staff training. The information is summarized from the Accessibility 101 webinar, slides, and the “Quick Reference: Accessibility 101” document.
Documents can be both accessible and inaccessible. It all depends on how it is formatted. This checklist will help you make an accessible and readable document for everyone. The information in this resource is summarized from previous webinars.
The Accessible Book Consortium (ABC), led by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), is dedicated to increasing the availability of accessible book formats (braille, eBooks, audiobooks, etc.) worldwide for people with print disabilities.
The schema.org accessibility metadata helps readers find content with the accessible features they would like in a publication. The schema.org accessibility metadata can be added to the HTML using Resources Descriptive Framework (RDF), a semantic web standard, or EPUB 2, EPUB 3, and audiobooks to inform users of the accessible elements the content contains.
The Library Accessibility Features web page by Lisa Kovak discusses the changed libraries can and should make to conform with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA). The features discussed on this page include materials, programming, equipment and services, and how to contact the library.
The American Library Association encourages members and library staff to create materials that are accessible for both library patrons and co-workers. The accessibility resources they provide cover accessible documents (in Word and PDFs), adding alternative text in different technology platforms, and testing the accessibility of the resources.
The American Foundation of the Blind (AFB) provides a list of assistive technologies (also known as access technologies) that persons with print disabilities use to consume content. The products page includes a summary of the different technologies as well as the different types and options for each one.
The last webinar in the Summer Short series is about font attributes and how to format your text accessibly in your documents.
The third webinar in the Accessible Libraries Summer Short series discusses creating accessible lists in your documents.
The second webinar in the Summer Short series is about creating accessible hyperlinks in your documents.
This webinar about creating accessible headings is the first session of the Accessible Libraries Summer Short series focused on short tutorials that teach you how to make accessible documents.
This recording of the Creating Accessible Documents webinar guides you through how to make an accessible Word document, including accessible tables, images, and document structure. The webinar includes demonstrations and examples of how you can start creating accessible documents.
The slides for the Creating Accessible Documents webinar are now available. Learn more about how to accessibly format your Word documents by using Styles.
Accessible Social is a free resource to help guide creating and learning about creating accessible social media. Libraries can use this resource to help make their marketing and communications more accessible for all patrons.
The Toronto Public Library (TPL) presents a Social Story to help children become familiar with their library. Social Stories are learning tools for children that describe different experiences and situations they will encounter when visiting their public library. TPL suggests that parents or teachers read this story with their children one or more times before visiting the library to make them feel comfortable about their visit.
The Hootsuite Blog presents guidelines to make your social media posts accessible. Making sure that your social media is accessible will create an inclusive environment and reach a larger audience.
Microsoft provides guidelines for creating accessible Word documents, including instructions and general best practices. This resource provides support for creating accessible Word documents in Windows, macOS, iOS, Android and the web version of Microsoft Word.
Are you interested in learning more about the AccessibleLibraries.ca website? This video tour guides you through the site and points out useful features for public library staff.
AccessiblePublishing.ca, a website developed by the National Network of Equitable Library Service (NNELS), presents information and resources to help publishers, libraries, and other organizations create and provide access to accessible eBooks.
To get you started on your accessibility journey, we’ve summarized information from the Accessibility 101 webinar. The fact and links in this training resource will help you establish foundational knowledge that you can build on.