We’ve hit the halfway mark of our challenge! This week, we’re stepping into the "Home Office" to focus on two foundational elements of digital accessibility: file type and structure.

Organizing a physical office is typically about choosing the right container and labeling your files. In our digital home office, your file types act as the containers, and some are much easier to access than others. Think of a paper tray organizer versus a locked filing cabinet. Once you’ve picked the right container, Heading tags (H1-H4) act as the labeled dividers inside. Proper headings create a digital map that allows screen readers and search engines to “read the labels” and jump to the needed information.

Week Five Guidance

Start on the Right Foot

To reduce the burden of remediation later, we encourage a "browser-first" approach. The file type you choose today determines how accessible your content will be tomorrow.

File Type Considerations: 

• The “Gold” Standard: Webpages (e.g., Canvas, Drupal, etc.) — Native web content is the most flexible, mobile-friendly, and inherently accessible format.
• Preferred Document: Google Docs — Browser-based and includes the Grackle accessibility tool which, upon launch, flags potential accessibility issues.
  • Next Best Document: Microsoft Word (Online) — Browser-based versions of Word are more accessible than desktop versions and contain Microsoft’s basic “Check Accessibility” feature.
• Alternative Formats: Presentations (PowerPoint & Slides) — Great for visual storytelling, but they require more "tidying-up" around reading order and alt-text. Browser-based versions are inherently more accessible than desktop.  
• Handle with Care: PDF — PDFs are the most difficult to make accessible and do not "reflow" well on mobile screens. PDF may be appropriate if the document requires a fixed layout for legal reasons or professional printing. If it’s just information meant to be read, a webpage or browser-based document is a much more Highlander-friendly choice because of the built-in accessibility features.
• Alt-text Required: Images — Images are inherently inaccessible and always require alt text. If the software you’re using does not support alt text, please consider a different tool for your digital content.  

Pro Tip: Any of the above formats can be made accessible. By the same token, all of the above formats can experience accessibility violations if the proper accessibility features and practices are not applied. Visit the UCOP accessible documents and PDFs page to learn more. 

Use the Built-in Styles for Accessible Structure

Many of us try to create "headings" by simply making text bold or increasing the font size. While this looks like a heading to sighted users, a screen reader just sees it as regular text. To make it functional, you must use the built-in "Styles" or "Paragraph Format" menus in your software.

Beyond accessibility, using the built-in styles menu in Word or Google Docs automatically builds your Table of Contents and allows you to restructure long documents in seconds. It is a major time-saver for your daily workflow!

The Weekly Challenge

Audit your "Go-To": Look at the files you share most often. Could that PDF syllabus be a Canvas page or a Google Doc? Could that department memo be a clear, well-structured email or browser-based document? 

Format with Styles: Open a Google Doc or Word Online file and use the "Styles" or "Paragraph Format" menu to add appropriate Title, Heading 1 (H1), Heading 2 (H2), etc,. tags. 

Run Grackle: If you’re in Google Workspace, launch Grackle to review your Docs, Sheets, and Slides for structural errors.

Faculty Focus

Canvas has built-in heading functionality within its Rich Content Editor (RCE). Since Canvas uses Heading 1 for the Page Title, start your content with Heading 2.

• H2: Use for main sections.
• H3: Use for sub-sections.
• H4: Use for sub-sub-sections.

Proper use of these built-in headings enables students using screen readers to scan and jump to the specific content they need.                  

Canvas Heading Structure Guidance
Writing and Formatting Guidance
Comprehensive Document Accessibility Training

Website Wranglers

In Drupal or other platforms, always use headings logically rather than choosing them based on visual appeal. Skipping from an H2 to an H4 because you like the font size can break the "map" for assistive technology. If it’s a new section, use the next level down in the hierarchy.

Website Structure Guidance
Accessibility for Content Contributors Course

Did You Miss Previous Weeks or Want to Get Ahead?

You can find all of the accessibility guidance and resources provided as part of the Digital Deep Clean challenge on the Digital Accessibility webpage!

Visit the Digital Accessibility Webpage to Learn More

Access barrier? Report digital accessibility issues or request remediation of inaccessible digital content.