Teaching resources
How to create accessible materials in formats such as Word, video and audio, to enable your students to get the most from them. This includes advice on font, layout and use of colour in documents; subtitling for video; and transcripts for recordings.
Consider any files you upload to the VLE, content you create directly, or media embedded from other sites such as Media Hopper or YouTube, as your 'teaching resources'.
- Use Styles to create headings and subheadings.
- For long documents, use Styles to create a Table of Contents.
- Do not use colour alone to signify meaning (e.g. 'all the important points are in red').
- Use a plain font (not cursive or script) such as Arial or Helvetica.
- Have a high contrast between the colour of the text and the colour of the background; WebAim Contrast Checker, see below, can help you.
- Use left justification for the main text, rather than full justification.
- Do not put blocks of text all in capitals or all in italics.
- Give all tables headings.
- Give all images, tables, graphs etc. alt-text to describe their meaning.
- Add a tagline to the document telling students how they can request an alternative format.
- (PPT) Leave sufficient blank space at the foot of the slides for subtitles (so that they do not obscure what is on the slide).
- To produce an accessible PDF, make it from a document that is itself already accessible (follow advice above).
- To make a PDF from an accessible Word document, use MS Office or Adobe Acrobat.
- Add a tagline to the document telling students how they can request an alternative format.
General
- Keep videos short (less than 15 minutes), or edit them into shorter pieces/insert breaks.
- Indicate any change of topic clearly.
Being heard
- Rather than rely on the integral computer microphone, use a headset to pick up your voice rather than background sounds.
- Ask everyone who is not speaking at any time to mute their microphone.
- Position the microphone below your mouth so that it does not pick up the sound of your breathing, and does not obscure your mouth (for anyone lip reading).
Being seen
- Have a plain background behind your head; avoid sitting in front of a window as it casts your face into shadow and your expression and mouth cannot be seen (by anyone lip reading).
- Face the camera and do not move your hands in front of your mouth.
Sharing
- Upload to Media Hopper Create and request subtitles; edit them if necessary (video guide below).
- If you do not add subtitles, ensure they are accessible in another way, for instance by adding a transcript (with timestamps, unless the video is very short); transcripts can be attached the video in Media Hopper.
- If the video has no audio of any kind, make this clear.
- Make the length of the recording clear, where it is shared.
Recording
- Rather than rely on the integral computer microphone, use a headset to pick up your voice rather than background sounds.
- Position the microphone below you mouth so that it does not pick up the sound of your breathing.
Sharing
- Provide a transcript, with timestamps unless it is very short, to accompany your recording.
- Make the length of the recording clear, where it is shared.
More information
Accessibility and lecture recording
Subtitling Media Hopper Videos [subtitled video; 12:00; requires EASE login]
SensusAccess (for the production of alternative formats)
WebAIM Contrast Checker [external website]