Resources
Learn About 
- Resources for creating accessible documents and materials.
- Browser plugins for checking Web accessibility.
- Resources on accessible online course creation.
- Some disability types and the impact on access to digital content.
Now you know what needs to be done but you could use a bit of help in checking the accessibility of your course and the materials you have included. Users with disabilities and users of adaptive technology are the ultimate test but there are a variety of tools that can get you quite some ways down the road in your accessibility journey. Here are a few resources to get you started.
Microsoft Office
- Make your Word documents accessible Links to an external site.
- Step-by-step instructions to make your Word documents accessible to people with disabilities.
- Make your Excel spreadsheets accessible Links to an external site.
- Step-by-step instructions to make your Excel spreadsheets accessible to people with disabilities.
- Make your PowerPoint presentations accessible Links to an external site.
- Best practices and step-by-step instructions for creating PowerPoint presentations that are accessible to people with disabilities.
- Use the Accessibility Checker on your Windows desktop to find accessibility issues Links to an external site.
- Finds accessibility issues in your Word documents, Excel spreadsheets and PowerPoint presentations. The tool generates a report of accessibility issues, explains why you should fix these issues and how to fix them.
- Office Accessibility Center Links to an external site.
- Office is committed to inclusive design, accessible products and content. Find resources for people with disabilities and how to make your content accessible for all.
Adobe
- Adobe Acrobat and InDesign Links to an external site.
- , Acrobat DC provides authors with a complete set of tools to create and optimize accessible PDF files from almost any source. Learn how to use Acrobat and Adobe InDesign® to prepare accessible PDF files for people with disabilities.
- Adobe Captivate Links to an external site.
- Learn to make your Adobe Captivate simulations accessible by using the accessibility features to provide descriptions, captions and keyboard shortcuts.
- PAVE – Validate and Fix PDF Accessibility Links to an external site.
- Use PAVE to make PDF documents accessible, allowing screen reader programs to interpret them correctly. It does not change the visual layout of the PDF.
- Tingtun PDF Checker Links to an external site.
- Submit a PDF by URL or Upload to generate a report with detected barriers and proposed remedies.
Browser Plugins
Chrome
- Accessibility Developer Tools Links to an external site.
- Adds an Accessibility audit and an Accessibility sidebar pane to the Elements tab of the Chrome Developer Tools.
- aXe Chrome Plugin Links to an external site.
- Evaluate accessibility of web sites and applications from within the Chrome developer tools.
- ChromeLens Links to an external site.
- A set of developer tools that assist developers in coding Web sites accessible to the visually impaired. Three tools are currently available.
- Filters for experiencing a website as a blind or colorblind person.
- Scanners for auditing the accessibility readiness of a website.
- Trackers showing the path of a tab/shift-tab navigation path.
- HeadingsMap Links to an external site.
- Generates an index/map of a Web document showing headings and sections structure.
- Shows the structure of the document headers.
- Indicates the level of each of the headers.
- Alerts for missing headers and breaks in correct header hierarchy.
- Image Alt Text Viewer Links to an external site.
- Adds a "browser action" icon to the Chrome toolbar. Toggles between replacement of all images in the current tab with their corresponding alt text and normal view.
- WAVE Chrome Extension Links to an external site.
- Evaluate Web content for accessibility issues from within Chrome. The extension can check intranet, password-protected, dynamically generated, or sensitive Web pages.
Firefox
- AInspector Sidebar Links to an external site.
- Evaluates a Web page for WCAG 2.0 Level A and AA requirements. Provides summary and element level results.
- aXe Firefox Plugin Links to an external site.
- Evaluate accessibility of Web sites and applications from within the Firefox developer tools.
- WCAG Contrast checker Links to an external site.
- Checks color pairs for compliance with the W3C accessible contrast algorithm. Simulates different types of color blindness.
- WAVE Firefox Extension Links to an external site.
- Evaluate Web content for accessibility issues from within Firefox. The extension can check intranet, password-protected, dynamically generated, or sensitive Web pages.
Safari
- a11yTools Extension for Safari macOS Links to an external site.
- Adds a menu of accessibility testing tools to Safari.
University of Minnesota
- Accessible U
- Provides information and strategies for creating a more inclusive, accessible University community. The site includes everything from tutorials and info on advocacy and policy to sections geared for instructors and Web developers.
- Inclusive By Design
- The University of Minnesota is committed to providing equitable access to information and information technology associated with administration and services, courses of instruction, departmental programs, and University-sponsored activities. Incorporating principles of universal design in the development, acquisition and implementation of these resources ensures access by the widest possible audience — including users with disabilities.
Learn More
- Center on Accessible Distance Learning (AccessDL) Links to an external site.
- Shares guidance and engages stakeholders around making distance learning courses and programs accessible to students and instructors with disabilities.
- Accessibility for Online Course Content Links to an external site.
- As an instructor, you are required to make content in your classes accessible to all students. This website shows you how to meet this requirement.
- Teach Access Tutorial Links to an external site.
- The Teach Access Tutorial is a set of hands-on coding exercises and reference material for accessibility best practices. This tutorial will provide basic training for developers and designers interested in building inclusive experiences. If you are new to accessibility, this tutorial's for you.
Microsoft Accessibility Guides
- Accessibility Mobility Guide Links to an external site.
- Mobility impairment is a broad category that includes a range of physical disabilities that may be temporary or permanent and range in severity from mild loss of fine-motor control to quadriplegia. A wide variety of assistive technologies are available for these users, including touch screens, keyboard overlays, one-handed keyboards, oversized mice or trackballs, and speech recognition applications that are described in this guide.
- Accessibility Hearing Guide Links to an external site.
- This guide lists accessibility features built into Windows and Microsoft Office, as well as other types of assistive technology products, that are designed for individuals who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing.
- Accessibility Learning Guide Links to an external site.
- In addition to accessibility features built into Windows and Microsoft Office, this guide describes assistive technology products that are designed for people who have learning (cognitive) disabilities.
- Accessibility Vision Guide Links to an external site.
- This guide lists the accessibility features built into Windows and Microsoft Office applications that may be beneficial to users who are blind, low vision or have a learning disability.
- Accessibility Speech Guide Links to an external site.
- This guide describes the role of Augmentative and assistive communication (AAC) and non-hardware alternatives for individuals with language or communication limitations.