The use of the Illinois Accessible Web Publishing Wizard for
Microsoft Office can be used to create accessible HTML
versions of Word and Powerpoint documents.  Including the
automatic generation of text equivalents for Excel and
Powerpoint created charts.

http://www.accessiblewizards.uiuc.edu

Best practices in the creation of Word and Powerpoint can be
found at:

http://www.disability.uiuc.edu/accessiblewizards/manual/practice/index.html

Jon

---- Original message ----
>Date: Tue, 21 Jun 2005 16:30:59 -0400
>From: Alan Cantor <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Request for information: How to make accessible
documents
>To: [log in to unmask]
>
>Hello accessibility friends and colleagues:
>
>Feel free to pass on this message.
>
>I am compiling sets of techniques for people who prepare
accessible
>documents in four different applications:
>
>Word
>WordPerfect
>Excel
>PowerPoint
>
>I would like to hear from anyone who has opinions and
experiences on what it
>takes to make documents produced in these programs accessible
to a range of
>people with disabilities. In other words, what should content
providers do
>(and not do) to make Word, WordPerfect, Excel and PowerPoint
documents
>usable by individuals with sensory, mobility, ambulatory,
learning,
>psychiatric, etc. disabilities?
>
>When I posed a similar question a few years ago about
accessible Word
>documents, I received many responses. Here are the principles
that emerged.
>I do not think much has changed since, but if you have other
ideas, let me
>know:
>
>* Use styles to structure Word documents.
>* Avoid nested tables.
>* Use one language per document.
>* Do not use tabs and spaces to align columns.
>* Avoid very small or very large fonts.
>* Type a space after a punctuation mark that ends a phrase or
sentence.
>* Do not insert extra blank lines to start a new page.
>* Choose contrasting colour combinations.
>* Do not use animated text.
>* Prepare Word forms with care.
>* Label WordArt, ClipArt, and images.
>
>I will share my findings with everyone who responds. I look
forward to
>hearing from you.
>
>Alan
>
>Alan Cantor
>Cantor Access Inc.
>[log in to unmask]
>www.cantoraccess.com


Jon Gunderson, Ph.D., ATP
Director of IT Accessibility Services
Campus Information Technologies and Educational Services (CITES)
and
Coordinator of Assistive Communication and Information Technology
Disability Resources and Education Services (DRES)

Voice: (217) 244-5870
Fax: (217) 333-0248

E-mail: [log in to unmask]

WWW: http://cita.rehab.uiuc.edu/
WWW: https://netfiles.uiuc.edu/jongund/www/