508 Compliance & Accessibility
What is 508 Compliance?
Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 requires that electronic and information technology (EIT) be accessible to people with disabilities.
EIT includes: Software; Web and mobile sites and applications; All attached files on the intranet & internet; Hardware (computers, networks, printers)
How does LeaderGuide Pro help?
LeaderGuide Pro adds alt text for you, automatically. It labels images with their file name, PowerPoint as slides, tables as tables, other elements as what they are: chart, smart art, graph, etc.
How do I comply?
Use Alt Text to make your documents accessible to screen readers.
Screen readers are software programs that allow blind or visually impaired users to read the text that is displayed on the computer screen with a speech synthesizer or braille display.
Is editing necessary?
Editing will allow you to improve the accuracy of what a screen reader will “say” about your inserted objects. Your goal is to convey an equivalent experience to seeing the object by describing it in a way that expresses the intent of the object as well as what it is.
What is Alt Text?
Alt Text is short, descriptive language you write and associate with the pictures, charts, tables, shapes, SmartArt, text boxes, and video that is mixed in with the text in your documents, PowerPoint files, etc. A screen reader speaks the Alt Text to the end-user to describe each special object on the screen.
How do I edit alt text?
For Word, use our AuthorTec Accessibility tool to review and edit auto-generated Alt Text. This tool allows you to find and navigate between Alt Text entries with speed and ease. For PowerPoint, our handouts generator, george! includes an Alt Text Review & Edit feature.
How can I learn more?
A good place to start is this YouTube video where Rain Michaels shares her expertise in plain language. Rain is certified professional web accessibility and interaction designer on Google’s central accessibility team.
We also recommend that you visit the US Health & Human Services website.
