This week Robert Hardy, our district website accessibility specialist, shares about making documents POUR. Please call Robert with any accessibility questions at Ext. 6105. He is more than happy to talk by phone or schedule a time to meet with you.

When considering the accessibility of a document or piece of content, it can be easy to focus on the technical details. Are the alt tags included? Is this form fillable? What is lost in this approach is the understanding of the end user and how they will interact with the content.

The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) provide a framework for document review that is less technically focused, and instead focuses on the experience of the end user. This framework can be helpful when considering the life cycle of a document and deciding upon the best route toward accessibility compliance.

The framework is called POUR. Documents must be:

• Perceivable – Can the document be easily perceived? Are there contrast issues, or is text locked in an image?
• Operable – Are interactive elements set up in a way that enables interaction? For most text documents, this is not a concern, but it does arise when creating forms or designing websites. Interactive elements must be operable with both a keyboard and a mouse.
• Understandable – Is the language as clear and concise as possible? Consider the intent of your message and remove additional clutter.
• Robust – Can the content be accessed across a wide range of devices? PDFs are a robust document solution for desktop and mobile devices. The SchoolMessenger and Schoology platforms have also been designed to be robust.

Taken together, these principles provide a non-technical framework with which to consider your content.

For additional accessibility tips, consider attending an upcoming accessibility workshop. A complete list of summer workshops is available in the Summer 2019 Professional Development Catalog. In the meantime, if you have questions or tips regarding accessibility, please reach out to Robert Hardy, the school district’s website accessibility specialist, at extension 6105.