Accessible Outlook

Transcription

1 Accessible Outlook ) Select HTML Format in Outlook HTML supports the accessibility options that are not available with plain text or rich text formats. Set the HTML as the default setting, in the Main Outlook Menu, (a) click File, (b) click Options in the left hand column, and (c) in the Mail options, change the Compose messages to HTML format. Click the OK button to finalize the setting. a) b) c) Page #1 - Creating Accessible

2 2) Select Accessible Font Styles and Size With hundreds of fonts available for , it is easy create to some really interesting (looking) messages. Unfortunately, many of the fonts available are not always easy to read for individuals with some level of vision impairment or learning disabilities. The fonts that are easiest to read are Arial & Verdana Font size should always be set to 12 point font or larger. Similar to the steps earlier, go to Outlook options to change default font and styles. In the Mail option, a) click on the Stationary and Fonts button, b) click on the Font buttons for New Messages, c) change font and size. Go through the same steps to change Reply Messages font. When you are done, click on the OK button. a) b) c) Page #2 - Creating Accessible

3 3) Select Accessible Background/Foreground Colors Contrast is important for people with low vision or color-blindness. Select a color of text that does not blend into the background. Level AA of WCAG2.0 requires a contrast ratio of 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for larger text. Use this Color Contract Checker to compare your background and foreground (text) colors. ( To change font color, the options are located in the Outlook Options > Mail > Stationary and Fonts > Fonts. To change background, the options are located in Outlook Options > Mail > Stationary and Fonts > Theme. Page #3 - Creating Accessible

4 4) Create Hyperlinks that have Meaning In all electronic documents, from webpages to Power Point presentations, links, aka hyperlinks, should provide descriptive text of the link s destination. Links with just the URL are usually too cryptic for people who listen to their s with screen readers. Hyperlink text using terms like Click Here and Read More are not descriptive enough. Usually, the Title found at the page that the URL arrives at, is a good description. #Example of webpage title - To create an accessible hyperlink in Outlook 2013, a) Place the cursor on the page where the link will appear, or highlight the text to become the hyperlink. b) Click the INSERT tab and click on the Hyperlink option (or use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+K to open the hyperlink option window). c) Type the link description into the box for Text to Display. Text that was highlighted when the Insert Hyperlink window opened will display in the window. d) Type or paste the URL address into the box for Address. e) Click OK. a & b) Page #4 - Creating Accessible

5 c, d & e) The hyperlink url address in this example is and the meaningful text to display is Mt. Hood Community College. Page #5 - Creating Accessible

6 5) Adding Accessible Pictures Outlook s INSERT Illustrations option allows users to add pictures, charts, screenshots and other images into the layout. To add the image to the , place the cursor in the where the image is desired, click on INSERT tab and choose the image type from the Illustration group. After the image is displayed in the , a Wrap Text option will appear next to the image. Right click on the image, or just click on the wrap text icon to change the Wrap Text to In Line with Text. Alternative Text, aka Alt Text, should always be added to explain or describe the image included in the . To add the description, right click on the image and select Format Picture from the list of options that popup. A new pane will open to the right of the with the various Format Picture options. Click on the Layout and Properties icon (gray square with four arrows inside the square). Select Alt Text and type the description in the Description textbox. A title for the image is rarely needed except in specific situations where the image is being utilized for a link. If you are using an image for a hyperlink, please contact. for additional details. Note Alt text is not available for Charts. Right click on the chart and enter a descriptive Caption. Page #6 - Creating Accessible

7 6) Creating Accessible Lists Using the bulleted or numbered list in Outlook 2013 will create a screen reader friendly list in the . When lists are incorrectly formatted, such as using the tab key or spacebar repeatedly, instead of the using the built-in list function, the screen reading software does not let the user know about the significance of the listed text and the list reading controls will not function for the listener using the screen reader. Some individuals were taught to use tables to create lists. This is old school. Using tables to create lists is not accessible and it is time consuming. The easiest way to create lists in Outlook s is: Highlight the rows of text for the list, click FORMAT TEXT tab, Paragraph group, and select the list option that fits the situation. If you want to use keyboard shortcuts, press Alt, then press O for Format Text, then press U for bulleted or N for numbered lists. Indent and line spacing options in the Paragraph group are also screen reader friendly alternatives that work better than a series of spacing (spacebar), tabs or returns (Enter key). Page #7 - Creating Accessible

8 7) Using Heading Styles for Content Structure Using the built-in styles format helps to provide Screen Reader logic to an . Heading styles in a long can break up and prioritize the for navigation with the screen reader. In a sense, the headings become a form of outline for the individual using a screen reader. Think of using headings as being a title and sub-titles within the . There is a specific navigation layout sequence with headings in electronic documents that will be explained below in the example. It is important to note that headings are not merely bold print or larger fonts. Do not simply use bold or larger font to indicate headings. Do not use headings to denote visual emphasis in the main content. If you want a word or phrase to stand out in a sentence, use bold, italics or other styles options. Note the end of this section for a list of the Outlook Styles options. In Outlook 2013, there are at least nine heading level options that will eventually be displayed in Styles depending on which have been selected in the layout. This is similar to headings found in Word. Use the headings options 1 3 to denote content hierarchy headings and sub-headings within a document/ . For example, Heading level 1 generally is only used once in a document, e.g. for the main title or main content heading. Headings 2, 3, 4, etc., can be used more than once in the document. Heading level 2 usually indicates major section headings or sub headings. Heading level 3 is usually a sub sub-heading or subheading of Heading level 2. At the beginning of the document, you can establish the heading styles using the Modify Style option. Click on FORMAT TEXT tab. In the Styles group, right click on the Heading 1 option for a dropdown list of options. Select Modify for another window of options. The Modify Style window allows a variety of modifications to the heading; font, font size, emphasis, color, alignment, line spacing, indentation, etc. You can also create Style templates that can be accessed later. Each Heading level that you want to use Page #8 - Creating Accessible

9 will need to be modified either at the beginning of the document before you start, or at the end for it to be automatically switched after all the headings have been created. Outlook Styles Options Looking at the use of Headings, they are set up like an outline. (Example below) What does work in government involve? (Title = Heading 1) Who can work for the Victorian Government? (2 nd level sub-heading = Heading 2) What does the Victorian Government expect from its employees? (Heading 2) o How does a promotion work? (3 rd level sub-heading (Heading 3) o What is the executive structure? (Heading 3) What is a job classification? (Heading 2) What are my employee benefits? (Heading 2) Example of document using headings and lists: What does work in government involve? Here we answer many of your questions about who can work for the Victorian Government, the skills and experience we look for and how jobs are classified. * * * * For more information, read on to find out about: Page #9 - Creating Accessible

10 Who can work for the Victorian Government? What does the Victorian Government expect from its employees? o How does a promotion work? o What is the executive structure? What is a job classification? What are my employee benefits? Who can work for the Victorian Government? To work in government in Victoria you need to be one of the following: an Australian Citizen a permanent resident of Australia a New Zealand citizen, with a valid passport Your employer will need to see the original documents (such as passport, birth certificate or citizenship certificate), * * * * Visit the Australian Department of Immigration and Citizenship for more information. Please also note that ex-victorian public servants, who accepted voluntary departure packages from a Government organization * * * * What does the Victorian Government expect from its employees? When you work for the Victorian Government, we expect you to: adhere to the Code of conduct for Victorian public sector employees treat everyone in your working life fairly, courteously and with sensitivity be open, honest and transparent when you make decisions, provide advice or services provide prompt information that is accurate, up-to-date and in a form that people can understand easily How does a promotion work? To progress your career in the Victorian Government, you may apply for higher-level job vacancies on the careers website, other jobs * * * * What is the executive structure? Executives are employed within a three-band structure, on attractive remuneration packages. At this level of work in * * * * What is a job classification? In the Victorian Public Service (VPS), jobs are organized according to classifications that reflect the type and value of work performed. * * * * What are my employee benefits and conditions? The VPS Workplace Determination sets out the full range of employee entitlements, for most employees who work in government. * * * *: an average of 76 hours per fortnight, with a spread of work hours from 7:00am to 7:00pm standard overtime provisions a 25% loading for casual employees a higher duties allowance when acting in a higher classified position for more than five Employees in public sector agencies * * * * Example from: Page #10 - Creating Accessible