UAlbany’s Digital Accessibility Quick Guide

Accessibility is always required for content that serves a large population, is published or is shared broadly.

Examples include:

• All student-facing or public content
• Third-party communications and agreements  
• Public-facing or service-related communication policies, procedures and forms
• Training and guidance materials
• Websites and web documents
• Course materials, including those posted to Brightspace

Accessibility is the best practice for internal drafts likely to be reused or shared across populations.

Examples include:

• Committee documents 
• Group emails 
• Post-meeting notes

Accessibility is not required for one-to-one communication or personal documentation.

Examples include:

• One-to-one emails
• Informal chats in Teams

• Use short paragraphs.
• Do not send image-only emails.
• Select "Check Accessibility” in the Outlook toolbar to review an email’s accessibility before sending.

• Add structured Headings using Styles in the Word toolbar.
• Use bulleted or numbered lists.
• Add alternative text to images.
• Avoid merging cells in tables.
• Select "Check Accessibility” in the Word toolbar’s Review tab to review the document’s accessibility. 

• Create the document in Word first and check its accessibility before saving as a PDF.
• Don’t create a PDF using the print function.
• Avoid image-only scans.
• Add required tagging and ensure text is selectable.

• Avoid merging cells and run ‘Accessibility Checker’ under Review tab.