Spotting the Problem

• Untagged PDF: Exported without a tag structure. Text may be selectable, but a screen reader announces no headings, no reading order, and no list or table structure
• Scanned PDF: A photograph or scan saved as a PDF. There is no real text at all, only an image; a screen reader reads nothing, and sighted users cannot search or resize the text
• Quick select-text test: Open the PDF and try to highlight a sentence. If nothing selects, it is a scan or an image-only page
• Quick structure test: In Acrobat, open the Tags panel (View > Show/Hide > Navigation Panes > Tags). No tags tree, or a single generic <Sect> wrapping everything, means the document needs remediation

Tagging Fundamentals

• Heading tags: <H1>-<H6> give the document a navigable outline, the same way heading styles do in Word
• Reading order: The order tags appear in the tag tree is the order a screen reader announces content, which can differ from the order it appears visually on the page
• Alt text tags: Every meaningful <Figure> tag needs alternate text; purely decorative images should be tagged as artifacts so screen readers skip them
• Table header tags: <TH> cells with a scope attribute let a screen reader announce which header applies to each data cell
• List tags: <L>, <LI>, <LBody> announce "list, 5 items" instead of reading bullet characters as plain text
• Form field labels and tab order: Fillable PDF forms need a label tied to each field and a tab order that matches the visual layout, not the order fields were drawn

Fix at the Source

• Always remediate the original file first: Fix headings, alt text, and table structure in the source Word, Google Docs, or InDesign file, then re-export to PDF. A properly tagged source file usually exports a mostly-tagged PDF automatically
• Only patch the PDF directly when there is no source file: For an old scanned form or a document whose original was lost, Acrobat's manual tagging tools (covered on the next page) are the only option

Acrobat Pro: Step by Step

• Run the Accessibility Checker: Tools → Prepare for Accessibility → Full Check. It sorts results into Errors, Warnings, and items marked "Needs manual check," each with a right-click "Fix" option where one exists
• Autotag Document: Tools → Prepare for Accessibility → Autotag Document generates a first-pass tag tree from an untagged PDF. Treat this as a starting point, not a finished result: always verify heading levels and table structure afterward
• Reading Order tool: Tools → Prepare for Accessibility → Reading Order opens a visual overlay for drawing and re-ordering content regions directly on the page, and for applying tags (Heading, Table, Figure) by region
• Tags panel manual fixes: View → Show/Hide → Side Panels → Tags lets you retitle a tag, change a heading level, add or edit alt text on a Figure tag, and drag tags into the correct order

PAC: A Second Opinion

• What it is: PAC (PDF Accessibility Checker) is a free, independent tool that checks a PDF against the PDF/UA standard, useful for confirming an Acrobat fix actually resolved the underlying tag problem
• Reading the report: PAC groups findings by WCAG/PDF-UA checkpoint (document structure, tagging, tables, alt text) rather than by page, so start with any item flagged as a failure before reviewing warnings
• Common PAC failures and their Acrobat fix: "Document is not tagged" → run Autotag; "Heading levels are skipped" → fix in the Tags panel; "Table lacks header cells" → use the Reading Order tool's Table tag, then set header rows

Header Rows & Navigation

• Freeze and repeat header rows: In Excel, use View > Freeze Panes so column headers stay visible while scrolling, and set Page Layout > Print Titles so the header row repeats on every printed page
• Label headers as headers: In Google Sheets, select the header row and use View > Freeze > 1 row, and consider Format > Alternating colors so screen magnifier and low-vision users can track rows more easily
• One header row per sheet: A screen reader announces the header row when a user moves down a column with Ctrl+Alt+Arrow keys (Excel) only if that row is set as the actual header, not just bolded text

Named Ranges & Formulas

• Use named ranges for key data blocks: A range named "Q2_Enrollment" is easier to navigate and audit with a screen reader than "B4:F19," and makes formulas readable instead of a wall of cell references
• Keep formulas simple and documented: A cell comment or an adjacent notes column explaining what a formula calculates helps every user verify the sheet, not only assistive-technology users

Structure & Layout

• Avoid merged cells inside a data range: Merged cells break the row/column association a screen reader relies on to announce "which header goes with this cell." Reserve merging for a standalone title above the data, never within it
• Name every sheet tab descriptively: "Q2 Enrollment" is announced clearly when a screen reader user tabs through sheets; "Sheet3" is not
• Add alt text to embedded charts: Right-click a chart > Edit Alt Text (Excel) or Alt text under the chart's three-dot menu (Sheets) and describe the trend the chart shows, not just "bar chart"
• Do not rely on color-only conditional formatting: A red/green pass-fail highlight communicates nothing to a colorblind user or a screen reader. Pair it with a text label or icon, such as a "Pass"/"Fail" column

Caption File Basics: SRT vs. VTT

• SRT (SubRip): The most widely supported caption format. Each block is a number, a start/end timestamp (00:00:05,000 --> 00:00:08,500), and the caption text. Works with most video players and LMS uploads
• VTT (WebVTT): The web-native format, required for HTML5 <track> elements and preferred by most modern video platforms. Similar structure to SRT, with a WEBVTT header line and period-separated timestamps
• Which to use: If a platform accepts either, VTT supports more features (styling, positioning); use SRT only when a specific tool requires it

Editing Auto-Generated Captions

• Always review before publishing: Auto-captions frequently misstate student names, subject-specific vocabulary, and acronyms; never post a video relying on unreviewed auto-captions
• Fix homophones and technical terms first: These are the most common auto-caption errors and the most disruptive to meaning
• Add speaker labels for multi-speaker video: "Ms. Rivera:" before her lines helps viewers follow a panel, interview, or recorded meeting
• Add sound description tags where meaning depends on them: [bell rings], [applause], [video clip plays] when the sound itself carries information

Transcript Formatting

• Identify each speaker by name: A transcript without speaker labels is difficult to follow for any reader, not only screen reader users
• Break paragraphs by topic or speaker turn: Long unbroken blocks of transcript text are hard to scan and navigate
• Include periodic timestamps: Timestamps every minute or two let a reader jump to a specific point without scrubbing through video
• Post the transcript alongside the video, not instead of captions: Captions and transcripts serve different needs; provide both whenever possible

Tooling

• YouTube Studio: Subtitles tab lets you edit auto-generated captions line by line, adjust timing, and download as SRT or VTT
• Google Docs voice typing / Word Transcribe: Both can generate a first-pass transcript from an audio or video file that you then review and correct
• Google Meet / Zoom recordings: Both platforms can auto-generate a transcript alongside a recording; review it the same way as any auto-caption before sharing

The Four-Way Decision

• Decorative: Adds visual interest only and carries no information (a border flourish, a stock background photo). Mark it with an empty alt attribute (alt="") so a screen reader skips it entirely, rather than announcing "image" and wasting the listener's attention
• Informative: Conveys content a reader needs (a photo of student work, a diagram of a process). Write a concise description of what the image shows and why it is there
• Functional: The image acts as a control (a linked icon, a button graphic). Describe the action the image performs, such as "Submit form" or "Open the district calendar," not the image's appearance
• Complex: Charts, graphs, infographics, and diagrams that carry more information than a short phrase can capture. These need a long description in addition to a brief alt attribute; covered in full on the next page

Decision-Flow Questions

• Would removing this image lose any information? If no, it is decorative; use an empty alt attribute
• Does clicking or activating this image do something? If yes, describe the action, not the picture
• Could someone summarize this image in one short sentence? If yes, that sentence is your alt text
• Does the image contain data, relationships, or steps that a sentence cannot capture? If yes, treat it as complex and add a long description

Complex Image Types

• Charts and graphs: Bar, line, and pie charts encode data through position, length, or color that a short phrase cannot fully capture
• Infographics: Multi-part visuals combining icons, short text, and layout to tell a sequence or comparison
• Diagrams: Flowcharts, cycle diagrams, and labeled technical drawings where relationships between parts carry the meaning
• Screenshots of software or web pages: An interface screenshot used in a how-to guide often shows several buttons, menus, or fields at once

Long-Description Techniques

• Adjacent visible text or caption: The simplest option; write the full description as regular text or a caption directly next to the image, visible to every reader, not only screen reader users
• Data table as the equivalent: For a chart, provide the same numbers in a simple data table nearby (or in an appendix); this also serves any reader who wants exact values rather than a visual trend
• Linked long description: For a document that must stay visually clean, a "Full description" link pointing to an appendix page or a separate document works, provided the link text says exactly what it opens
• aria-describedby (web content only): Points a screen reader to a second block of text elsewhere on the page that contains the long description; not available in Word or PDF, only in HTML

Worked Mini-Examples

• Enrollment bar chart: Alt text: "Bar chart of enrollment by grade, 2021-2025." Long description (as an adjacent data table): grade-by-grade enrollment numbers for each year shown
• Fire-safety flowchart: Alt text: "Flowchart of the fire drill procedure." Long description (as body text below the image): each step written out in the same left-to-right, top-to-bottom order as the diagram
• Gradebook screenshot in a how-to guide: Alt text: "Screenshot of the gradebook Assignments tab." Long description (as numbered steps in the surrounding text): "1. Click Assignments. 2. Select the assignment name. 3. Click Enter Grades," rather than describing the screenshot's pixels

Advance Materials

• Send materials with enough lead time: Agendas, slide decks, and handouts distributed at least a few days ahead give attendees using assistive technology, or anyone needing an alternate format, time to prepare
• Distribute accessible file formats: Tagged Word or PDF documents, not a scanned or photographed agenda; apply the same standards covered in the PDF Remediation and document accessibility pages
• Note the accessible-format request process on every invitation: A simple line such as "Contact [name/email] for materials in an alternate format" signals the option is available before someone has to ask

Interpreter & CART Requests

• Who to contact: Route ASL interpreter and CART (Communication Access Realtime Translation) requests through the district accessibility contact so requests are logged and staffed consistently
• Lead time matters: Interpreters and CART providers are scheduled in advance; request as early as possible, and never assume a request can be filled same-day
• Staff meetings vs. public meetings: Internal staff-meeting requests are typically handled directly by the requester's supervisor and the accessibility contact; School Committee and public-meeting requests follow the district's public-meeting accommodation process and posted timeline

Accessible Agendas & Packets

• Use real headings for each agenda item: A screen reader user should be able to jump directly to item 4 the same way a sighted reader scans down the page
• Never publish an image-only agenda: A scanned or photographed agenda page carries no text a screen reader can read; export from the original Word or Google Doc
• Number and label attachments clearly: "Attachment 3: FY26 Budget Summary" in the file name and in the agenda text, not "attachment_final_v2"

Captioned Virtual & Hybrid Calls

• Turn on live captions by default for staff meetings: Both Google Meet and Zoom offer built-in live captioning; enabling it as a default habit removes the need for someone to request it in the moment
• Test audio and camera framing before a hybrid meeting starts: Remote attendees using captions or an interpreter need clear audio pickup and, if an interpreter is present, a camera view that keeps them visible throughout
• Share the chat and any shared documents in an accessible format: A screenshot pasted into chat is not accessible; paste text or share a document link instead

School Committee & Public Meetings

• Broadcast and recorded meetings need captions: Any School Committee or public meeting streamed or recorded for later viewing must include captions on the published recording, not only live captions during the event
• Minutes and supporting documents follow the same accessibility rules: Posted minutes, budget documents, and presentation slides need the same heading structure, alt text, and tagging covered elsewhere in this packet
• Post the accommodation request process publicly: Meeting notices should state how a member of the public requests an interpreter, CART, or materials in an alternate format, and by what deadline

Where Title II Meets Open Meeting Law

• Two obligations, one meeting: Open Meeting Law governs notice, minutes, and public access; Title II governs whether that access is actually usable by someone with a disability. Meeting the letter of Open Meeting Law posting requirements does not automatically satisfy Title II if the posted materials are not accessible
• When in doubt, ask early: Route accommodation questions that touch both areas, such as a request to attend remotely with CART, to the district accessibility contact well before the meeting date

Dyslexia-Friendly Typography

• Choose a clear sans-serif font: Fonts with simple, evenly-spaced letterforms are easier to decode than decorative or condensed fonts
• Left-align text instead of justifying it: Justified text creates uneven gaps between words that disrupt the reading rhythm for many dyslexic readers
• Keep line length moderate: Very long lines make it easy to lose your place; a narrower column or added margin helps
• Avoid long blocks of italics or all-capital text: Both are slower to decode than standard sentence case for many readers
• Increase line spacing slightly: 1.5 line spacing gives letters and words room to stay visually distinct

ADHD- & Autism-Friendly Design

• Chunk content into short sections: A page of small labeled sections is easier to process and return to than one long unbroken passage
• Reduce visual clutter: Extra borders, background images, and decorative flourishes compete for attention with the actual content
• Avoid auto-playing motion, video, or audio: Unexpected movement or sound can be distracting or overwhelming; require a deliberate click to start playback
• State what happens next: "This form has 3 sections and takes about 5 minutes" sets expectations before someone starts

Predictable Navigation

• Keep layout and labeling consistent: The same document type should place headings, dates, and action items in the same place every time
• Use the same term for the same thing throughout: Switching between "submit," "send," and "turn in" for the same action adds unnecessary interpretation work
• Signal where a reader is in a multi-step process: A visible "Step 2 of 4" label reduces uncertainty about how much is left

Reducing Cognitive Load

• One idea per sentence, one step per instruction: Combining multiple instructions into a single sentence increases the chance a step gets missed
• Use plain language as the default: The same grade-level writing guidance covered elsewhere in this training also reduces cognitive load, not only reading difficulty
• Favor progressive disclosure over a wall of text: Show the essential information first, with optional detail available a click away for readers who want it
• Build in extended-time accommodation by default where practical: Untimed or generously-timed digital forms and quizzes remove a barrier before anyone has to request it