Accessibility Checkers
There are some quick accessibility checks you can do yourself. You can also use the following tools:
Accessible Documents
These resources can help you create accessible documents:
Assistive Technology
Learn more about the many types of assistive technology.
Assistive Technology on Your Devices
You can use assistive technology to make devices more usable:
Blackboard Ally
Ally is a feature of Blackboard that provides alternative file formats. It can also translate content into over 30 languages. Learn more about Ally:
Which format should I use?
- Electronic braille for reading on a braille display
- Audio MP3 to listen offline, adjust speech rate, rewind
- PDF with optical character recognition (for scanned documents) to copy and paste, make bookmarks, add notes, read or listen to offline
- PDF with tags for accessibility to read or listen to offline, copy and paste, make bookmarks, add notes,
- HTML displays better on small screens, adjust font size and color, background color, listen with screen reader
- ePub read like an e-book on a tablet, adjust font size and color, background color, listen with screen reader, highlight or mark, read or listen offline
- BeeLine Reader uses font colors to help reading focus, displays well on small screens, can be read offline
CAPTCHA
CAPTCHA stands for Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart. You can choose a visual or audio test to prove you are a human.
Captions
Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART) or real-time captioning is the instant translation of speech into text.
All videos at NIU must have captions.
Read an introduction to captions, transcripts and audio descriptions. You can also:
Courseware Accessibility
Email Accessibility
Read about accessibility features in Microsoft Outlook.
Laws and Policies about Technology Accessibility
Purchasing Accessible Technology
Learn about purchasing accessible technology at NIU, including:
Screen Readers
A screen reader is a text-to-speech system that converts digital text into spoken words. People who are blind or have a visual impairment use screen readers as well as people who benefit from hearing content.
Built-in Screen Readers
Accessing the screen reader depends on the operating system:
- Apple Voiceover: Toggle Command F5 to turn on and off.
- Windows Narrator: Use Windows key to access Narrator.
- iPhone VoiceOver:
- Use Siri and say, “Turn on VoiceOver” or “Turn off VoiceOver.”
- Triple-click the side button (if you have Face ID).
- Triple-click the Home button.
- Go to Settings, then Accessibility, then VoiceOver and turn the setting on or off.
- Android TalkBack:
- Press and hold both volume keys on the side of the phone for 3 seconds. Then press both volume keys for 3 seconds again to confirm.
- With Google Assistant, say, “Hey Google. Turn off TalkBack” or “Turn on TalkBack.”
- Go to Settings, then Accessibility, then TalkBack and turn the setting on or off.
Downloadable Screen Readers for PCs
Universal Design
Read about using universal design to create accessible courses and materials.
Videos from the Office for Civil Rights
The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights provides a series of accessibility videos, including the following focused on basic accessibility for online documents and web applications:
Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT®)
The VPAT is a document that explains how a product meets accessibility standards. Learn how to:
Webpages
NIU Web and Internal Communications provides accessibility guidelines for NIU webpages in the web standards.