Information Technology and Services (ITS) has announced that registrations are being accepted for six more sessions of the award-winning workshop “Accessibility Fundamentals for Microsoft Office 2013 and Adobe Acrobat DC (Windows).”

This workshop will help build faculty and staff awareness of, sensitivity to and proficiency in ensuring the accessibility of course materials, presentations, events, documents, websites and online resources. The goal is that anyone and everyone in the SU community who uses information and communication technology does so in ways that are accessible. This training will help users understand accessibility, put it into practice on the job, and support the organization’s moves to ensure accessibility of its documents, systems and communications.

Register here

About the workshop

ITS developed this workshop in partnership with New Horizons Computer Learning Centers of Syracuse to meet the rising demand from across campus for face-to-face training to build faculty and staff awareness of and proficiency with using technology to ensure the accessibility of the University’s information and communication technology. Almost 500 faculty and staff from the University’s schools, colleges and departments have taken this training and find it useful. The Central New York Chapter of the American Society for Training and Development recognized this program with a CNY Best Learning and Performance Award. See the course overview, below.

The course has been updated for Adobe Acrobat DC. The workshop will be presented by Sharon Trerise and Kara Patten from ITS’s Academic Services team at the dates and times below. Each class has space for 12 participants and will be held in 001 Steele Hall.

Workshop Dates & Times:

• Friday May 29, 8:30 a.m.-noon
• Wednesday June 3, 8:30 a.m.-noon
• Tuesday June 16, 1-4:30 p.m.
• Thursday July 16, 1-4:30 p.m.
• Tuesday July 21, 8:30 a.m.-noon
• Wednesday Aug. 12, 8:30 a.m.-noon

Seating is limited, so register early! There is high demand for this training, so registration is on a first submitted, first enrolled basis.

Are you a Mac user? While you’ll find this training very useful since the fundamentals of accessibility are the same regardless of the platform, this workshop focuses on Microsoft Office 2013 in Windows. ITS will offer a similar workshop for the Mac soon after the new version of Office for the Mac is released. We don’t know when that will occur, but will let you know when we find out. In the meantime, if you are interested in the Mac version please send your request to accessibility@syr.edu and ask to be added to the Mac training waitlist.

If you have any questions, send them in an email to accessibility@syr.edu.

Accessibility Fundamentals for Microsoft Office 2013 and Adobe Acrobat DC

Course Overview

This three-hour workshop is designed to provide a fundamental overview of creating accessible documents in Microsoft Office 2013 and Adobe Acrobat DC in Windows. At successful course completion students will be able to:

• Explain and demonstrate the importance of creating accessible documents
• Understand basic concepts of creating accessible documents including:
  • Reading order
  • Alternative text
  • Styles
  • Heading structure
  • Titles
  • Tags
• Understand best practices for creating accessible Office and Acrobat documents
• Remediate legacy Office and Acrobat documents to make them accessible
• Utilize the Office accessibility checker
• Specify common accessibility errors
• Utilize Adobe Acrobat DC’s accessibility checker