Chax Chat Accessibility Podcast Dax Castro & Chad Chelius

Microsoft Word is said to be one of the best applications for making accessible documents, but how true is that claim? There are a lot of practices that designers use that set them back while working within Word. Join Chad Chelius and Dax Castro as they talk about some of the most common issues document creators encounter when working within this application, best rules to follow to avoid those issues, and how to remediate your document when issues arise.
Listen in and learn why you should use caution with templates, missing or artifact document covers within the header, title tags versus H1 tags, accessible links in the footer, how to turn off auto-generated alt-text, bulleted lists and 2 column layouts, creating an automated table of contents, and layout tables.
Episode Resources:
How does my Bulleted List Sound Document Learn More about axesWord Demonstration Creating Accessible Dot Leaders By Chad Chelius Are Track Changes Accessible? By Dax Castro Time Stamps
0:00 - Introduction 2:13 - Introducing the Topic 3:03 - Using Caution with Pre-Built Templates 5:15 - Document Cover and Headers 7:35 - Title Tag Versus H1 Tag 13:11 - Accessible Links in the Footer 20:04 - How to turn off Auto-generated Alt-text 25:05 - Bulleted Lists and 2 Column Layouts 29:22 - Manual Table of Contents 35:13 - Layout Tables

Learn our favorite tips, tricks, and shortcuts to creating accessible documents in Indesign!

Every application has hidden secrets, some so good you wish you knew them sooner. Join Chad Chelius and Dax Castro as they share their experiences behind these shortcuts, how they found them, and how each tip can help you become a quicker, more proficient document accessibility expert. 
 In this episode, we will cover how to name and outline heading levels, adding styles to headers, editing all export tags, different techniques to add Items to the articles panel, using the escape key to select the table cell, creating an object style for artifacting, and creating shortcuts to assign a heading level.
Find the Accessible InDesign Starter Template by visiting: https://www.accessibilityunraveled.com/accessible-indesign-styles/
 Get a demonstration of MadeToTag by visiting: 
Accessibilityunraveled.com/axesWord
Time Stamps 0:00: Introduction 3:30 - Topic Introduction 5:57 - Name and Outline Headers 12:56 - Adding Styles to Headers 17:09 - Edit All Export Tags 20:13 - Adding Items to the Articles Panel  24:19 - Use Escape to Select the Table Cell 25:06 - Creating an Object Style for Artifacting 29:16 - Creating Shortcuts to Assign Heading Levels

Avoiding a lawsuit is as easy as implementing accessibility correctly the first time. But as many of us know, we still aren’t quite there yet. There is a lot of work that needs to be done if we are going to truly have an internet that is accessible to everyone. Many businesses and public entities offer services, products, and information that everyone needs access to, regardless of their ability, and sometimes it feels that a lawsuit is the only way to jumpstart that process.
To get an inside look at the legal system, we have invited a special guest to join us of CHAX Chat! Eve Hill of Brown Goldstien & Levy is an ADA lawyer and consultant.
In this episode, we are going to hear firsthand what happens in an ADA lawsuit, the step-by-step process when a complaint is filed, and steps you can take to start preparing your company now for success, enabling your company or organization to serve everyone. 

“Automation does not guarantee compliance!” is the inspiration behind today’s episode. Here at CHAX Accessibility Training. Accessibility Checkers are one such tool. They check for particular issues, but just because a checker does not flag accessibility issues does not mean your documents are compliant. Today we are going to unravel the 7 things that Fail Accessibility but will pass your Checker!
Passing the PAC Checker or Acrobat Checker is only the first step to remediating a document. Once you master these 7 items that your checker will miss, you will be ready to test your document with NVDA or JAWS to ensure everyone has the user experience you intend.

There is no doubt that the subject of accessibility and remediation can be a confusing landscape for those just starting out in this wonderful industry. Today, we tackle part two of our Top Ten Questions in accessibility and remediation!
Some of these answers might surprise you, as we both learned something new in this episode, too. We discover new tools, like PDFix, review our top applications, discuss some of the oddities in the industry, and so much more. Whether you are new to document remediation or a veteran, there is something to learn every day. 
This is part 2 of our Top 10 Questions Accessibility Newbies Ask. Part 1 of this two-part episode originally aired Dec 2023.

Understanding how people use accessibility technology is essential to creating accessible media. In this episode, Chad Chelius and Dax Castro dive into the 2024 WebAIM “Screen Reader User Survey #10 Results” to get an inside look on who uses screen reading tools, and where they use them. They cover age, location, favorite reader, and more. Even though we are exploring a relatively small sample size, the information here is invaluable. So sit back, grab your favorite drink, and get our take on the data! Watch the video on our YouTube Channel @A11Y