Accessibility Home
At our institutional core is the desire to contribute to the creation of a world that is just, humane, and sustainable.
Incorporating accessibility considerations in all aspects of what we do at Swarthmore is part of how we make our aspirations a reality.
We incorporate thinking about accessibility throughout our work and in the documentation of tools available to the Swarthmore College community. This section of our KnowledgeBase (KB) focuses on some of the fundamental principles and how-to's. You will find other accessibility tips and information in most of our other documentation as well.
Some examples include:
Jump to a category: Getting Started | Document Accessibility | Images & Visual Content | Video & Media | Web & Digital | Assistive Technology | Microsoft Office
Getting Started
New to accessibility at Swarthmore? Start here for key concepts and Swarthmore-specific guidance.
- "Fast Five" Essentials to Preparing Materials
- Accessibility Main Page
- Simple testing before you buy
- I have a Mac, do I have the right version of Office to use the Accessibility Checker?
Document Accessibility
Create Word documents, PDFs, and other files that work for everyone, including people who use screen readers.
- Creating Accessible Documents
- Creating Accessible Documents and PDFs
- Creating PDFs
- Using Word's Properties to flow into a more accessible PDF
- Using Word's Style Gallery to Create Structure in Your Document
- Scanning Documents for Uploading to Moodle Assignments
- Process for obtaining accessible books
- Google Docs: Changing the Look of Headings and Paragraphs
Images & Visual Content
Make sure images and visual materials convey their meaning
to all users, including those who can't see them.* Tools & Tips for Image Descriptions
Video & Media Accessibility
Add captions and transcripts to videos so all users can access your content, including recordings of classes and meetings.
- ALLY:Auto Captioning Videos in Panopto
- Auto-Captioning Video in YouTube
- Panopto: Enable Automatic Caption Requests Per Folder
- Live Captions and Transcripts on Personal Devices
Web & Digital Accessibility
Ensure that web pages, course materials, and other digital content meet accessibility standards.
- Best Practices: Webpage Creation
- Automated Web Accessibility Checkers - Lighthouse
- Accessibility and Online Teaching
Assistive Technology & Device Settings
Learn about screen readers, keyboard navigation, and built-in accessibility features on your devices.
- Assistive Technology Software
- Activating Sticky Keys
- iOS Background Sounds: Focus, Calm, and Accessibility
- Accessibility Filescan
Microsoft Office Accessibility
Step-by-step guidance for making Office files accessible using Microsoft's built-in tools.
- Use Microsoft's Accessibility Checkers
- [[I have a Mac, do I have the right version of Office
to use the Accessibility Checker?]]
- Using Word's Properties to flow into a more accessible PDF
- Using Word's Style Gallery to Create Structure in Your Document
Links to Other Resources
External tools and Swarthmore-specific resources to support your accessibility work.