As someone who is computer literate I feel pretty comfortable with Word. I know how to use it's basic features, and even some of the advanced ones. I had never used or heard of the accesibility features. I had always found the heading options an obnoxious accessorie that often messed up my formating. I learned though that they play a vital role in allowing people with dissabilities to use documents.
To complete this project I created an install manual for a piece of software called ActivInspire. It is interactive whiteboard software that my district uses and the install (and frankly the operation) can be fairly clunky. In creating my manual I struggled with the images. I used a ton, to help illustrate the directions, and for each I needed to have alt text. The problem? My main computer, a Mac, didn't have the option of adding alt text in Word. I worked around this by using my school computer. I'm very pleased with my result. I've created a document that will be used across my district for the next few years to help install a vital piece of software. I created something, that before starting this project I had no idea existed, let alone was capable of creating. I also created something that people with disabilites will be able to use and access.
In my classroom I am striving to be as paperless as possible. As I reach towards that goal, accessibility becomes a big issue. These lessons will allow me to create documents that I use in class that are accessible, and will be able to be used by all of my students.
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