Tag: Microsoft Office

Making Accessible Office Documents

One part of creating an inclusive classroom is making sure that the materials we use are accessible to those with disabilities. As the University of Washington Accessible Technology blog points out, there are some common steps that one can take regardless of the type of document. These include:1

  • Using headings
  • Using lists
  • Using meaningful hyperlinks
  • Adding alternate text to images
  • Using tables wisely

I will include links below to helpful resources for each of the three Office tools. This link to the University of Washington page on creating accessible documents contain very helpful information. There is also a link to Microsoft’s accessibility video training hub that has helpful information and examples.

Word

PowerPoint

Excel

References

1. “Overview of Accessible Documents.” n.d. Accessible Technology (blog). Accessed February 20, 2020. https://www.washington.edu/accessibility/documents/overview/.

Outlook: Canned Messages

My previous employer made use of GSuite for Education. One thing I have missed from Gmail is canned responses. These allowed me to create and save recurring responses or bits of text that I could insert into other messages. I found out today that this is possible to do in Outlook. Creating these messages is such a time saver. Check the link below to read about how to set it up.

Microsoft Office Support | Create reusable text blocks for email messages

Pro Tip: if you want to make it easier to use your Quick Parts you can add Quick Parts to the new message Quick Launch area. To do so navigate to the item on the ribbon, right-click and select, “Add to Quick Launch.” Then the Quick Parts are only a click away. The animated GIF below illustrates the steps mentioned.

Steps to add Quick Parts to Quick Launch.