Section 508 Compliance – Articulate Storyline 360

section 508 compliance - articulate storyline 360The accessibility standards of Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act can be challenging to implement for an instructional designers as they need to address every element on the screen like alt-text, tabbing, transcript, colour contrast, etc.

Articulate Storyline 360 supports Section 508 accessibility standards which includes:

  • JAWS readers
  • Full keyboard navigation
  • Visible focus indicator
  • Video subtitle (using timed text boxes)
  • Slide transcripts using Notes tab

Tailoring the Tab Order of Slide Objects:

Disabled persons access the course using Tab Key. Course once connected to screen reader,the Tab order focuses on one object at a time and screen reader describes what it is. Hence,it is very important to put objects in the order for the visually impaired learners to hear.

Articulate Storyline lets you tailor the sequence of Tabbing between the items. Theadvantage is that it helps to enable and exclude objects from the list. If you are usingcustom shapes and you don’t want them to be read by screen reader then follow these steps:

  1. Using Slide view, open the slide which needs to be customized.
  2. In the storyline Ribbon of Home tab, click Tab Order.
  3. This opens the Tab Order window. Select the option Create custom tab order in the upper left corner.
  4. Up/Down arrows in the lower right corner helps to move the position of the object in an order. When an object is select, storyline will indicate the object with red outline making it clear which object is selected.
  5. Then click Save.

Adding Alt Text to an Object:

Some of the objects comes with their own built in wording but most of the objects won’t. In such events you need to add ALT text to such objects so that screen reader can read it. May it be an image or the navigation button, adding text will make the objects applicable to the learners.

Steps to Add Alt Text to the objects are as follows:

  1. Select and right-click the object/text in the slide.
  2. From the drop-down list. Select Accessibility option.
  3. It can also be selected from Size and Position. Short-key for Size and Position window is CTRL+SHIFT+ENTER.
  4. Select the Alt Text tab
  5. Add the relevant text for the object.
  6. The checkbox Object is visible to accessibility tools will display Text or Object in the Tab order.

Another way to add ALT text is

  1. In the storyline Ribbon of Home tab, click Tab Order.
  2. Enter the Alternate Text.
  3. Click Save.

Tips for working with Alternate Text in the Tab Order Window:

  • All the objects will appear in Tab Order including objects from the layers and slide masters.
  • When there is no Alternate Text given to Text/Object, it will read the name of the object from the timeline.
  • In case if you don’t need an object to be read by the screen reader then you can remove the text by clicking Remove button from the lower left corner of the window.

With these new features you can make a course comply with Section 508 standards.

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