- Posters or infographics to display on a wall or bulletin board
- Print information that is handed out, mailed, backpacked home, or sent to intended recipients.
- Forms to be signed and returned to school.
In those situations, the NYC DOE is required to provide an accessible digital version.
Accessible Digital Versions
People who need assistive technology to read materials--whether because of a disability or because of their needs for translation--will need digital versions of them. For that reason, whenever you create something that you think of as “print only,” it must be available in a digitally accessible format such as:
- A webpage on an accessible platform that’s been formatted so that it’s accessible for people with disabilities.
- A Word, Excel, Google, or Pages document that’s been formatted so that it’s accessible to people with disabilities.
- An accessible fillable form.
Style
All content should be written at a grade 6 - 9 reading level. Find out more at our Plain Language Guidance webpage, and NYC DOE Style Guide.
Design
- Follow the American Printing House for the Blind’s Guidelines for Print Document Design.
- Make sure that you’ve Incorporated both QR Code and shortened URL into the design, so the digital version can be accessed by people with disabilities
QR Code
QR Codes are one way for people with disabilities to get from a printed document to a digital equivalent--whether it be a webpage or a digitally accessible version of the document.
- To generate a QR Code, visit your favorite QR Code generator.
- Pick one that won't expire.
- If you're not sure how, check out these tips and these instructions on how to generate a QR Code.
- Once you provide a URL, a code is generated that can be placed in a document.
- Include the phrase, “Access a digital version of this < poster, flyer, etc>” above the QR code.
- There is no set standard for where QR codes are placed, but they usually appear at the bottom of a document.
- You may want to set a standard for your school or office.
- Making the QR code physically findable to those with a vision-based disability can be as simple as cutting a bottom corner on the page to indicate its location.
A Shortened URL
A shortened url makes it easier to access content where the original link is long and hard to remember. Popular services are TinyURL and Bitly. Keep in mind that:
- A custom URL tied to the online topic is easiest for people to use--and remember!
- Bitly URLs are case-sensitive--folks have to enter them exactly as they are written (regarding capital and non-capital letters)
- TinyURLs are not case sensitive--you can write it in CamelCase, but folks can type it in all caps--or all lower-case letters
Accessible Non-Digital Versions
Sometimes you may need to offer other physical options for print materials depending on the needs of the audience. These can include:
Braille
You may make Braille copies of your print document.
- Here is a list of Braille transcription services from National Federation from the Blind.
- The Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities (MOPD) can provide some local resources and limited Braille services.
Large Print
You may make a large print version of the content. This requires that the document use:
- A sans serif font like Arial, Calibri at a minimum of 18 pt. in size.
- Be sure to modify your H2 and H3 headings accordingly.
- A color contrast of 4.5:1 between the text and the background .