Module 0: Introduction & Background

[bright musical tones with gentle swoosh]

Voice Over (VO): Accessible Electronic Document Community of Practice, AED-COP.

[gentle swoosh]

VO: You are watching how to make an accessible document in Microsoft Excel.

VO: This is module zero, introduction and background. This video is one in a series of videos that explain and demonstrate the minimum steps that need to be performed to ensure your Excel worksheet is section 508 conformant.

VO: Each module is divided into five sections. Topic introduction, how to author for accessibility, how to test for accessibility, and accessible examples, and accessible examples.

VO: Upon completing this series, you will be exposed to the importance of authoring Excel worksheets with accessibility in mind and the limitations created for persons with disabilities when spreadsheets are not section 508 conformant.

VO: The guidance provided in this video series is based on the section 508 baseline test guide for Excel and the section 508 Excel checklist authored by the AED-COP.

VO: For more information on the AED-COP and to download the latest AED-COP guidance or to gain access to a detailed test process, visit www.section508.gov.

VO: In October 2012, subject matter experts from several federal agencies developed an accessible electronic document community of practice or AED-COP with the goal of improving accessible content, advancing the field of accessibility, and creating accessible artifacts reusable across many agencies.

VO: Federal agencies and other institutions create millions of documents and presentations each year.

VO: When creating content, authors should ensure that the content is accessible so that persons with disabilities such as blind or low vision, deaf or hard of hearing, physical disability and cognitive disabilities can have equal access to information.

VO: When accessing electronic information, persons with disabilities may utilize assistive technology otherwise known as AT.

VO: Examples of AT are screen readers or text-to-speech software. These tools assist individuals with disabilities by reading out loud visual and non-visual electronic content by interpreting the words on the page and translating them to a computerized voice that reads the information.

VO: Accessible documents and presentations work in partnership with assistive technology to ensure individuals with disabilities have full access to the information that is being presented.

VO: To make it easier to learn how to create, test and remediate Microsoft Excel spreadsheets for section 508 conformance, this course covers document formatting, text formatting, object formatting, color formatting, and audio, video and synchronized media topics.

VO: This course does not cover worksheets with macros or programmed formatting saved in the .excel.sm format.

VO: These documents are better tested with a software baseline test process, which is located at www.section508.gov.

VO: Microsoft Excel for PC with forms enabled and restricted documents which cannot be tested.

VO: Thank you for watching Module Zero. You are encouraged to watch the other modules in this video series and revisit modules to gain a mastery of the information provided.

VO: To learn more about Section 508, visit www.section508.gov. This video is a product of the Accessible Electronic Document Community of Practice, Chief Information Officers Council, and the Federal Aviation Administration.