MS Office, InDesign, and PDF Accessibility "Bootcamp" — May 7-8, 2015

Comprehensive Training on Accessible e-Documents

This workshop will walk you through everything you need to know to create accessible PDF documents from MS Office and InDesign. You'll also receive 6 months of access to Deque's online courses so you can review what you learned during the workshop.

Dates:

Part 1: May 7, 2015 (9:00am-5:00pm)
Part 2: May 8, 2015 (9:00am-3:30pm)

See the schedule for details.

Location:

Deque Headquarters
2121 Cooperative Way
Herndon, VA 2017

Reception phone: 703-225-0380

Located west of Washington DC, next to Dulles Airport.
View Deque location on Google Maps.

See travel and accommodation information.

Registration and Pricing

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Sign up

Or send an email to register and pay by other means (e.g. check or purchase order).

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Topics

This is an ambitious list of topics. It's an accelerated workshop designed to give you a full taste of what's possible, and then allow you to review and learn more at your own pace after the workshop though Deque University's online courses.

Accessibility Fundamentals:

  • Types of disabilities
  • How people with disabilities use computers and the web
  • Demonstrations of assistive technologies: screen readers, screen magnifiers, etc.
  • Applying accessible design principles to the web (perceivable, operable, understandable, robust)
  • Universal design and usability for disabilities and general audiences
  • Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0
  • Laws, regulations, and legal compliance

MS Office Techniques

  • Headings
  • Styles
  • Images
  • Tables
  • Text boxes
  • Word art
  • Special characters
  • Watermarks
  • Headers and footers
  • Table of contents
  • Embedded charts, graphs, and other objects

InDesign Accessibility Techniques

  • Using styles effectively
  • Mapping styles to PDF tags
  • Ensuring proper reading order
  • Ensuring proper tab order
  • Headings
  • Images
  • Tables
  • Lists
  • Links
  • Artifacts

PDF Accessibility Techniques

  • Converting to PDF from Word, InDesign
  • Converting an untagged document to a tagged PDF document
  • Touching up PDF tags
  • Adding, deleting, and re-ordering PDF tags
  • Touching up tables
  • Touching up the reading order
  • Touching up the tab order
  • PDF forms
  • Adding title and other metadata

How to Use a Screen Reader with PDF Documents

  • The basics of using a screen reader to test for accessibility
  • Keyboard shortcuts for screen readers
  • We will discuss NVDA and JAWS

Schedule

Part 1: Thursday May 7 (MS Office and InDesign Accessibility Techniques)

  • 8:30-9:00 — Breakfast (provided by Deque)
  • 9:00-9:15 — Introductions & Overview
  • 9:15-10:15 — Accessibility Fundamentals
  • 10:15-10:45 — MS Office Accessibility Techniques
  • 10:45-11:00 — Break
  • 11:00-12:30 — MS Office Accessibility Techniques (continued)
  • 12:30-1:30 — Lunch (provided by Deque)
  • 1:30-3:00 — InDesign Accessibility Techniques
  • 3:00-3:15 — Break
  • 3:15-5:00 — InDesign Accessibility Techniques (continued)
  • 6:00 — Optional dinner at local restaurant (not provided by Deque)

Part 2: Friday May 8 (PDF Accessibility Techniques)

  • 8:30-9:00 — Breakfast (provided by Deque)
  • 9:00-10:30 — PDF Accessibility Techniques
  • 10:30-10:45 — Break
  • 10:45-12:00 — PDF Accessibility (continued)
  • 12:00-1:00 — Lunch (provided by Deque)
  • 1:00 - 2:30 — PDF Accessibility (continued)
  • 2:30-3:30 — PDF Accessibility (continued)

You'll have enough time on the last day of training to get to the airport and fly home in the evening if necessary.

Breakfast and lunch are included on both days. If the group is interested, we'd be happy to reserve some tables and join you at one of the great local restaurants. The cost of dinner is not included, but we'll be sure to offer up some fun conversation!

What to Bring

Bring a laptop if you can. If you have a Windows-based computer, we highly recommend you install the NVDA screen reader before the workshop. It's free (though of course they welcome donations). If you have a Mac, you have a built-in screen reader called VoiceOver. You do not need to install anything. If you can't bring a laptop, you can follow along with the instructor's projected screen and/or partner up with someone else in the room.

Travel and Accommodations

Dulles airportDriving and Parking: Parking is free, and there is plenty of it. The Dulles Toll Road is the closest major freeway (Centreville Road exit), or you could take I-66 west then Route 28 north, exiting at Frying Pan Road, then going north on Centreville Road. View on Google Maps.

Metro: Deque will provide a shuttle from the Wiehle-Reston East stop to the event.

Airports: Deque's office is right next to Dulles airport, making travel from outside of the Washington DC metro area exceptionally easy. You can also fly into Reagan National Airport and take the Metro most of the way, to the Wiehle-Reston East stop. Deque will provide a shuttle from the Metro to the event.

Hotels

Four hotels are within a reasonable walking distance, and there are numerous other hotels only a short drive away. The closest hotels are the following (with the closest being listed first):

Attractions

space shuttleThe Washington DC area itself offers a wealth of attractions, but you don't have to go far to see some extraordinary sights. The Smithsonian Air and Space Museum's Udvar-Hazy Center boasts the Space Shuttle Discovery, a Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird, a Concorde, and an enormous IMAX theater. Or go swing dancing on Friday night to a live band at the Hilton Washington Dulles Airport. There's plenty to do.

Questions?

If you have any questions about the training, registration, or anything else contact us at training@deque.com.

Sign up

Or send an email to register and pay by other means (e.g. check or purchase order).