In this episode of Chax Chat, Chad Chelius and Dax Castro take a hard look at the hidden risks of relying on templates for accessible content. They unpack how even well-intentioned templates can bake in bad practices and create barriers at scale when not built with accessibility in mind. From heading structures to color contrast, the duo shares tips on what to look out for and how to fix it. They also touch on recent accessibility lawsuits that highlight the real-world consequences of getting it wrong. So settle in, grab your favorite beverage, and let’s talk about how to turn your templates from risky to reliable.

In this episode of Chax Chat, Chad Chelius and Dax Castro dive into the world of artificial intelligence and its role in accessibility. From AI-generated alt text to document remediation tools, they explore the balance between automation and accuracy. You’ll hear real-world examples, a few rants, and some solid advice for those navigating this evolving landscape. Whether you’re curious about what’s next or skeptical of the hype, this episode offers valuable insights and a few laughs along the way. So pour yourself a cup of curiosity, and let’s jump right in!

In this episode of Chax Chat, Chad Chelius and Dax Castro tackle some of the most common challenges in document accessibility. From overlooked tagging issues to the hidden complexities of tables and lists, they break down key remediation strategies that can save you time and frustration. Whether you're a seasoned pro or just starting out, this conversation is packed with practical tips to help you create compliant, user-friendly PDFs. So sit back, grab your favorite mug of whatever, and let’s get into it!

They say the best way to learn a language is by working with a native speaker, and learning Assistive Technology is no different. We are thrilled to have Kristen Witucki from Tamman Inc join us today on Chax Chat to talk about her experience as a native assistive technology user.

Kristen walks us through the way she uses NVDA and JAWS, her setting preferences, and how the use of this technology affects her day to day life.

Kristen works with Tamman Inc both as an Assistive Technology Communications Expert, as well as the host of the podcast Article 19, the podcast that explores accessibility through stories and experiences that tie us all together.

Effective use of alt text, actual text, extended descriptions, and captions are essential for helping the users of accessibility tools read the document the way you intended. Most documents contain more than words alone. Graphics, graphs, photos, and even stylized formats are used to enhance the reader experience. But oftentimes, these visual elements disrupt or even create a barrier for users of AT.

In today’s episode of Chax Chat, Chad Chelius and Dax Castro discuss some of the pitfalls and barriers caused by the misuse of these important information tools. We talk through different real life examples of how alt text and actual text have been used to solve problems introduced by different graphic design and layout elements.

Today on Chax Chat we talk about designing with accessibility in mind. Creating an accessibility-first mindset is essential to the success of creating documents that maximize accessibility from the start and avoid the time drain of accessibility at the end or redoing the work when the inevitable last-minute change comes. Join Chad Chelius and Dax Castro as they break down

• Designing accessible trifolds
• Implementing accessible QR codes
• Captions
• Table of Contents, and;
• Reasons to avoid Drop Caps

Adobe InDesign offers several features to manage the tags and content of your document for accessibility, but not all panes are built the same! In today’s episode of Chax Chat, we are going to explore all three of these windows, the benefits and purposes they serve, and when or when not to use them.

Today we will be defining assistive technology, unraveling the tags pane, the order panel, and the content pane. We will also be defining assistive technology and learning more about how to work with tags within your PDF document.

• Related Episode: Part 2: Top 10 Accessibility Questions Newbies Ask
• Related Episode: Who does the Reading Order affect? This Guest: Sonya Lewis!
• Related Episode: Guest Leonard Rosenethol - Content Authenticity, Liquid Mode and Read Order

Time Stamps:

• 0:00 - Introduction
• 2:52 - Topic Introduction
• 5:44 - Tags Pane
• 9:28 - Defining Assistive Technology
• 11:28 - Working with Tags in a PDF File
• 14:15 - Order Panel
• 18:43 - Content Pane
• 34:26 - Mislabeling Tools

Microsoft Word is said to be one of the best applications for making accessible documents, but how true is that claim? There are a lot of practices that designers use that set them back while working within Word. Join Chad Chelius and Dax Castro as they talk about some of the most common issues document creators encounter when working within this application, best rules to follow to avoid those issues, and how to remediate your document when issues arise.

Listen in and learn why you should use caution with templates, missing or artifact document covers within the header, title tags versus H1 tags, accessible links in the footer, how to turn off auto-generated alt-text, bulleted lists and 2 column layouts, creating an automated table of contents, and layout tables.

Episode Resources:

• How does my Bulleted List Sound Document
• Learn More about axesWord Demonstration
• Creating Accessible Dot Leaders By Chad Chelius
• Are Track Changes Accessible? By Dax Castro

Time Stamps

• 0:00 - Introduction
• 2:13 - Introducing the Topic
• 3:03 - Using Caution with Pre-Built Templates
• 5:15 - Document Cover and Headers
• 7:35 - Title Tag Versus H1 Tag
• 13:11 - Accessible Links in the Footer
• 20:04 - How to turn off Auto-generated Alt-text
• 25:05 - Bulleted Lists and 2 Column Layouts
• 29:22 - Manual Table of Contents
• 35:13 - Layout Tables