Resolving Accessibility Errors

The Accessibility Checker is a great tool for identifying accessibility issues within documents and templates. Here are some common errors that are flagged by the Accessibility Checker and how to resolve them.

Table Missing Header 

To correct a missing table header, click any cell within the table. From the menu that appears, select the Table Header icon and enter the column names.

Alternatively, click the Add Table Header button in the Accessibility Checker to automatically add a table header.

 

Table Missing Caption

To correct a missing table caption error, click any cell within the table. From the menu that appears, select the Add Table Caption icon in the bottom-right corner. 

Alternatively, select the option to Add Table Caption from the Accessibility Checker to automatically add the caption to the table.

Unformatted List/Unordered List 

To correct an unformatted or unordered list, the list will need to be re-built using the rich text editor. Either select the Ordered List or Unordered List icon in the editor toolbar and begin adding in the list items. If copying and pasting a list from another source, strip formatting when pasting to help prevent accessibility issues. This can be done using Shift + Command + V on Mac or Ctrl + Shift + V on Windows.

By default, lists appear as numbered lists, but a different style can be chosen by clicking the dropdown caret (▾) next to the list icon and selecting the preferred option.

Alternatively, the Format as list checkbox in the Accessibility Checker panel can be utilized. This will attempt to automatically reformat the content into a proper list structure. 

Minimum Contrast Ratio

There are a few ways to correct a minimum contrast ratio:

• Highlight the affected text and click on the Text Color icon from the top row in the toolbar. From there, a new color can be chosen by clicking on one of the color boxes or by entering a HEX color code. 
• Drag the accessibility checker color picker to the desired color. 
• Highlight the text with a contrasting color. Highlight the affected text and click on the Background Color icon from the top row in the toolbar.

Pasted Content Being Recognized as a Table

When pasting content into Simple Syllabus, it is important to remove formatting beforehand to help prevent accessibility issues. This ensures that any hidden or external formatting is stripped out, reducing the likelihood of errors occurring within the published document. In cases where the formatting cannot be removed, re-building the table directly within the component would be the best recommendation.

When adding tables to Simple Syllabus, it is best to avoid pasting them directly, as this often leads to formatting discrepancies in the published document. To ensure a consistent and accessible structure, we recommend using the Table tool within the rich text editor to build your tables manually.

Content can then be copied and pasted into cells individually using the keyboard shortcuts below:

1. Use a Keyboard Shortcut to Paste Without Formatting

• Windows: Ctrl + Shift + V
• Mac: Shift + Command + V

2. Use an Intermediary Tool

If the shortcut doesn’t work, you can:

• Copy content from Word.
• Paste it into a blank Google Doc (this strips formatting).
• Then copy it from Google Docs into Simple Syllabus.

The Clear Formatting button may also be helpful for removing any lingering styles or formatting upon highlighting content within the table.

Here is a video tutorial for tips and tricks when building tables: https://vimeo.com/1100723775 password: simple

Once created, this table will roll forward into future syllabi of the same course, so you will not need to recreate it each term. 

Additional resources:

• Tips and tricks when building tables can be accessed with password: simple 
• Creating Tables in Simple Syllabus Article

Pasted Table Hanging Off Page

 

To correct table content that extends beyond the page boundaries, there are a few troubleshooting steps.

First, try to manually resize the table columns by dragging the columns. This may resolve the sizing issue and allow the content to fit properly on the page. Once resized, click Preview to see if the issue remains.

If resizing does not resolve the issue, formatted content that was pasted into the table may be causing the problem. For next steps follow the same troubleshooting steps as Pasted Content Being Recognized as a Table, previously addressed in this article.

Image Should Contain ALT Text

To correct missing ALT text for an image, the image should be selected first. From the menu that appears, the Alternative Text (T) icon in the bottom row should be selected. This will open a text box where the alternative text can be entered.

Alternatively, the alternative text can be added directly within the Accessibility Checker text box, which will automatically assign it to the corresponding image.