Accessibility by Design
Accessibility by Design
Henrico County Public Schools is committed to fostering an inclusive digital environment for all stakeholders. To achieve this, we as a division are moving to Accessibility by Design—integrating usability and compliance (WCAG 2.1 AA standards) into the foundation of our work. This page serves as a growing hub for training materials and design resources, providing you with the tools necessary to ensure all newly created digital content is universally accessible from the very beginning.
Canva
Canva provides tools that can help you create more accessible newsletters and documents. By following accessibility best practices and testing your final PDF, you can make your content easier for everyone to read and navigate.
Important Accessibility Notice
Using Canva's accessibility tools does not automatically guarantee compliance with WCAG, PDF/UA, Section 508, ADA requirements, or organizational accessibility standards.
Canva's accessibility features can significantly improve accessibility, but exported PDFs should always be tested using accessibility tools and, whenever possible, assistive technologies such as screen readers.
6 Key Steps to Create an Accessible Newsletter in Canva
STEP 1
Use the Built-In Accessibility Checker
How To Do It
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Open your design.
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Select File.
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Choose Accessibility.
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Click Check Design Accessibility.
What the Checker Can Identify
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Missing alternative text
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Low color contrast
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Small font sizes
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Readability concerns
Best Practice
Review every issue flagged by the checker and make corrections before exporting your document.
STEP 2
Create a Logical Reading Order
How To Do It
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Open the Position panel.
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Select the Layers tab. .
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Review the order of your content.
Important Note: Layer order may influence reading order in exported PDFs, but Canva does not guarantee that screen readers will follow the layer order exactly.
Best Practice
Arrange content logically:
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Main title
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Introduction
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Body content
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Images and captions
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Contact information
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Footer
After exporting, test the PDF using accessibility tools or a screen reader.
STEP 3
Use Proper Heading Styles
How To Do It
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Select a text box.
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Open the text formatting menu.
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Apply heading styles when available.
Recommended Structure
Heading 1 (H1) Main newsletter title
Heading 2 (H2) Major sections
Heading 3 (H3) Subsections
Best Practice
Use only one H1 per document and maintain a consistent heading hierarchy.
Note
Heading support varies depending on the Canva format being used. Verify that heading structure is preserved after export.
STEP 4
Add Alternative Text to Images
How To Do It
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Right-click an image.
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Select Alternative Text.
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Enter a concise description.
Example
Image: Community members planting flowers.
Alt Text: "Volunteers planting flowers in a community garden."
Decorative Images
If an image is decorative and provides no informational value:
☑ Mark as Decorative
Examples:
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Background shapes
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Decorative dividers
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Visual flourishes
Best Practice
Describe the purpose of the image, not every visual detail.
STEP 5
Check Color Contrast and Typography
Recommended Contrast
Minimum contrast ratio:
4.5:1 for normal body text
Typography Recommendations
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Use simple, readable fonts.
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Avoid overly decorative fonts.
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Maintain adequate spacing.
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Use a minimum body text size of approximately 12 points.
Examples of Good Contrast
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Dark blue text on white background
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Black text on light gray background
Examples of Poor Contrast
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Light gray text on white background
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Yellow text on white background
Best Practice
Use Canva's Accessibility Checker to identify potential contrast issues.
STEP 6
Export as an Accessible PDF
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Select Share.
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Choose Download.
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Select PDF Standard.
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Review export settings carefully.
Important
If Canva offers a Flatten PDF option:
Do not flatten the PDF if accessibility is required.
Flattening may remove document structure that assistive technologies rely upon.
Best Practice
Always review the exported PDF before distribution.
Accessibility is an ongoing process, not a one-time checklist. Canva provides useful tools, but meaningful accessibility requires thoughtful design decisions and testing throughout the document creation process.
Word
STEP 1
Use the Built-In Accessibility Checker
How To Do It
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Select the Review tab.
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Click Check Accessibility.
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Review issues listed in the Accessibility pane.
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Correct all identified issues.
STEP 2
Apply Heading Styles
How To Do It
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Highlight your heading text.
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Select the Home tab.
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Apply Heading 1, Heading 2, or Heading 3 styles.
STEP 3
Add Alternative Text to Images (if applicable)
How To Do It
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Right-click an image.
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Select View Alt Text.
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Enter a meaningful description.
STEP 4
Create Accessible Tables (if applicable)
How To Do It
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Insert a table.
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Select the table.
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Open the Table Design tab.
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Enable Header Row.
STEP 5
Check Color Contrast and Readability
Recommended Contrast
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Use dark text on a light background.
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Maintain at least a 4.5:1 contrast ratio.
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Use readable fonts such as Aptos, Calibri, Arial, or Verdana.
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Use 12-point font or larger for body text.
STEP 6
Export an Accessible PDF
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Select File.
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Choose Save As.
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Select PDF.
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Open Options.
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Ensure document structure tags are enabled.
Accessibility is not a one-time task. Creating accessible documents helps ensure that everyone can access and understand your content, regardless of ability or technology used.
Grackle for Google Documents
To meet the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.1 AA) our documents must include proper color contrast, accessible hyperlinks, clear heading hierarchies, image alt text, and properly formatted tables that screen readers can easily interpret. If you plan to upload a PDF to a school website, embed it in a Google Site, or share it via our Schoology or Seesaw, it is important that these PDFs are fully accessible to all learners and community members. Exporting a Google Doc as a PDF ensures the document remains accessible once published.
To make this process seamless, HCPS has launched Grackle, a new Google Docs extension. Before exporting your next Google Doc as a PDF, simply launch GrackleDocs to run an automated 21-point accessibility check. Once your document passes, you can confidently export and share your PDF, knowing it is fully accessible to the public and your students. This tool is especially valuable for teachers posting classroom updates, digital newsletters, or website communications.
How to Use the Grackle Docs Extension
Steps
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Click Extension
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Select Grackle Docs
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Click Launch
Side Panel
After launching the application and running the 21-point check, the tool will identify areas of your document that need restructuring. You can make adjustments and recheck the document as needed. Once the document passes the check, you can view the structure and export it as an accessible PDF.
Grackle Docs Key:
Green check = Passed
Green check with Exclamation = Passed with Warning
Red X = Failed
