Web and Media Accessibility Training in Big Rapids

Join the Technology Assistance Center, Faculty Center for Teaching and Learning, and the Disabilities Services Office the week of June 9, 2014 to learn more about web and media accessibility; what it is and how to create accessible media such as PDF files, Word documents, videos, and websites.

June 9-12, 2014 

Big Rapids, FLT 110 (Capacity: 30. Also available via Adobe Connect). 

Monday, June 9, 2014. 10:00am to Noon. Julie Rudolph, Educational Counselor. Accessibility in Web and Media: What is accessibility? What is your role? 

Students come to the University with diverse learning challenges. Law requires making educational material accessible to all learners. This brief session gives an overview of laws regarding accommodations and accessibility in higher education. 

Tuesday, June 10, 2014. 10:00 am to Noon. Jody Gardei, Technology Services Coordinator. Creating Accessible Documents: How to create accessible newsletters, meeting minutes, and other documents. 

It is important to use certain features within Word to ensure the document is formatted in a way that can be presented in different ways using assistive technologies. Using Styles and other features within Word provides structure that helps screen readers make sense of your document and provide a better experience for your students. Because most Adobe PDF files originate from Microsoft Word, knowing how to structure a Word document is the first step to creating an accessible PDF. Adobe has created a tool called “tags” which contain information about the structure of the document facilitating the effective use of assistive technologies (screen readers). While PDFs are known to be in a static document form, a tagged PDF makes it more accessible. 

Wednesday, June 11, 2014. 10:00 am to Noon. Jackie Hughes, Instructional Technology Coordinator. Closed-Captioning Videos: What are your responsibilities? What tools are available? 

Creating closed captioning and providing transcripts for video and audio may seem like a daunting task, but there are options and it saves you time to be proactive when building out your course with accessibility in mind. Closed captioning and scripting offers alternative modes of learning for students who do not hear well, who has a native language other than English or who may not be an auditory learner. Being proactive in accessibility saves time, money and it develops a culture of diversity and inclusion. 

Thursday, June 12, 2014. 10:00 am to Noon. Jackie Hughes, Instructional Technology Coordinator & Dale Hobart, Web Developer. Creating Accessible Websites. 

Whether you are building a web page in Omni or developing your course in Blackboard, there are easy tips for ensuring accessibility and creating a culture of inclusion. In this session, attendees will learn how to make text, images, tables, forms, etc. accessible. Attendees will also be shown how to test a web page for accessibility. 

To register for this training contact the Faculty Center for Teaching and Learning at fctl@ferris.edu or call 231-591-3826.

Anyone with a disability who needs special accommodations to attend this event should call 231.591.5615 at least 72 hours in advance.

Web and Media Accessibility Training in Grand Rapids

Join the Technology Assistance Center, Faculty Center for Teaching and Learning, and the Disabilities Services Office on June 4, 2014 to learn more about web and media accessibility; what it is and how to create accessible media such as PDF files, Word documents, videos, and websites.

June 4, 2014 

Grand Rapids, Federal Building, WNF 014 (Capacity: 12). 

9:30 to 10:15 am, Julie Rudolph, Educational Counselor. Accessibility in Web and Media: What is accessibility? What is your role? 

Students come to the University with diverse learning challenges. Law requires making educational material accessible to all learners. This brief session gives an overview of laws regarding accommodations and accessibility in higher education. 

10:30 to Noon, Jody Gardei, Technology Services Coordinator. Creating Accessible Documents: How to create accessible newsletters, meeting minutes, and other documents. 

It is important to use certain features within Word to ensure the document is formatted in a way that can be presented in different ways using assistive technologies. Using Styles and other features within Word provides structure that helps screen readers make sense of your document and provide a better experience for your students. Because most Adobe PDF files originate from Microsoft Word, knowing how to structure a Word document is the first step to creating an accessible PDF. Adobe has created a tool called “tags” which contain information about the structure of the document facilitating the effective use of assistive technologies (screen readers). While PDFs are known to be in a static document form, a tagged PDF makes it more accessible. 

1:15 to 2:00 pm, Jackie Hughes, Instructional Technology Coordinator. Closed-Captioning Videos: What are your responsibilities? What tools are available? 

Creating closed captioning and providing transcripts for video and audio may seem like a daunting task, but there are options and it saves you time to be proactive when building out your course with accessibility in mind. Closed captioning and scripting offers alternative modes of learning for students who do not hear well, who has a native language other than English or who may not be an auditory learner. Being proactive in accessibility saves time, money and it develops a culture of diversity and inclusion.

2:10 to 3:00 pm, Jackie Hughes, Instructional Technology Coordinator. Creating Accessible Websites.

Whether you are building a web page in Omni or developing your course in Blackboard, there are easy tips for ensuring accessibility and creating a culture of inclusion. In this session, attendees will learn how to make text, images, tables, forms, etc. accessible. Attendees will also be shown how to test a web page for accessibility.

To register for this training contact the Faculty Center for Teaching and Learning at fctl@ferris.edu or call 231-591-3826.

Anyone with a disability who needs special accommodations to attend this event should call 231.591.5615 at least 72 hours in advance.

Computer Equipment Resale Offer for May 2014

It’s time for an upgrade! We’ve upgraded all dell desktops. We’ve also added iMacs to our line up.

We’re offering 20% off all Dell desktops purchased on the Computer Equipment Resale site starting May 16 until May 23, 2014. Enter promotion code TC0514 on the Payment Details page. Item availability is limited. 
Also check out our Facebook page (Ferris State University – Computer Equipment Resale Store) for additional savings opportunities.

Adding a Link to a PDF II

There are several ways to use links in a PDF. In an earlier blog I covered how to use a link that will bring them to a different location within the document. In this blog I will cover adding a link to the document that will open a web page.   

To add a link:  

• Click on Tools
• Click on Content Editing
• Go down to Add or Edit Link
• Click on Add or Edit Link

Now you can draw a box around any area that you want to be a link. You can make something as small as a letter a link or an entire picture. Once you have drawn your box a window will pop-up. You can choose how your link will look. Also, you can choose your link action.

• Click Open A Web Page 
• Click Next
• A box will appear asking you to enter the URL for the site you want to link to.  

• Enter the URL and select OK

After your link is set you want to make sure the link is working properly. You need to first select the hand tool on the tool bar; then you can click on your link.   

Written by Carrie Hall

Information for Mac Users Using Outlook 2011

We have found that Outlook 2011 client for Mac cannot access the archives that are migrated over from Lotus Notes.

If you are a Mac user that had Lotus Notes archives migrated to Outlook, you will need to use the web client to get to the archives. In other words,
you need to go to http://office.ferris.edu and login there to view those archived emails. You then need to go to the bottom of the list of folders on the sidebar and look for the In-Place Archives – youremailaddress@ferris.edu

Emails that you archive from within the Outlook client will be viewable in the Outlook client under the “In-Place” archives.

If you have any questions, contact the Technology Assistance Center at 231-591-4822.

Lynda the Trainer

Lynda helped me learn how to use Quick Parts in Outlook 2013. She also helped me learn how to set up Lync. I don’t know what I would do without her!

Lynda isn’t really a person, but Lynda can help you learn
how to do all sorts of things in Outlook or Office 365. Lynda.com is a video training resource that can help anyone learn software, creative, and business skills to achieve personal and professional goals. 

Ferris State University has a University-wide license for all Faculty and Staff to access Lynda.com’s vast library of high quality, current, and engaging video tutorials. 

To access your Lynda.com account, all you have to do is log into MyFSU, and under the MyFSU tab, there is a “Training Resources” box; click the Lynda.com link which will direct you to the website.

Written by Emily Tiesenga and Jody Gardei

Just-in-Time Training Option for Office 365

Imagine sitting at your desk reviewing your email in Outlook and you discover you need to know how to create a signature block. You log into Lynda and type in “Outlook 2013 signature” in the search box. You choose Filter by: Videos from the left menu and find

the exact training video you are looking for; Adding Signatures. You select the video and in less than three minutes you have learned what you need to know to create your custom signature.

Lynda.com training is a great just-in-time training resource. Access to Lynda.com video training is available for free to Ferris employees. Log in to MyFSU. Go to the MyFSU tab and find the Training Resources channel. Select Lynda.com from the list. You will be asked to provide your name and email the first time you access the system.

Written by Jody Gardei

February Satisfaction Survey Drawing Winner

Each time you complete the satisfaction survey emailed to you after the TAC has closed a work ticket, you will be entered into a drawing to win a free lunch at The Rock. The drawings will be held at the end of each month throughout 2014. The winner for the month of February is
Annette Erler. Thanks Annette for taking the time to share your experience with us. Enjoy your free lunch at The Rock!

Acrobat Pro XI Tip: Reducing PDF Size

Do you have a PDF that is too large to send in an email? There is a way to resize your document in Adobe Acrobat Pro XI without recreating it.

Go to File, Save As Other, Reduced Size PDF…

Choose a version of Acrobat in the Make compatible with box. Choose the version of Acrobat based on the version of Acrobat the receiver has installed on their computer. The file size will be smaller if you choose
a higher version of Acrobat. The versions of Acrobat you may find on Ferris computers are version 9.0 and later.

Click OK. Name the file and click Save.

Outlook 2013 Tip: Set The Default Printer Paper Tray

To change the default printer paper source in Outlook 2013, use the setting within the Print screen of Outlook. Keyboard shortcuts are included in parenthesis for those who prefer to use them over the mouse.

To do set the default printer tray from within Outlook 2013, select the email
you would like to print. Select the File tab (Alt F) and select Print (Alt P). Double mouse click on Memo Style (Alt Y2), open the Paper tab (Ctrl tab one time) and go to the Paper Source selection box (tab three times). Select the paper tray you would like to use (use the down arrow to select the paper tray). Select OK (tab nine times, then press the enter key). You may now select Print to print your Outlook 2013 document from the selected tray (Alt P two times).

Written by Jody Gardei and Rob Hazekamp