Accessibility

• Our goal is to make our online services and applications in compliance with California Government Code 7405, which requires such technologies to meet the accessibility requirements of Section 508 of the Federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended (29 U.S.C. 794d, U.S.C. 255).
• Web platforms and services are evolving constantly as is the support for assistive computer technologies.
• For more information about providing feedback, please see Contacting Organizations About Inaccessible Websites from the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) for tips regarding what information you could provide so we can make improvements.

Resources

• Shortcuts for Your Keyboard
• How to Clear Browser History, Settings and Cache

If you require special telephone service assistance, please access the Voice Recognition System or California Relay Service.

Voice Recognition System

You do not have to know the phone number for the person or department you wish to call. Using our Seneca Voice Recognition System, you may speak the name of the person or department and your call will automatically be transferred there.

From off campus:

1.  Dial: (916) 624-3333 or (530) 274-5300
2.  Press 9
3.  Speak the name of the person or department you wish to be transferred to.

From on campus:

1.  Dial extension 1222
2.  Speak the name of the person or department you wish you to be transferred to.

California Relay Service

If you have limitations hearing or speaking, the State of California offers California Relay Service (CRS), which can relay telephone conversations for all of your calls.

Dial 711 to reach the California Relay Service (CRS).

Dialing 711 is for everyone, not just those who have difficulty hearing on a standard phone. If you prefer having your calls immediately answered in your preferred mode of communication, dial one of the toll-free language-specific numbers below. The call will be routed to the CRS provider. Learn how to make a relay call.

 CRS provides the full range of Relay services for:

• TeleTYpewriter (TTY)
• Voice Carry Over (VCO)
• Two-line Voice Carry Over (2LVCO)
• Hearing Carry Over (HCO)
• Speech-to-Speech (STS)
• Visually Assisted Speech-to-Speech (VA STS)
• ASCII
• Voice
• Enhanced Voice Carryover (Captioned Telephone or CapTel)

Microsoft Office includes a built-in Accessibility Checker that should be used before sharing or exporting documents.

How to Run It

In Word, PowerPoint, or Excel:

1. Go to the Review tab
2.  Select Check Accessibility
3. Review flagged issues in the Accessibility pane

Microsoft categorizes findings as:

• Errors — Content that makes the document difficult or impossible to access
• Warnings — Content that may cause barriers
• Tips — Suggestions to improve usability

The checker explains:

• What the issue is
• Why it matters
• How to fix it

All errors and warnings should be resolved before publishing or distributing documents.

What the Accessibility Checker Catches

The tool helps identify:

• Missing alt text
• Improper heading structure
• Insufficient contrast (in some cases)
• Missing table headers
• Improper reading order
• Missing slide titles in PowerPoint

It is a strong first-pass review tool.

What It Does Not Catch

The checker does not replace human review. It may not fully detect:

• Poorly written alt text
• Meaningless link language and/or broken links
• Complex tables that are technically structured but still confusing (i.e., split columns, empty fields, etc.)
• Contextual accessibility issues
• Accessibility requires both technical checks and thoughtful content design

1. Use Proper Headings and Structure

Screen reader users rely on headings to navigate content.

Best practices:

• Use built-in heading styles (Heading 1, Heading 2, etc.)
• Do not create headings by only bolding or enlarging text.
• Maintain logical order (H1 → H2 → H3)
• Use bulleted or numbered lists instead of manually typing dashes

2. Write Meaningful Link Text

In all writing, emails, newsletters, etc, links should describe where they go.

Avoid:

• “Click here”
• “Read more”
• “Learn more”

Instead use:

• “View the Financial Aid Guide”
• “Apply for Student Housing”
• “Download the Annual Report (PDF)”

Descriptive, contextual links improve clarity for all users.

3. Provide Alternative Text for Images

Alt text allows screen reader users to understand images.

Guidelines:

• Describe the purpose of the image
• If the image is purely decorative, mark it as decorative
• For charts or infographics, provide a summary in nearby text

Example:

Instead of: “Image of students”
Write: “Three nursing students practicing clinical skills in the simulation lab.”

4. Ensure Sufficient Color Contrast

Text must have strong contrast against its background.

Avoid:

• Light gray text on white
• Red or dark colored text on dark backgrounds
• Color-only distinctions (for example, “items in red are required”)

Always provide another indicator beyond color (bold, icon, label).

5. Make Videos Accessible

All videos must include:

• Accurate captions
• Audio descriptions when necessary
• Transcripts when appropriate
• Auto-captions must be reviewed and corrected

Audio Descriptions

Audio descriptions provide spoken narration of important visual information for viewers who are blind or have low vision. They describe visual elements that are not conveyed through dialogue alone.

Audio description should communicate:

• On-screen text
• Speaker identification when not obvious
• Visual actions that are essential to understanding
• Scene changes or setting shifts
• Charts, graphics, or demonstrations that rely on visual explanation

If the necessary visual information is already explained by the speaker, additional description may not be required. However, if key meaning is conveyed visually without narration, audio description must be added.

There are two common approaches:

1. Integrated description: The speaker naturally includes visual context within the script (for example, “As you can see on this chart, enrollment increased by 12 percent.”).
2. Separate audio description track: An additional narration track is added to describe visual content during pauses in dialogue.

Best practice is to plan for audio description during script development rather than retrofitting it after production.

All promotional, instructional, and informational videos should be reviewed to ensure that a viewer who cannot see the screen can still understand the core message and content.

6. Create Accessible PDFs and Documents

Whenever possible, use web pages instead of PDFs.

If PDFs are necessary:

• Use built-in heading styles
• Add alt text for images
• Ensure proper reading order
• Use tagged PDFs
• Avoid scanned image-only documents

Scanned documents must be OCR processed and properly structured.

7. Design Accessible Tables

Tables should:

• Be used only for data (not layout)
• Include header rows
• Avoid merged cells when possible
• Have a simple structure

8. Use Clear, Plain Language

Clarity supports accessibility.

• Use short paragraphs
• Avoid jargon when possible
• Spell out acronyms on first use
• Break long content into structured sections

Websites

• Use approved templates and components
• Avoid embedding inaccessible third-party widgets
• Test with keyboard navigation (no mouse)
• Confirm alt text, headings, and form labels are present

Email

• Use structured formatting
• Avoid image-only emails
• Ensure links are descriptive
• Check color contrast in banners and graphics

Social Media

• Add alt text to images when available
• Use CamelCase for hashtags (example: #SierraCollegePreviewDay)
• Avoid large blocks of text in graphics
• Include captions for video content

Presentations

• Use slide layouts (not manual text boxes)
• Add alt text to images
• Ensure readable font size
• Avoid flashing or overly animated content
• Provide accessible handouts when needed

Accessibility Checklist (Quick Reference)

Before publishing, confirm:

• Headings are structured properly
• Links are descriptive and link to the correct place
• Images include alt text
• Colors meet contrast standards
• Videos include accurate captions
• PDFs are tagged and readable
• Tables are simple and labeled
• Content is clear and readable