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Comment: Put info about uploading all files even if you're not teaching with Moodle into Moodle

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The Moodle File Scan tool checks the accessibility of PDF files in a Moodle class and provides a report on the accessibility of each file. The status is either pass, fail, check, or question. A PDF file fails if it does not contain any text. A file is marked as "check" if the file has text but does not have other accessibility elements. A PDF passes if it meets all the accessibility checks.  

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titlePlease utilize the Moodle File Scan

Even if an instructor is not requiring students to utilize Moodle, the File Scan can be a great tool to see where the course stands in terms of Accessibility, so do consider uploading files but hiding them from students in order to check their accessibility.

What the tool checks for

Text

If a PDF file does not have text it means the file has been scanned as an image. This means that screen readers and other assistive devices will not be able to read the content. As of spring 2022, our current goal is to strive for green checks under the "Text" column on all documents (except where files are legitimate images not images of text).  

Title

A PDF file stores metadata about the document, including the title of the document, which is different than the filename. Having a clear and accurate title helps ensure that users are reading the correct document. If the title is missing from the metadata fields, the PDF will fail this test.

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The Moodle PDF Accessibility Check is a very useful tool to help determine how much of your course material is friendly to assistive technology such as Read & Write, Kurzweil, screen readers, and various other tools people might use to help them consume course readings.

We have a short video on the ITS blog space which explains how to access the block and there is another page in the Moodle knowledge base, Moodle PDF Accessibility Check, which goes into even more detail about what you will find on the block as well as suggestions of how to improve your scan results.

If you'd like to learn more about accessibility, check out these posts on the ITS blog.