Accessibility at Bowdoin: Tools and Where to Start

Questions

  • What accessibility tools and resources does Bowdoin offer?
  • How do I make my course materials accessible to all students?
  • Where do I start with digital accessibility?
  • How do I make my documents, slides, and PDFs accessible?
  • What assistive technology is available to me at Bowdoin?
  • How can I have text read aloud to me?
  • Who do I contact for accessibility help or accommodations?

Environment

This article applies to all Bowdoin students, faculty, and staff. It is a starting point that links to the more specific accessibility how-to articles in this section.

Resolution

Digital accessibility means creating and using content that works for everyone, including people who rely on assistive technology such as screen readers, text-to-speech, dictation, and captions. Bowdoin expects college websites and applications to meet the WCAG 2.0 AA standard, and the same principles apply to the documents, slides, and media you create every day.

Make your content accessible

  • Accessible Documents — create accessible Word documents, PowerPoint slides, and PDFs, and check your work with the Microsoft Accessibility Checker. See the Accessible Documents articles in the Related Articles section.
  • Alt text — add meaningful descriptions to images so they make sense to screen-reader users. See Write Effective Alt Text for Images.
  • Captions — add captions to course videos in Panopto, Zoom, and YouTube. See the Captioning and Subtitles articles.

Use assistive technology

  • Text to speech — have on-screen text read aloud with Speechify, Microsoft Immersive Reader, or the built-in Spoken Content features on your Mac, iPad, and iPhone. See the Tools for Text to Speech articles.
  • Dictation — type with your voice on Mac, iPad, and iPhone. See Use Dictation (Speech-to-Text).
  • Screen readers — navigate your device by audio with VoiceOver (Apple) or Narrator (Windows). See Screen Readers: VoiceOver and Narrator.
Need an accommodation? Technology tools are only part of the picture. Students should contact the Student Accessibility Office, and employees should contact Workplace Accessibility and Accommodations, both linked from Bowdoin's Accessibility site below.

Additional Help

If you need further assistance, you have several options:

  • Bowdoin Bot: Chat with Bowdoin Bot directly from any KB page for instant answers.
  • Phone: Call the Bowdoin College Service Desk at (207) 725-3030.
  • In person: Visit the Tech Hub in Smith Union during business hours.
  • Submit a ticket: Request assistance through the Service Catalog.

Additional Resources

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Related Articles (3)

Screen Readers: VoiceOver (Apple) and Narrator (Windows)
An introduction to the built-in screen readers VoiceOver (Mac, iPad, iPhone) and Narrator (Windows), including how to turn each on or off with a keyboard shortcut and where to adjust voice and navigation settings. Applies to Bowdoin community members using Apple or Windows devices.
Use Dictation (Speech-to-Text) on Mac, iPad, and iPhone
How to turn on and use Dictation (speech-to-text) on Mac, iPad, and iPhone, including enabling it in settings, starting and stopping, and adding punctuation by voice. Applies to Bowdoin community members using Apple devices.
Write Effective Alt Text for Images
Explains what alt text is, how to add it to images and objects in Microsoft 365, and how to write it effectively — keeping it concise, conveying purpose, marking decorative images, and describing charts and functional images. Applies to faculty, staff, and students creating documents and slides.