Remediating Word Documents - Running the Accessibility Checker

Remediating Using Adobe DC

I have working for the Los Rios Community College remediating course files for their FastTrack OEI Rubric Academy. It is a lot of fun and I have learned an enormous amount in the 3 months I have been employed there. My favorite tool so far, is definitely Adobe DC. This software is absolutely amazing and allows you to do some fantastic and amazing work. It has its quirks and can be a bit of a pain at times, but that is usually due to the formatting of the document, rather than a failure of the software. Below is an example of my work  remediating a document using Adobe DC.

The original document given to me was a copy and paste of a website article into a word document. It included all of the adds and links that had been on the website as well as the comment section and pictures or other articles. It was completely inaccessible to a person using a screen reader, and it was very difficult to figure out what was part of the intended article.

The remediated document has all of the links, photos, and other artifacts removed. I only kept the title, author, photo, and article text. It was necessary to tweak the formatting of the text so that it would be read correctly using a screen reader. Once the editing was done, I ran it through the accessibility checker that is build in to Adobe DC and addressed any issues that it found (headings, reading order, etc.).

The original was a 4 page jumble of text, links and pictures; the final product is a two page article that is easy on the eye and accessible to screen readers.

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Interview with Purpose: Ask the questions that matter.

I was in a job interview recently where I was asked the question “What is your greatest strength? What is your greatest weakness?”. This has to be my least favorite interview question of all time. It contributes little to nothing to the interview, the answer has nothing to do with a person’s ability to do the work required, and it doesn’t give you much insight into the person sitting across the table. 

Whenever interviews have come up as a topic of conversation at my workplace, this question always gets mentioned. The general consensus is that everybody lies on this question because people are reluctant to sharte what they perceive as weaknesses with others, and it is only a matter of how convincingly you lie that will get you through it. Add to this the fact that people are really bad at recognizing their own strengths, and you get a situation where nobody wins.

This is really disturbing to me and begs the question of how many qualified candidates were eliminated because they had the ‘wrong’ weakness, or their strength wasn’t what someone was looking for in a candidate. It also makes me wonder if there are any potential biases at work here which eliminate candidates for a variety of other reasons. Different cultures value different strengths, gender and race are judged based on different criteria as well. With a push to diversify the American workplace, we really should take a closer look at interview questions and take into consideration who these questions are serving and who might be getting left out. We should also make sure that we aren’t asking these questions because we have always asked these questions. 

A job interview is supposed to be a two-way conversation about the job, the expectations on both sides of the table, and the candidate’s qualification. Ask candidates direct and clear questions about their skills and past work - candidates should never have to guess what you are asking them for. Engage in the conversation and find out more about the individual across from you. A conversation between people brings so much more to the interview than a verbal test or guessing game, where one person does all the talking. Some workplaces face certain restrictions on the type of questions they ask, which makes it even more important that they re-examine their interview questions - because as fair as they might seem, the interview panel still brings their own biases with them to the interview.

A New Direction

Starting this blog again with a fresh new look and a different direction. I decided to leave the old posts up because they remind me of my journey in life till this point in time and the various projects I have taken on and been successful with.

My new goal and direction in life is to become a Learning Designer and Developer. After spending the last year and 8 months on getting a degree in Career and Technical training, I have come to realize that I have a passion for creating and providing quality education and training to adults.
Where this passion came from is a mixture of factors, but mostly from having experienced really good training from an employer before starting my job, and then having received no training from an employer before being put on a public services desk (not kidding on this one).

Receiving bad or no training, is more common than I had thought. Sometimes receiving bad on the job training is worse than having had no training at all, as it sets people up to develop bad habits which are hard to break. My goal is to learn how to design accessible and research based learning material, and bring attention to the need for employers to invest in their people and to give their employees all the tools they need to be successful in their job roles.

Lofty goal perhaps, but you have to aim high if you want to make a difference.

Graphics in Learning Design

The eLearning Coach had a really good episode on the use of graphics in learning design. It reminds the designer to take a critical eye to the icons and pictures they are adding, and to ask themselves if the graphics are really needed, what it is they add to your lesson, and do they convey the meaning you intend, among others. Elizabeth Boling is a guest on the show and talks about her research on the topic. I highly recommend a listen as it makes some great points about the impact culture, age, and context have on the interpretation of symbols and icons.

How old are you again?

About ten years ago I sat in the waiting room for my doctor and happened to overhear two older women chatting. They looked to be in their 70s and were talking about how mentally they didn't feel as old as they were. One of them said she still felt like she was 18, that in her head she was still young and that only her body was old. This overheard conversation stuck with me and I think about it time and again, especially in times when I wonder about myself and how old I feel vs. how old I am.

As children, people are told some stupid and inaccurate myths about becoming an adult.

These are a few of them:
It's harder to learn- WRONG
The Amazing Fertility of the Older Mind - by David Robson

College or University is out of reach - WRONG
In 'Never Too Late,' Finally, A Guide For Adults Going To College

Never Too Late - Rebecca Klein-Collins


Successes comes in our younger years like 20s and 30s - WRONG
24 People Who Became Successful After 40

14 Inspiring People Who Found Success Later in Life

We are expected to just accept our lot in life and stay put. It's almost like life is over as soon as we step over some imaginary threshold into 'adulthood'.

Most people I know are just really large children. They have learned a few things, refined some skills, and gained experience but are essentially still just children. They still play with toys, watch movies, listen to music and eat candy. They still make fart jokes, like to laugh, use their imaginations and have dreams.  We all still suffer from some kind of self esteem issues, doubt, and fear of something irrational.

From now on I am going to leave the phrase "inner child" behind and show off the big child that I am (not that I have been hiding it). Let's acknowledge that the thing we call 'adulthood' is really just life experience and that is the only thing that makes us different from the children around us.

Explore. Learn. Play. For ages 0-122
List of Verified Oldest Living Persons

backyard rant

Been working on getting the backyard in shape. It is a two tiered tiny monstrosity that refuses to keep anything alive.
The issues:

• It has two tiers: upper is a rectangle of clay and lower is a slab of cement
• Previous owners gave up on doing anything with it, so they dumped a metric ton of rock anywhere there is dirt.
• Fence is threatening to fall over
• Side yard has plastic underneath a bunch of dirt and rocks. The weeds have managed to wriggle through it, which makes it a bitch and a half to get rid of 
• Most of the dirt in the back area is just straight up clay. What can you do with clay? Not much. It is also a pain in the ass to dig up.
• New neighbors cut down the trees in their yard so now we have no shade from the sun for most of the day, and everyone can stare into our yard from inside their two story houses that we are surrounded by. So no sunbathing for me, which is kind of what hose back areas are for.
• Damn crab grass is everywhere!

Soooo, we have some challenges. Trying to dig in that upper area is extremely difficult. Once you have holes up there you are then faced with other issues. Clay soil shrinks and swells which is going to end up warping anything we might to try and build up there unless we take proper and expensive measures. What this means is that built in decks or pergolas are not going to happen. It would just cost too much, take too much time, and probably cause more problems down the road. That means we are left with the option of a floating patio, because as stated earlier grass won't grow up there. It just dies or tries to crawl out of it in an attempt to survive. Just....ARGH

getting th backyard in shape is driving me nuts and making my inner minimalist cry because I have to buy stuff. Granted, it is to make it possible to use the back area but still...

Progress!

We are really ripping through the remnants of our belongings now that we are seeing the benefits of having less stuff....and we can better see th crap that's left. The place looks awesome and has this wonderful tranquil vibe going on.
We got rid of a few furniture pieces which were either too big for our house or were old, ugly and battered. Got a screaming deal on a new sofa from someone on Nextdoor (got rid of old sofa, one thing out if another is coming in) and then moved some things around and brought some color in  to the mix. We have a deep burgundy, brown and a mossy green thing going on. It feels nice walking through the house. It makes me think of walking through a forest for some reason. In a forest everything has enough space and is quite comfortable where it is (otherwise it wouldn't be there). That's kind of how the house feels right now.
I am trying to find a 'before' picture so I can post the 'now' picture. There are still some little things we are deciding what to do with (bare walls mostly) and some things that need replacing or a decision to be tossed for various reason but mostly because they are to bulky or slowly dying on us.

As the layers peel away i find more and more little useless stuff and broken things we don't need. It didn't see like we had a lot of belongings and compared to many we didn't, but I can't help but be astounded at how much we had and still have. Why do we do this to ourselves. I feel like I was the hoarder lady from the Labyrinth holding on to so much stuff from silly sentimentality, guilt, or a sense I had to keep stuff because someone gave it to me or thought it was precious.

Shall I leap?

The more stuff I get rid of the more I realize how much crap I have. I feel that I am rapidly approaching a fork in the  road. I have two options:

1) continue the way i am going by slowly going through everything and getting rid of excess,
2) pick only the stuff I need or are important to me or my husband, and get rid of everything else.

It is amazing to me how much stuff we had and still have. I don't need 90% of this crap. Everywhere I look I see useless things taking up space. This does not mean I am completely utilitarian in what i want. I love the art that I have on my walls and some of my flimsy accessories and books. It is more that they don't get to shine and stand out with all the other stuff we have that takes up space and attention.

Maybe I am going a little nuts but my goal for the inside of the house is to have only a couple of good chairs that we enjoy sitting in while reading or talking, a sofa that is comfortable as a opposed to the demon furniture that we have currently and which is hell bent on ruining my back. A small kitchen table that can be folded down or put away. An office with just my desk and my computer plus a chair.
You get the picture.

It has taken me baby steps to get to this point where I just want to take a leap. In the year I have been doing this I don't regret one single item I have given or thrown away. Cautiously optimistic that a leap will not lock me into Most Regrettable Life Decision Mode.

Time to do stuff

This whole week we have not had to do any chores except laundry and washing the glasses and plates we us when eating. The whole house is about 90% clean and tidy, and so easy to keep that way because NO STUFF. Well, not a lot of stuff is in the house.
We are not completely done with minimizing but I would confidently say that we are most of the way there at this point. It feels great! It feels more than great. I find myself wandering around the house thinking I need to clean something or pick up stuff ect ect, but everything is in its place and I can sit down and enjoy my off time in the evenings, mornings and the weekends.

My next project is the front and back yards. I haven't done anything with them other then plant some trees. Next I aim to put down a couple of grow boxes and make a seating area. This one is going to be a challenge for me as I am not a Gardner nor a landscaper. Only the hardcore survivors of the plant kingdom survive my green thumb. Currently my African Violet is trying to climb out of her pot. She did so successfully once, I plugged her back into the dirt but she is now teetering on the edge of her planter and refusing to go back. At this point I fear I have no other choice then to offer a larger, prettier planter for her enjoyment and hope she decides to stay.

Getting the yard in shape is going to need a lot of weeding and will probably result in many tears and sunburns, but I am determined to get them in some sort of shape by mid summer. Armed with bug repellant, spray-on sunblock and lots of alcohol I will conquer the wilderness that is my back yard and bend it to my will. It's sad how domestic I have become. Happiness is to never have to face your younger self and see the disappointment on their face when they realize what you have become.

In my quest for a relaxing and growthy (I invented a word, in my world this word means 'lots of plants and flowers which have NOT been landscaped to an inch of their life) backyard, I look at a lot of Better Homes Magazine, Home and Garden, and of course IKEA. I am Scandinavian so IKEA always makes my nipples hard. Since I am minimizing I am trying to buy only the essentials: plants, materials for a seating area and some simple lighting. It's a little frightening as I have no idea what I am doing and am concerned that I will waste money, but right now we cannot use the yard and this endeavor will at least teach me something form the mistakes that I am bound to make.

Plan is to start this weekend.

Becoming a minimalist

What is it with people becoming minimalists and then starting blogs? 'Cause here I am blogging while tossing and giving my belongings away. Maybe it's that once you get rid of the distractions and you're not enslaved by your chores you find that you have so much time on your hands and you have fill it with something. In my case I am going to try this writing thing once more.

I am not a writer nor a storyteller but I enjoy typing up my thoughts now and then to share with others. Sometimes it is easier to share your thoughts with strangers then with your own circle of friends and family. When you want real feedback about what you are ruminating on and not someone with preconceived ideas about you to tell you how you should or shouldn't feel or think. I have mentioned to others that I am working on becoming a minimalist but haven't really 'come out' to my family. Seems silly that there should be an issue about a decision to get rid of your belongings, but there is and there isn't. There is in that I don't want the input and guilt trips from friends and family about getting rid of some 'inherited' guilt (stuff they felt bad about getting rid of so they gave it to me), and there isn't in that I don't care what they think. It all just comes down to wanting the time and space to figure out what this entails for me.

Minimalism entails a lot of navel gazing in the beginning and may comes across as selfish at times, but thats part of the process. I know that eventually I will get to the point in the process where it isn't just about me anymore but about everyone and everything else that exists outside my own little world.

I hope that I will stick with this writing. One of the reasons I found time and inclination to write today is that for once in a long time I didn't feel overwhelmed by chores that I have to do. There was no guilt in sitting down and writing for pleasure rather then have to do laundry or clean, or do some sort of work.

It feels very good.