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MassDEP shifting to accessible letterhead and advises accessible slide decks
Summary
Staff said MassDEP is adopting new letterhead designed for screen-reader accessibility and recommended accessibility checks for PowerPoint and other presentation materials.
Brian Roden, audits and enforcement coordinator in the Boston office, described a transition in MassDEP forms and letter templates to improve accessibility for people who use screen readers. Roden said the agency is moving to new letterhead that avoids placing essential text in headers so screen readers can reliably read all content.
Roden said the agency is transitioning its online registration forms (currently a Formstack product) to a new platform (referred to in the meeting as "grama forms") and expects the change to occur at the end of October; staff cautioned that the department is testing to ensure the new form mirrors existing functionality. David Foss added that presenters should use PowerPoint’s accessibility checker and include alt text for photos; Foss said adding accessibility descriptions to a 10-slide deck took him about 20 minutes.
Why it matters: The changes aim to make MassDEP communications and presentations usable by people with disabilities, including those who rely on assistive technologies.
Ending: Staff encouraged presenters to use built-in accessibility tools and to expect a slightly different look to MassDEP letters during the transition.
