Purple Beard Training

Purple Beard Training We bridge the digital skills gap through tailored blended learning programs, Apprenticeships and Tr

The Accessibility Checker helps identify common barriers that could make content more difficult to access and understand...
31/07/2026

The Accessibility Checker helps identify common barriers that could make content more difficult to access and understand. It can flag issues such as missing alt text, poor document structure, reading order concerns, and other accessibility-related problems.

You can usually find it by: Review → Check Accessibility or simply search for Accessibility Checker from the app's search bar.

One of the quickest ways to improve accessibility is by using meaningful link text.Too often, I see links written as: ❌ ...
27/07/2026

One of the quickest ways to improve accessibility is by using meaningful link text.

Too often, I see links written as:
❌ "Click here"
❌ "Read more"
❌ Raw URLs pasted directly into documents and emails

While these may seem harmless, they don't provide enough context for users; particularly those using screen readers, who often navigate by jumping through links on a page.

Instead, make the destination clear:

✅ YouTube Home Page
✅ Download the Accessibility Guide
✅ View the Project Timeline

Descriptive links help everyone:
✔️ Screen reader users understand where a link leads
✔️ Readers can scan content more efficiently
✔️ Documents and emails look more professional
✔️ Accessibility standards are easier to meet

Before adding a link, ask yourself:

"Would this link still make sense if it was read on its own?"

If the answer is no, it's time to make it more descriptive.

Small accessibility improvements can have a big impact.

While it may look like a heading, assistive technologies and screen readers don't recognise it as one.Instead, use the b...
23/07/2026

While it may look like a heading, assistive technologies and screen readers don't recognise it as one.

Instead, use the built-in Heading Styles (Heading 1, Heading 2, Heading 3, etc.) in Word. Not only does this create a clear document hierarchy, but it also enables features such as the Navigation Pane, making documents easier for everyone to navigate.

Why does it matter?
✅ Better accessibility for screen reader users
✅ Clear content structure and hierarchy
✅ Faster navigation through long documents
✅ Improved usability for all readers

Small changes like this can make a huge difference in creating more inclusive and accessible content.

One of the most common mistakes in marketing materials, presentations, and one-pagers is poor colour contrast. When text...
20/07/2026

One of the most common mistakes in marketing materials, presentations, and one-pagers is poor colour contrast. When text blends into the background or important elements lack visual distinction, your message gets lost.

✅ Use strong contrast to improve readability and highlight key information.
✅ Make content accessible for a wider audience.
✅ Create a cleaner, more professional visual hierarchy.

❌ Avoid light text on light backgrounds.
❌ Don't rely on colour alone to communicate important information.
❌ Reduce visual strain by ensuring content is clear at a glance.

Remember: if people have to work hard to read your content, they’re less likely to engage with it.

Great design communicates effortlessly.

What’s the biggest design mistake you see most often?

14/07/2026

Our FREE excel accessibility masterclass takes place next week!

This session will show practical ways to build accessibility in from the start, reducing rework, supporting compliance requirements and helping ensure content can be used by all.

During the session, we'll cover:
✅Structuring spreadsheets for accessibility
✅Presenting data clearly and inclusively
✅Improving navigation and usability
✅Practical accessibility checks

Plus, you'll get a free accessibility cheat sheet to take away and share with your team.

📅 July 21, at 12:30 to 13:15
🎟️ Free registration: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/accessibility-starts-with-everyday-documents-excel-tickets-1991191570589

Register Today!

Most of us use Excel tables for filtering or formatting, but did you know they also improve accessibility?By converting ...
10/07/2026

Most of us use Excel tables for filtering or formatting, but did you know they also improve accessibility?

By converting a data range into a table and ensuring "My table has headers" is selected, you provide important structure that assistive technologies can understand.

✅ Helps screen readers identify column information

✅ Makes navigating large datasets easier

✅ Provides clear relationships between headings and data

✅ Creates a more inclusive experience for everyone

The best part? It takes less than 10 seconds.

How to do it?

Select your data.
Go to Insert → Table.
Check My table has headers.
Use clear, descriptive column names.

Small changes like this can have a big impact on how accessible and usable your spreadsheets are.

Have you run an accessibility check on your spreadsheets recently?

02/07/2026

Digital accessibility is no longer a nice-to-have, it's essential for creating inclusive experiences that work for everyone.

We're excited to be hosting a PowerPoint Accessibility Masterclass on:
📅 Tuesday 7 July
🕧 12:30 PM to 1:15 PM

If you create, edit, review or publish documents, presentations, spreadsheets, emails or learning resources, these sessions are for you.

🎟️ Register here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/accessibility-starts-with-everyday-documents-powerpoint-tickets-1991191549526

🚨 Our FREE Document Accessibility Workshop Series kicks off tomorrow with Session 1: Word & Outlook.If you create docum...
22/06/2026

🚨 Our FREE Document Accessibility Workshop Series kicks off tomorrow with Session 1: Word & Outlook.

If you create documents, send emails, or manage content, this session will show you simple ways to improve accessibility, enhance user experience, and help meet accessibility standards without adding extra work to your day.

✅ Improve document structure and readability
✅ Learn simple accessibility best practices
✅ Support compliance and reduce rework

Plus, you'll get a free accessibility cheat sheet to take away and share with your team.

📅 Session 1: Word & Outlook – June 23, at 12:30 to 13:15
🎟️ Free registration: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/accessibility-starts-with-everyday-documents-word-outlook-tickets-1991046881821

Register Today!

We’ve just wrapped up training for the second cohort of our six-week Data Analysis Bootcamp, supported by Virgin Media O...
15/06/2026

We’ve just wrapped up training for the second cohort of our six-week Data Analysis Bootcamp, supported by Virgin Media O2.

The bootcamp was designed to support women building foundational data skills and confidence, covering Excel, SQL and Power BI. Delivery was fully online, with structured time throughout the programme for practice, questions and support.

Completing a six-week programme alongside other commitments takes real consistency, and every learner in this cohort stayed engaged right through to the end.

We saw confidence grow alongside technical capability, particularly as learners began applying new tools to practical examples.

We’d like to thank Virgin Media O2 for their support in enabling this programme to run into a second year.

Congratulations to the 2026 cohort:
• Valerie Smith
• Faith Ben
• Fran
• Honey Alola
• Miriam Howard

Thank you as well to Khagram, Founder of Purple Beard Training, for leading the programme; Nivedita Roberts for delivering and facilitating the training; and Evie Metcalfe at Virgin Media O2 for championing this work.

29/05/2026

Imagine hosting a live corporate presentation where you turn off the audio for some attendees and completely cover the projector screen for others. It sounds like an absolute organisational disaster, yet this is exactly what happens across corporate social media and digital communication channels every single day.

When we leave out basic accessibility features, we are effectively locking users out of our message.

In this clip, Ronny Hendricks highlights a critical but often overlooked dimension of organisational maturity: everyday content creation. He challenges teams to ask themselves a fundamental question: Do your content creators actually know how to provide adequate alt text for images? Do they know how to properly integrate accurate captions into video workflows?

Watch the full session here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uAWAFhR_-jM

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