Enable Accessible Report Output

Accessible reports contain features, such as alternate text, that allow users with disabilities to access report content using assistive technologies, such as screen readers. In IBM^® Cognos^® applications, you can create accessible output for reports, jobs, steps within jobs, and scheduled entries in PDF, HTML, and Microsoft^® Excel spreadsheet software 2007 format.

You can enable accessible report output in the following ways:

• in the IBM Cognos Report Studio run options, so that the report has accessibility features enabled when you run the report from within Report Studio.

• in IBM Cognos Connection as a run option, so that report consumers can run the report once with accessibility features.

• in IBM Cognos Connection as a property on the Set Properties dialog box, so that report consumers can always run the report with accessibility features.

• in IBM Cognos Connection, as a user preference, so that report consumers can enable accessibility features for all of their reports. Accessibility settings in the report properties overwrite this setting.

• in IBM Cognos Administration, as a server-wide option, so that all reports for all IBM Cognos users have accessibility features enabled. Accessibility settings in the user preferences and report properties overwrite this setting.

Accessible reports require more report processing and have a greater file size than non-accessible reports. Consequently, making reports accessible can have a negative impact on performance.

Steps to enable accessible report output using the run option

1. In IBM Cognos Connection, click the run with options button  on the actions toolbar to the right of the report you want to run.

2. Under Accessibility, select Enable accessibility support.

Steps to enable accessible report output using set properties

1. In IBM Cognos Connection, navigate to the report, and in the Actions column, click Set properties.

2. On the Report tab, under Report Options, select Enable accessibility support.

Steps to enable accessible report output as a user preference

1. In IBM Cognos Connection, click the my area options icon , and click My Preferences.

2. On the General tab, click Enable accessibility support for reports I run or schedule.

Steps to enable accessible output for a scheduled entry

1. In IBM Cognos Connection, click the schedule button  for the entry you want to schedule.

2. Under Options, select Override the default values.

3. Under Accessibility, select Enable accessibility support.

Steps to enable accessible output for a job

1. In IBM Cognos Connection, in the Actions column, click the set properties button  for the job.

2. Click the Job tab and under Defaults for all steps, click Set.

3. Click Report options.

4. If it is not already selected, select Specify default values for all the reports of this job.

5. Under Accessibility, select Enable accessibility support.

Steps to enable accessible output for a step in a job

1. In IBM Cognos Connection, in the Actions column, click the set properties button  for the job.

2. Click the Job tab and in the Steps section, select the step.

3. In the Options and prompt values column, click the edit icon  for the step.

4. Under Report options, select Override the default values, and select Enable accessibility support.

   Note that the report options specified for the step appear in the Options and prompt values column in the Job tab. To edit the report options again, click the edit icon. To revert to the default settings, click the clear icon .