Compliance and Oxford commas

Editing and ADA compliance are not typically what people work on for fun. All too often, they are overlooked necessities for anyone putting information out for others to see. Social media posts and published documents are littered with incorrect grammar and punctuation, which can be painful for onlookers. 

ADA compliance

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was created to ensure the most equitable education for as many Americans as possible. There are different methods of disabilities, so there are different methods of compliance. It sounds really complicated, but it doesn't have to be. 

Perhaps the most popular method of compliance is closed-captioning. Closed captioning streams words across the screen that match up with the words being said by the speakers. Closed captioning is great for individuals with language issues, processing disorders, or hearing impairments. There are many services that will create closed captions. I also offer this service and more.

Another form of compliance deals with screen readers. Basically, we create a document of some sort (a document, a presentation, or even an email). An individual with disabilities (or differently-abled individuals) use a screen reader that will read the words out loud. Screen readers work well; however, they "read" everything straight through, which can be overwhelming and complicated. As a teacher, I use headers to differentiate information to show importance; however, without being told to recognize those layers, screen readers blend headers without significance. I offer this service. 

There are some other ways to accommodate individuals. Some are easier than others, but I am happy to help!

Editing

Editing is such a large area that I could never cover all aspects, but I want to leave readers with a few tips.

1. A basic sentence has to include a subject (who or what is receiving action), a verb (the action or state of being), and details to help it make sense. The first letter needs to be capitalized, and it should end with punctuation.

2. Because does NOT have a comma in front of it because it is a subordinating conjunction. 

3. In a list of 3, use a comma to separate the items, including the first one, the second one, and the last one.

4. Practice on Purdue OWL, which is the BEST resource for anything writing. 

My BA in English taught me a bit about mechanics, usage, grammar, and spelling (MUGS), but teaching English has made me a stronger editor. My experiences have also taught me that sometimes, it's worth the fragmented sentence or the misplaced modifier. Whatever the editorial need, I'm happy to help!