Use Word's Built-in Styles

Title, subtitle, and heading styles ensure documents can be scanned visually and with screen readers.

How to:

• Go to the "Home" tab on the Ribbon and select "Styles" to apply headings. Click the dropdown arrow to open the "Styles" menu.

Best Practices:

• Use headings in order and Word's built-in formatting tools.
• Create descriptive headings to make it easier for users and screen readers to understand the document's structure and navigate headings.
• Organize information into small chunks of a few paragraphs under each heading.

Fonts

An accessible font means using a typeface designed for easy reading by a wide audience, including those who are visually impaired. Accessible typography ensures that information is accessible to all users.

How to:

• Go to the "Home" tab on the Ribbon and modify the appearance of text using the options available in the "Font" section. Access the "Paragraph" settings window from the "Line and Paragraph Spacing" option in the "Paragraph" section of the Ribbon.

Best Practices:

• Fonts should be 12 points or higher.
• Use adequate spacing between letters and lines.
• Make sure there is adequate contrast between text and background colors.
• Use fonts in context. Sans-serif fonts like Arial, Helvetica, and Verdana are easier to read onscreen.
• Use upper- and lower-case letters rather than all upper-case letters.
• Bold text should be used sparingly.
• Highlighting should be avoided.
• Use text in addition to color. For example, for an incorrect answer us X Incorrect Answer, and for a correct answer, use + Correct Answer.

Alt Text

Alt text allows screen readers to describe images to users. It helps people understand what's important in pictures and other visuals.

How to:

• After adding an image to a Word document, right-click on the image and select "View Alt Text", or select "Picture Format" and click the "Alt Text" button on the menu bar.
• Add a short, meaningful description in the "Alt Text" panel. If the image is decorative and doesn't need a description, check "Mark as decorative".

Best Practices:

• Avoid stacking images on top of each other, for example, when marking part of an image with a circle. This will be read out of order by screen readers and confuse users.
• Instead, edit the image using a different program, such as Paint. Insert the edited image in Word, then add alternate text describing why the area is notable.

Bulleted and Numbered Lists

Using Word's built-in functions for lists is better than creating lists with keys, tabs, and spacing. It is easier for screen readers to read a document. Organize information into small chunks, such as bullets or numbered lists.

How to:

• For a bulleted list, press the "Bullets" button in the "Paragraph" section of Word's "Home" tab Ribbon. For a numbered list, press the "Numbering" button, while a multileveled list is inserted by pressing the "Multilevel List" button.

Best Practices:

• Design lists so that you don't need to add a plain paragraph without a bullet or number in the middle of a list. Some screen readers might mistake the number of list items and confuse users.

Tables

Avoid using tables if possible and present data in another way. If a table is necessary, use simple tables with table header rows.

How to:

• When creating a table, select the header row and right-click.
• Choose Table Properties.
• In the pop-up window, select the "Row" tab and check "Repeat as header row at the top of each page".

Best Practices:

• Ensure all tables have column headers. This makes navigation easier for screen readers.
• Use the "Accessibility checker" to scan for merged, split, empty, or nested cells. These can disrupt screen reader navigation.

Links

Add meaningful hyperlink text and screen tips. People who use screen readers sometimes scan a list of links. Hyperlink text and screen tips should make sense as standalone information. It should give users information about the link's target.

How to:

1. Copy the link you want to insert into a Word document and turn it into a hyperlink.
2. Select the whole URL, including the "http" at the beginning and the domain name at the end, and copy it.
3. Open the "Insert" menu on the toolbar, and click "Link", select "Insert Link", or use "Ctrl + k".
4. In the dialog box, look for the text box labeled "Text to display". Type in the desired text.
5. Click "OK".

Best Practices:

• Avoid generic text like "Click here".
• Use descriptive phrases like "Northwood Tech's iTLC page".
• Someone using a screen reader to access a raw link will hear one character at a time, which is difficult to understand.

Color Contrast

People with impaired vision or who are colorblind might miss the meaning being communicated by certain color combinations. A high level of contrast between text and background will help more people see and understand your content.

Best Practices:

• Avoid using color alone to convey meaning.
• Use sufficient color contrast between text and background for readability.
• Check contrast with tools like the Color Contrast Analyzer.

Check Accessibility

Avoid common accessibility issues, such as missing alternate text and low contrast colors by using the "Accessibility Checker". Before finalizing your document, run the "Accessibility Checker" to ensure your document is easy to read.

How to:

• On the Ribbon, select the "Review" tab, then select "Check Accessibility".
• In the "Accessibility Assistant" panel, review the list of descriptions and make changes as needed.

Make Accessible PDFs from Word Documents

Export your word document using the "Acrobat" tab in Word to create an accessible PDF.

How to:

• Click the "Acrobat" tab on the Ribbon.
• Click the "Create PDF and Run Action", selecting the "Make Accessible" option.