This tutorial synthesizes core concepts of accessibility and universal design in producing a Microsoft Word document. Among the topics covered are navigational features such as headings and lists, common accessibility considerations such as alternative text and meaningful hyperlinks, and tools such as Word’s built-in accessibility checker.
Headings and Styles
When starting your document, set up the build-in styles first. Start with the “Normal” style, and then set your headings:
Option 1:
- Set a paragraph or heading the way you wish it to appear throughout your document by setting its font, size, and spacing, and other paragraph formats.
- Select the text and right click the desired style.
- Click “Update Normal/Heading to Match Selection” from the resulting dropdown.
Option 2:
- Right click the desired style and then click “Modify…”
- In the resulting dialogue box, set the desired font, size, and emphasis.
- Click the “Format” dropdown for additional settings such as further font and paragraph customizations.
Tips
Avoid using the “Title” style. Instead, use “Heading 1” for your title, “Heading 2” for sections, “Heading 3” for subsections, and so on. This will allow for greater compatibility should you wish to put your document on the web.
Think you’ll use these styles more often? Go to the “Design” tab in the main ribbon. Directly to the right of the “Themes” dropdown you will see a row of various preset styles. In this selection, click the “More” dropdown and then click “Save as New Style Set…” Type in your desired filename and click “Save.” Now, whenever you open a new document and want to apply this theme, go to the design tab and select your custom style!
Added Bonuses
View your document’s structure in the navigation pane by clicking the “View” tab in the main ribbon, then checking “Navigation Pane” in the “Show” group. From here, you can easily rearrange entire sections by dragging and dropping headings in this pane.
Automatically generate a table of contents based on your headings by clicking on “References” in the main ribbon, and then choosing from the “Table of Contents” dropdown. If you edit your document further, update your table of contents by clicking on its “Update” options.
Meaningful Links
Let’s face it, a document full of links titled “click here” looks unprofessional. Not only that, but it also poses a barrier to assistive technology. Instead, select the word/s that the link applies to and apply the link in-context.
For example, rather than the using:
“…there are several types of assistive technology (click here for more information) that the American public use daily…”
Instead, apply the hyperlink to “assistive technology” as follows:
“…there are several types of assistive technology that the American public use daily…”
Built-In Lists
Auto-numbered or auto-bulleted lists are an important navigational feature for an accessible word document. Often times Microsoft Word will automatically start numbering or bulleting your lists when you start typing them. If it does not, be sure to apply the desired list style by selecting the list and choosing your desired list style from the “Bullets,” “Numbering,” or “Multilevel List” dropdown menus in the “Paragraph” group on the “Home” ribbon.
Tips
Ever have a list that is auto-numbered incorrectly? This is a common and frustrating occurrence. Rather than abandon the built-in list styles, “tell” Word that you would like to either continue a previously started list or break from an old list:
Continue a previously started list:
- Right click the number on the first list item on your “new” list
- Select “Continue Numbering” from the resulting drop-down to connect it to the last list in the document.
Break from an old list:
- Right click the number on what you wish to be the first list item on your new list
- Select “Restart at 1” from the resulting drop-down.
Accessibility Checkers
Whether you use it periodically or just once before finalizing your document, Microsoft Word’s accessibility checker is your best chance at producing a document worth distributing.
- Click the “File” tab in the main ribbon.
- In the “Check for Issues” drop-down, click “Check Accessibility.”
- In the resulting “Accessibility Checker” pane, click through and address each “Error” and “Warning.” Use the “Additional Information” portion of the Accessibility Checker pane for instructions on how to fix each issue.
Alternative Text
Images
As you insert images in your document, add alternative text to them or mark an image as decorative. For a more in-depth tutorial on how to write alternative text or how to to apply alternative text in other programs and platforms, see our Keep CALM and Describe Images page. To apply alternative text to images in word:
- Right click the image and from the dropdown menu, click “Format Picture…” This will open the “Format Picture” options pane on the right-hand side of the window.
- Click the “Layout & Properties” icon in the Format Picture pane.
- In the Alt-Text dropdown, input your image description into the “Description” field. We recommend using only the Description field and leaving the “Title” field blank.
- If the image is purely decorative, check the “Mark as Decorative” checkbox.
Tips
Whenever possible, insert images as “In Line with Text.” Only use other text wrapping styles when the image is purely decorative.
Tables
Generally speaking, tables in Microsoft Word need to be simple in order to be accessible. Don’t blame us, blame Microsoft! Make sure that your table does not have any split or merged cells, then add a short alternative text description to your table to clarify any potential ambiguities:
- Right click the table and from the dropdown menu, click “Table Properties…” This will open the “Format Picture” options pane on the right-hand side of the window.
- In the resulting dialogue box, click the “Alt Text” tab. Input your image description into the “Description” field. We recommend using only the Description field and leaving the “Title” field blank.
Page Breaks and Soft Returns
Do you want to make a page break? Don’t hit enter until you reach the next page! This will cause you a headache if you ever need to go back and edit your content and will also degrade the accessibility of your document. Instead, insert a page break by hitting control + enter or by clicking the “Layout” tab in the main region and selecting “Page” from the “Breaks” dropdown in the “Page Setup” group.
Do you want to start a word on a new line for aesthetic reasons? Don’t hit enter! This will treat the “new line” as a separate paragraph. Instead, insert a soft return by hitting shift + enter.
