tips & tricks making accessible ms word documents...tips & tricks making accessible ms word...

Tips & Tricks Making Accessible MS Word Documents

, 2017

pg. 1

Use HeadingsWhy?Screenreadersdonotreadunderlineandboldasheadings.Ascreenreaderuserwillnotknowthattextisaheadingunlessyoudesignateitassuch.

Whentypinganewsectionheading,usethepresetheadingsavailableontheHomeribbon.Justclickontheappropriateheadingstyleintheribbonandtypeyourheading.Whendoneandreadytostarttypingregulartext,justclickNormalontheStyleportionoftheformattingribbon;youmayneedtonavigatethroughtheStyleoptionstodoso.Remembertokeepyourheadingshierarchical;forexample,usingHeading1foratopheadingthenHeading2forasubheading.

Tip:Youcanchangeanalreadyexistingheaderintoanaccessibleheadertextbyputtingthecursoronthattextandclickingontheappropriateheading.Tip:Youcaneasilykeepyourcurrentformattingandstillmaketextintoanaccessibleheader.Simplyplaceyourcursorontheoldheaderthenrightclickontheappropriateheaderselection;inthemenuthatappears,selectUpdatetoMatchSelection.Tip:YoucanchangethedefaultheadingstylesbyrightclickingonaheaderstyleintheribbonthenselectingModifyandmakechangesasdesired.Tip:YoucanalsousestylessuchasEmphasistoindicatewordswithinaparagraphthatyouwouldlikeemphasized.


, 2017

pg. 2

Create Formatted Lists Why?Hand-createdlistscannotbereadproperlybecausescreenreadersneedspecificformattingtoletusersknowwhat’salist.

Whencreatingbulletedornumberedlists,usethelistformattingtoolsavailableintheParagraphsectionoftheHomeribbon.Tip:Youcanchangethetypeofbulletandstillmaintainaccessibility.Justclickonthedropdownmenunexttothelistformattingtoolandselectthetypeofbulletyouwishtouse.


, 2017

pg. 3

Add Alternate Texts to Images and Graphics Why?Screenreaderuserscanalsobenefitfromtheincludedimagesifyouprovidedescriptionsofthem.It’sespeciallyimportantifthechartorgraphaddsinformationtothepointyou’remaking.Whenaddingimagestoyourdocuments,providealternatetextsdescribingtheimagesused.RightclickontheimageandselectFormatPicture.Intheformattingpane,choosetheLayout&PropertiestabthenselectAltText.TypeausefuldescriptionoftheimageintheDescriptionfield.

Tip:Whenaddingalternatetext,besuccinctyetaccurate.Trytoprovideanequivalentoftheimage’scontentandfunction.Keepingalternatetexttofewerthan125charactersisrecommended.Generally,includingsomethinglike“Imageof…”or“Pictureof…”isnotnecessary;justbyusingalternatetextindicatesimagesorgraphics.Tip:Ifanyimageispurelydecorative,alternatetextisnotneeded.


, 2017

pg. 4

Format Tables Carefully Why?Screenreadersreadtablesonecellatatime,lefttorightthentoptobottom.Cellsthataresplit/mergedorthathaveothertablesembeddedwithinthemcauseproblemsforscreenreaders.Makesurethatthefirstrowofatableissetasaheaderrow.PlaceyourcursorinthetoprowandrightclickthenselectTableProperties.Inthedialogueboxthatopens,selecttheRowtab.ChecktheboxnexttoRepeatasheaderrowatthetopofeachpagethenclickOK.

Tip:Tochecktheorderinwhichthecellswillberead,placeyourcursorinthefirstcellofthetable.RepeatedlystriketheTabkey;thecursorwillmoveintheorderthatascreenreaderwillgothroughthetable.Note:ThesedirectionswillvarysomewhatwhenusingMicrosoftWordforMacs.ThekeyisusingtheFormatTablemenutosetthefirstrowasatableheader.


, 2017

pg. 5

Create Clear Links Why?Everyoneuseshyperlinkstonavigatebetweentexts.However,justpastinginaURLdoesn’tallowsomeoneusingascreenreadertoknowwherethathyperlinkwilldirectthem.Whenaddingalinktotext,beginbyactuallytypingthedestinationforthatlink.(Forexample,type“TheCenterforTeachingExcellence”forsendingsomeonetotheCTE’swebpage.)Thenhighlightandrightclickonthetext.Inthemenuthatappears,selectHyperlink.IntheInsertHyperlinkdialoguebox,pasteortypetheURLforthedestinationpageintheAddressline.Whenfinished,clickOK.Yourgoalistohavealinkthatlookslikethis:TheCenterforTeachingExcellence.


, 2017

pg. 6

Run the Accessibility Checker Why?Microsoft’sbuilt-inaccessibilitycheckerwillletyouknowifyourdocumentcontainsanyaccessibilityissuesandhelpyoufixthem.SelecttheFiletab.NexttotheInspectDocumentinformation,opentheCheckforIssuesdropdownmenuandselectCheckAccessibility.


, 2017

pg. 7

Update Your File Types Word1997-2003filesarenotcompatiblewiththeAccessibilityCheckerandotherfeatures;therefore,ifyou’reexperiencingtrouble,it’sagoodideatoupdateyourfiletypes.UndertheFilemenu,selectSaveAsthennavigatetowhereyouwishtosavethefile.WhentheSaveAsdialogueboxopens,usetheSaveastypedropdownmenutoselectWordDocument.ClicktheSavebutton.

Thedialogueboxbelowmayopen,askingyouwhetherornotyoureallywanttochangefiletypes.JustclickOKbecauseyouwanttheaccessibilityfeatureavailableinthelatestversionsofWord.


, 2017

pg. 8

Make Sure to Identify the Language Why?Screenreadersaremultilingual.Beforereadingadocument,theywilllookforthelanguageusedtocreatethedocument.OpentheReviewribbonandclickonthedropdownmenuforLanguage.ChooseSelectProofingLanguagefromthemenu.Inthedialogueboxthatopens,selectthelanguageyouwishtousethenclickOK.ThedefaultisusuallyUnitedStatesEnglish,butit’softengoodtocheck.

Hint:Ifyouareworkinginadocumentwithmorethanonelanguage,youcansimplyhighlightaparagraph(oranypartofthetext)thenfollowtheprocessabovetosetthelanguageforjustaportionofthetext.


, 2017

pg. 9

Ensure that PDF’s Are Tagged When Created Why?TaggingaPDFsimplytellsthescreenreadertheorderinwhichtoreadthedocument.TocreateaPDFfile,selectFilethenSaveasthennavigatetothelocationwhereyouwishtosavethefile.Inthedialoguewindowthatopens,makesuretoselectPDFfromtheSaveastype:dropdownmenu.Toensurethatafileistagged,clickontheOptionsbutton.

MakesuretheboxforDocumentstructuretabsforaccessibilityischeckedthenclickOK.