Universal Design for Compassionate Access Tips - Text Documents

The following instruction guide will provide guidelines for creating a text document in accessible format for screen readers.

Headings

A good heading structure is probably the most important accessibility consideration in most Word documents (WebAIM, 2014). Many people do not use true styles in Word. For example, when creating a heading, they simply change the font, enlarge the font size, and make it bold, etc. If this is done, the document has no real structure that can be discerned by a screen reader. The advantage to setting a true structure comes when exporting to HTML or PDF. The structure is retained and accessible to screen readers.

Word 2010

Word 2007 and later does a good job of encouraging the use of proper styles. About half of the default toolbar is devoted to styles. To change a block of text, select the text and click on the appropriate style.

Figure 1 Sample Word Heading Ribbon

Word for Mac

Styles on Word for Mac are available in the Formatting palette. The Styles dropdown list is similar to the list found in Word 2000-2003 for Windows.

Figure 2 Formatting Palette

Figure 3 Sample Theme Drop down menu

Alternative Text for Graphics

Images, pictures, clip art, charts, SmartArt graphics, and shapes (that do not contain text and are not in groups) should be given appropriate alternative text in Word. Clear, concise descriptions work best. For example, “a red Ferrari” tells the reader more about the image than “a car.” This alt text will be read by a screen reader in a Word file and should remain intact when exporting to HTML or PDF (WebAIM, 2014).

Word 2010

To add alt text to an image, select the Format Picture.

Figure 4 Sample dropdown menu for Format Picture

Select the option for Alt Text in the sidebar. Two fields will appear, one labeled Title and one labeled Description. For best results, add appropriate alt text to the Description field, not the Title field. Information in the Title field will not be saved as alt text if the file is saved as HTML.

Figure 5 Sample Alt-Text Title and Description

Word 2004 or 2008 Mac

There is no way to add alt text to images in Word 2004 or 2008 for Mac.

Tables

Keep tables as simple as possible (Grand Rapids Community College, 2013). Design tables so that they make sense when linearized (i.e., when read strictly from left to right, top to bottom). Avoid using tables to present blocks of text and images. If using large amounts of text, consider using an Excel spreadsheet. Include a text explanation to the table. Identify headers in the table properties. To further understand content of a table, add alt-text to describe it.

Word 2013

1. Select the Table Tools Layout

2. Select Properties. A new window will appear.

3. Select Alt-Text tab. Insert a Description in the text fields. Select OK.

Figure 6 Sample Alt-Text Title and Description

Identify table headers

Table headers help readers understand how tables are organized into columns and rows (Grand Rapids Community College, 2013). To identify the headers in the table:

1. Place your insertion point in the first row.

2. Select the Table Tools Layout tab, then select the Properties button.

3. Select the Row tab.

4. To identify the header, select Repeat as header row at the top of each page.

5. Select OK. Turning on the Repeat as header row at the top of each page not only identifies the header for screen readers, the header will also repeat for very long tables which expands multiple pages.

Figure 7 Sample Repeat as Header Row

Microsoft Accessibility Checker

Word 2010

1. Select File, then select Info.

2. Select Check for Issues, then Check Accessibility. The checker presents accessibility errors (e.g., images with no alt text), warnings (e.g., unclear link text) and tips (e.g., skipping from a first level heading to a third level heading). Feedback about the importance of each item, as well as tips on how to repair it, are included (WebAIM, 2014).

NOTE: Accessibility checker may not work with RTF files.

Saving your document

Documents may be saved as portable document format (.pdf). This would prevent students from downloading and making changes to critical documents such as your syllabus. To save your MS Word 2010 document as a PDF:

1. Select Save As. Determine what drive or directory you want your document saved.

2. For Save As type select PDF.

3. Select OK.

Any student who, because of a disability, may require special arrangements in order to meet course requirements, should contact the instructor as soon as possible to make such accommodations as may be necessary. Students should provide written verification of the need for such accommodations from the Academic Resource Center. Contact Kelly Cogar 502-873-4161 for further information.

References

Grand Rapids Community College TV. (2013, August 7). Tables in MS Word. Retrieved from, tube.com/watch?v=x8U2Daty7NE&index=6&list=PLp8nHE1plRW-hT_QSlUVN_7bBQwV7PPuB

WebAIM. (2014, April 18). Microsoft Word. Retrieved from, /techniques/word/

Spalding University Office of Accessibility & Collaboratory, 2014