CREATING ACCESSIBLE WORD DOCUMENTS
CONTENTS
Text Choices ............................................................................................................................................................................ 2
Repeated Blank Characters................................................................................................................................................. 2
Text Alignment.................................................................................................................................................................... 2
Headings and Styles ................................................................................................................................................................ 2
ADDING A HEADING......................................................................................................................................................... 3
Modifying or Creating Heading Styles ................................................................................................................................ 3
Lists ......................................................................................................................................................................................... 4
Images and Graphics (including Graphs, Maps, and Shapes) ................................................................................................. 4
Adding Alt-Text ................................................................................................................................................................... 4
Links ........................................................................................................................................................................................ 5
Adding a link ....................................................................................................................................................................... 5
Tables ...................................................................................................................................................................................... 5
Adding a Table .................................................................................................................................................................... 5
Table Reading Order ........................................................................................................................................................... 6
Color ........................................................................................................................................................................................ 6
Installing and Using the Colour Analyzer tool .................................................................................................................... 6
Headers and Footers ............................................................................................................................................................... 7
Forms ...................................................................................................................................................................................... 7
Developer Tab..................................................................................................................................................................... 7
Electronic Forms ................................................................................................................................................................. 8
ADDING FORM FIELDS AND DESCRIPTIONS ................................................................................................................... 8
Add Protection to a Form and Prepare It for Distribution ........................................................................................... 11
Form Reading Order ......................................................................................................................................................... 12
Printable Forms ................................................................................................................................................................ 12
Setting document Language ................................................................................................................................................. 13
Reviewing the Document Languages................................................................................................................................ 13
Updating the Language..................................................................................................................................................... 13
Accessibility Checker ............................................................................................................................................................. 14
Using the Accessibility Checker: ....................................................................................................................................... 14
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Mac users: Choose Ribbon from the View to make the interface similar to Windows versions of Word, so you can
follow the instructions below.
TEXT CHOICES
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Use 12px or larger san serif fonts, such as Arial, Helvetica or Verdana.
Refrain from using floating text boxes, track changes, or comments, which are not accessible.
REPEATED BLANK CHARACTERS
When additional spaces or extra carriage returns are entered in a document, these are read by assistive technology
tools. Use paragraph spacing settings instead of carriage returns when additional line spacing is needed between
paragraphs.
To view blank or special characters, go to Home tab > Paragraph and choose Show/Hide or enter CTRL+SHIFT+*.
To adjust Paragraph spacing, go to Page Layout tab > Paragraph.
Changes can be made by adjusting the right or left indentation of a sentence or creating the desired spacing before or
after sentences.
TEXT ALIGNMENT
When text is justified to both margins, additional spacing is added between words, which may be difficult to read for
users with visual or cognitive impairments. Full text justification can also cause words to be spaced closely together thus
making it difficult to determine where a word starts and ends.
Left, right, or center aligned are preferred. To set text alignment, Home tab > Paragraph and choose the desired
alignment option.
HEADINGS AND STYLES
Headings structure your document and allow users to more easily navigate its sections. They also make it easier to
update document aesthetics and allow for quick creation of a Table of Contents. There are default styles provided in
Word to mark titles, heading levels, and emphasis. Headings should be structured in a hierarchical manner, with firstlevel headings for the title of the document, second-level headings for the major sub-sections, and so on.
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ADDING A HEADING
1. Select text to make into a heading.
2. From Home tab > Styles group, choose the appropriate heading level from the Styles gallery.
MODIFYING OR CREATING HEADING STYLES
Heading Styles can be modified and a custom style can be saved using a particular font, size, color, style and other
settings.
1. From Home tab > Styles group, select the style to modify.
2. Activate the context menu or press CTRL+ALT+SHIFT+S.
3. Select Modify from the context menu options.
4. In the Modify Style dialog, make desired changes. The following can be changed:
o Font type, color, and size.
o Text alignment.
o Paragraph spacing
o Borders and shading.
5. Choose OK.
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LISTS
Manually created lists are not accessible for users and can be tedious to create and modify. Use Word’s built-in
numbered or bulleted list options to make lists more easily and to make them accessible.
1. Select the text that you want to make into a list.
2. From Home > Paragraph group, select the Number or Bullets list icon.
OR
3. From Home> Paragraph group, choose Number or Bullets to start the list
4. Type the first list item.
5. Enter/return to create subsequent items.
IMAGES AND GRAPHICS (INCLUDING GRAPHS, MAPS, AND SHAPES)
Alternative text descriptions of images (ALT text) allow screen reader users to access the information conveyed by an
image.
Most images can be made accessible using alternative (alt) text descriptions. However, if 1-2 brief sentences is not
sufficient to adequately convey the image’s contents or purpose, additional description should be added via a caption or
in the surrounding text. These have the added benefit of being available to all users, while alt-text is only accessed by
some.
Captions are added by right-clicking on the image and select Add Caption.
ADDING ALT-TEXT
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Select the image and right click, then select Format Picture....
Select Alt text from the left menu.
In the Description field. (Not in the Title field), enter a brief description of what content the image conveys.
Choose Close.
LINKS
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Links should be given meaningful text that indicates link destination, even out of context.
If users will be printing the document and need the URL, put it in parentheses after the link.
ADDING A LINK
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Enter the text indicating the link destination.
Select the text.
Right-click and choose Hyperlink from the menu.
Enter the Address to which the link should go.
Choose OK.
TABLES
Microsoft Word allows the top row of a table to be designated as a header row. The first column cannot be a header.
ADDING A TABLE
1. Create a table and place the cursor in its top row. The Table Tools tab will display.
2. Click on the Design tab under the Table Tools tab.
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3.
In the Table Style Options group, select the Header Row check box.
4. Go to Table Tools tab > Layout.
5. Click "Repeat Header Row".
TABLE READING ORDER
Reading order is an important consideration in table formatting. Assistive technologies read tables from left to right, top
to bottom, one cell at a time (no repeats). Merged, nested, and split cells change the reading order of tables. Make sure
to construct your table in a way that accommodates good reading order. To test the reading order of a table, place the
cursor in the first cell of the table and use Tab to navigate through the table.
COLOR
Color should not be the sole means to convey any information. One way to evaluate use of color is to print the
document in grayscale and confirm that all its contents are still understandable.
A color contrast analysis tool can help determine whether certain color combinations offer sufficient contrast and
luminosity difference to be visible to persons with colorblindness or other visual needs.
INSTALLING AND USING THE COLOUR ANALYZER TOOL
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Download Colour Contrast Analyzer Tool (http://www.paciellogroup.com/resources/contrastAnalyser)
Open the Colour Contrast Analyzer application
Go to the Result -- Luminosity mode, not the contrast result for color blindness.
Click the Foreground eye dropper tool.
Hover over and click the document foreground color.
Click the Background eye dropper tool
7. Hover over and click the document background color. Pass at level AA, which refers to a color contrast ratio of
4.5 to 1 is acceptable for 12 point font and 3 to1 is acceptable for larger text.
HEADERS AND FOOTERS
Headers and footers should be added using the tools available in Microsoft Word instead of typing it as text on each
page. Users of assistive technology often mistake the header or footer as part of the page content.
To insert a header or footer:
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Select the Insert tab.
Navigate to the Header & Footer pane
Select either Header or Footer.
Select one of the available options or choose "Edit Header" or "Edit Footer."
After creating the header or footer, choose Close Header or Footer to return to the main body of the document.
FORMS
Forms are designed to collect user input, either through electronic or print means. They typically include labels or
questions and areas for user response, including blanks, text fields, check boxes, radio buttons, and dropdown menus.
In order for a Word form to be accessible, its form fields should have labels, it should have a logical reading order, and it
should be made using appropriate form tools.
DEVELOPER TAB
Creating forms in Microsoft Word requires tools found on the Developer Tab.
If the Developer Tab is not present on the toolbar, follow these steps:
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Select File.
Choose Options.
Choose Customize Ribbon.
In the Main Tabs list, check the box next to Developer.
5. Choose OK. The Developer tab should now be available.
ELECTRONIC FORMS
Electronic Word forms are designed to be downloaded and completed by the user. This means some areas of the form
must be editable by the user and other sections must not be altered.
Note: Electronic forms can be more easily made accessible in HTML or PDF formats. However, if a document is
ultimately going to be distributed in a different format, preparation in Word before conversion will lessen the number of
items that need to be corrected after conversion to another format.
ADDING FORM FIELDS AND DESCRIPTIONS
USE ONLY LEGACY TOOLS TO ADD FORM CONTROLS TO THE DOCUMENT. WORD’S ACTIVE X CONTROLS ARE NOT
ACCESSIBLE FOR ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY USERS.
To Use the Legacy Form Controls:
1. In the Developer tab > Controls area, click the Legacy Tools button to display the Legacy Forms toolbar:
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Use only the controls that appear in the first row directly below the Legacy Forms title (above ActiveX Controls).
The following controls are available:
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Text field, including:
 Free form text
 Date fields
 Numeric fields
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Checkbox field
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Drop-down (combo box) field
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Show/Hide field shading
TO INSERT A TEXT CONTROL WHERE USERS CAN ENTER TEXT:
1. On the Developer tab, in the Controls group, click Design Mode.
2. Place the cursor where the text field should be inserted.
3. From the Legacy tools, choose Text Form Field control:
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4. Right-click on the field to edit its Properties, which determine the default text, text type (regular, date, number),
length, format, help information, and more.
TO INSERT A DROP-DOWN LIST:
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On the Developer tab, in the Controls group, click Design Mode.
Place the cursor where the drop-down list should be inserted
From the Legacy Tools, click the Drop-Down Form Field control.
With the cursor still situated in the Drop-Down Form Field just inserted, click the Properties button in the
Controls section of the Developer tab
For Drop-down item, type the value that should appear as an option in the dropdown list.
Click Add >>.
Repeat Steps 5-6 until all desired options appear under Items in drop-down list .
Use the Up and Down arrow buttons to move the options in the list into a desired order.
TO INSERT A CHECK BOX
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On the Developer tab, in the Controls group, click Design Mode.
Place the cursor where the checkbox should be inserted.
From the Legacy Tools, click on the Check Box Form Field control.
To adjust properties, leave the cursor in the Check Box Form Field just inserted and click on the Properties
button in the Controls section of the Developer tab
5. If desired, adjust Check box size and/or Default value (checked or unchecked).
Note: The box cannot be checked or unchecked until the form is protected.
TO ADD INSTRUCTIONAL TEXT TO THE FORM
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Instructions that users need in order to complete the form should be placed in the description or help text of the form
fields when possible. Instructional or informational content outside the form fields, in unprotected sections of a
document, can be accessed via assistive technology, but it is more difficult because users will have to switch between
reading modes.
Instructional text can appear in the Word Status Bar (located on the light blue bar in the bottom, left-hand corner of the
Word window) or in a popup dialog box when the user is in a field and presses the ‘F1’ (Help) key.
Depending on length, it may be difficult to provide all necessary instruction or constraint information in the name of the
field. If so, add a description and or help text to the form field by following these steps:
1. Navigate to the form field
2. Select Properties from the Developer tab > Controls section or from the right-click menu.
3. Click Add Help Text.
a. To add information that will appear in the Status Bar, choose the Status Bar tab.
b. To add information that will appear in the Help Popup, choose the Help Key tab.
4. Select the button next to Type Your Own and enter the instructional text.
5. Choose OK.
ADD PROTECTION TO A FORM AND PREPARE IT FOR DISTRIBUTION
You can protect individual content controls in a form template to help prevent someone from deleting or editing a
particular content control or group of controls, or you can prepare a form to be distributed and filled out by locking it.
You can help protect all of the form template content with a password.
Prepare a Form to Be Completed
1. On the Developer tab, in the Protect group, click Protect Document
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2. Click Restrict Formatting and Editing.
3. In the Protect Document task pane, under Editing restrictions, select the Allow only this type of editing in the
document check box.
4. In the list of editing restrictions, select Filling in forms.
5. Under Start enforcement, click Yes, Start Enforcing Protection.
6. To assign a password to the document so that only reviewers who know the password can remove the
protection, type a password in the Enter new password (optional) box, and then confirm the password.
FORM READING ORDER
The form’s tab order (or reading order) is important for many users. The order in which focus appears in an edit field or
form field (either by a focus rectangle appearing or the cursor blinking) needs to mirror the visual and logical order of
the fields.
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To evaluate the reading order of a form, tab through the form. The cursor should move through form fields in a
logical order that someone would use to complete the form.
To place the items in the correct order, re-arrange the content by cutting and pasting content into a different
location.
If layout tables are used to represent form content, the tab order will default from top-to-bottom and left-toright.
PRINTABLE FORMS
Note: When forms created by using content controls in Office Word 2007/2010 but the field shading of the content
controls will not be printed.
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Avoid using underscores (_) to indicate where input needs to be placed. If a user attempts to type a response,
the string of underscores will push the surrounding text into undesired locations. A string of underscores will be
read by screenreaders as, “underscore underscore underscore underscore…”.
Print forms work best for many users when they contain one question on each line with blank space to the right
or below a question where users can enter their responses. Users should be instructed where to enter their
responses.
Do not use tabs to visually separate one question from another. Again, having only one question per line will
prevent text from running together when read by assistive technology.
If there are multiple sections of form fields that have similar field names, use headings to denote the different
groups of fields. For example, Billing and Shipping may both have name, address, city, state, zip and other fields.
Grouping the fields helps users understand which information goes into which set of fields.
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Place instructions at the beginning of the form or input area so users understand what is expected of them.
Instructions may include what symbols represent or what to do with the form after completion.
Instructions should not rely on users’ senses to determine an action. All instructions need a textual
representation. For example, required fields might be red in color, but should also have an asterisk (*) in the
label.
When a field is required or a specific answer format is necessary, place the constraint information before the
input area. For example, provide the example format of “mm/dd/yyyy” for a birth date.
SETTING DOCUMENT LANGUAGE
The document language needs to match the language that is visually displayed. If a document is actually in English, but
the document language is set to another language, certain Word tools and assistive technology tools will not function
accurately. When the language is set correctly, other proofing tools, such as spelling and grammar, will automatically use
the set proofing language.
Word can automatically evaluate the language if “Detect Language Automatically” is checked in the Language dialog.
However, since automatic detection is not always reliable, document language settings should be reviewed.
REVIEWING THE DOCUMENT LANGUAGES
Document language can be determined through the Reveal Formatting pane. Follow these steps to evaluate document
language:
1. Press SHIFT + F1 to open the Reveal Formatting pane.
2. When the pane appears, expand Font and locate Language, listed under the expanded Font item. The language
listed should match the actual language of the content.
3. Selecting different pieces of text and verify the language of each document section.
UPDATING THE LANGUAGE
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1. To set the language for the entire document, select all the content by pressing CTRL + A on the keyboard. To
update the language for a segment of the document, highlight the desired content.
2. From Review tab > Language group, click the Language button.
3. Select Set Proofing Language from the sub-menu to open the Language dialog.
4. Select the appropriate language for the selected content.
5. Choose OK.
ACCESSIBILITY CHECKER
Word used in Microsoft Windows includes a built-in accessibility checker that helps determine any issues with the
document. As with any automated checker, the results should be reviewed for oversights and false positives. The
accessibility checker only checks .docx files.
USING THE ACCESSIBILITY CHECKER:
1. Go to the File tab.
2. Select Info from the sidebar menu.
3. Click on the Check for Issues button.
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4. Select Check Accessibility from the drop-down list.
The Accessibility Checker panel will open to the right of the document. The accessibility checker provides a list of errors,
warnings, and tips. Click on an error or warning to access instructions on how to fix it appear below in "Additional
Information".
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