CREATING ACCESSIBLE WORD
AND EXCEL DOCUMENTS
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Creating Accessible Word AND Excel Documents ......................................................................... 1
Objectives ................................................................................................................................... 1
Word Document Structure ............................................................................................................... 1
Outline Your Document before Starting to Write ......................................................................... 1
Convert the Outline to Headings .............................................................................................. 1
Writing Your Document ................................................................................................................ 3
Chunking Content ..................................................................................................................... 3
Style Sets ......................................................................................................................................... 8
Creating a Table of Contents ........................................................................................................... 8
Step 1 Apply Heading Styles to Your Document ......................................................................... 8
Create a table of contents automatically .................................................................................. 9
Add alternative text to Graphicsand objects in word or Excel ....................................................... 11
Creating Word Tables and Excel Spreadsheets ........................................................................... 13
Word TabLe Example ................................................................................................................ 14
Sample description: ................................................................................................................ 14
Tag Header Rows in Excel ..................................................................................................... 14
Resources ...................................................................................................................................... 15
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CREATING ACCESSIBLE WORD AND EXCEL DOCUMENTS
OBJECTIVES

TLW demonstrate how to create a well-structured document helps people with
disabilities.

TLW demonstrate how to use and customize styles and understand why they should be
used instead of formatting individual words.

TLW understand what needs to be considered when choosing style attributes to enhance
accessibility?

TLW understand the advantages of using Word style sheets/templates.

TLW understand the reason for creating a table of contents for longer documents and will
be able to create a table of contents in a document.

TLW demonstrate how to make images accessible in Word

TLW demonstrate how to make Word and Excel tables and accessible.
WORD DOCUMENT STRUCTURE
Use “straightforward sentence structures, lists, relatively short paragraphs, and a hierarchy of
headings to divide the content into logical, easily digested segments.”
OUTLINE YOUR DOCUMENT BEFORE STARTING TO WRITE
Create a simple outline of the content that you want to include in your paper, article, or handout.
CONVERT THE OUTLINE TO HEADINGS
We will now apply headings to your outline. You will need to decide which headings will be major
categories (heading 1). After you have chosen the major categories for you document you will
then organize the headings that remain under each heading 1 heading. Locate all of the next
level headings under each specific major category to which you applied the heading one style.
Apply the heading 2 style to these headings. Add heading 3 styles to the sub headings under
your categories to which you applied a heading 2 style. Word allows you to create up to 6
heading levels. Most often we do not use more than 3 or 4 heading levels.
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NOTE: SOFTCHALK ONLY PROVIDES FOR 3 HEADING LEVELS.
USING HEADINGS
APPLY A HEADING STYLE
1.
Type the text of your heading, and then select it.
2.
On the Home tab, in the Styles group, click the heading style that you want. If you don't see the style
that you want, click the More button
to expand the Quick Styles gallery.
Note: You can see how selected text will look with a particular style by placing your pointer over the
style that you want to preview.
QUICK STYLE GALLERY
Note: If the style that you want does not appear in the Quick Styles gallery, press
CTRL+SHIFT+S to open the Apply Styles task pane. Under Style Name, type the name of the
style that you want. The list shows only those styles that you already used in the document, but
you can type the name of any style that is defined for the document.
STYLES AND STYLE SET VIDEO
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/videos/video-apply-styles-in-word-2010VA101820568.aspx?CTT=3
MODIFYING AND CREATING HEADINGS
You can change the font and formatting of a heading style.
1. Select the heading text that you want to customize.
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2. On the Home tab, in the Styles group, click the heading style that you want to customize.
3. Make the changes that you want.
4. For example, you can change the font, the size, or the color.
5. On the Home tab, in the Styles group, right-click the heading style that you customized,
and then click Update Heading to Match Selection.
Every time you apply that heading style in your document, the heading style will include your
customizations.
WRITING YOUR DOCUMENT
We have divided your document into headings now we need to consider the other items referred
to in the quote from Norman Coombs earlier in this handout.
CHUNKING CONTENT
Use a straightforward sentence structure and relatively short paragraphs. Use the bulleted or
numbered list button to create lists of items rather than writing them in paragraph form. Do not
attempt to create your own lists by typing numbers or making your own bullets.
CREATE A BULLETED OR NUMBERED LIST
You can quickly add bullets or numbers to existing lines of text, or Word can automatically create lists as you
type.
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By default, if you start a paragraph with an asterisk or a number 1., Word recognizes that you are trying to
start a bulleted or numbered list. If you don't want your text turned into a list, you can click the AutoCorrect
Options button
that appears.
LISTS: ONE LEVEL OR MANY LEVELS
Make a list with just one level, or make a multilevel list to show lists within a list.
Type the first list item and then click one of the list buttons, the bulleted list button, the numbered
list button or the multi-level list button.
CREATE A ONE-LEVEL BULLETED OR NUMBERED LIST
Word can automatically create bulleted and numbered lists as you type, or you can quickly add bullets or
numbers to existing lines of text.
TYPE A BULLETED OR NUMBERED LIST
1.
Type * (asterisk) to start a bulleted list or 1. to start a numbered list, and then press SPACEBAR or
the TAB key.
2.
Type any text that you want.
3.
Press ENTER to add the next list item.
Word automatically inserts the next bullet or number.
4.
To finish the list, press ENTER twice, or press BACKSPACE to delete the last bullet or number in
the list.
IF BULLETS AND NUMBERING DO NOT BEGIN AUTOMATICALLY
1.
Click the File tab and then click Options.
2.
Click Proofing.
3.
Click AutoCorrect Options, and then click the AutoFormat As You Type tab.
4.
Under Apply as you type, select the Automatic bulleted lists check box and the Automatic
numbered lists check box.
ADD BULLETS OR NUMBERING TO A LIST
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1.
Select the items that you want to add bullets or numbering to.
2.
On the Home tab, in the Paragraph group, click Bullets or Numbering.
Bullets
Numbering
Notes

You can find different bullet styles and numbering formats by clicking the arrow next to Bullets or
Numbering on the Home tab, in the Paragraph group.
SPREAD OUT THE ITEMS IN A LIST
You can increase the space between the lines in all of your lists by clearing a check box.
1.
On the Home tab, in the Styles group, click the More arrow next to the Styles gallery, and then rightclick the List Paragraph style.
2.
Click Modify.
3.
In the Modify Style dialog box, click Format, and then click Paragraph.
4.
Clear the “Don't add space between paragraphs of the same style” check box.
MOVE AN ENTIRE LIST TO THE LEFT OR THE RIGHT
1.
Click a bullet or number in the list to highlight the list.
2.
Drag the list to a new location.
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The entire list moves as you drag. The numbering levels do not change.
TURN A ONE-LEVEL LIST INTO A MULTILEVEL LIST
You can turn an existing list into a multilevel list by changing the hierarchical level of items in the list.
1.
Click any item that you want to move to a different level.
2.
On the Home tab, in the Paragraph group, click the arrow next to Bullets or Numbering, click
Change List Level, and then click the level that you want.
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CHOOSE A MULTILEVEL LIST STYLE FROM THE GALLERY
You can apply a gallery style to any multilevel list.
1.
Click an item in the list.
2.
On the Home tab, in the Paragraph group, click the arrow next to Multilevel List.
3.
Click the multilevel list style that you want.
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STYLE SETS
Experiment with different Style Sets now that you have set up headings and lists in your
document.
CREATE A CUSTOM STYLE SET
http://www.karlencommunications.com/adobe/SwappingStyleSetsWord.pdf
CREATING A TABLE OF CONTENTS
You create a table of contents by applying heading styles — for example, Heading 1, Heading 2,
and Heading 3 — to the text that you want to include in the table of contents. Microsoft Word
searches for those headings and then inserts the table of contents into your document.
When you create a table of contents this way, you can automatically update it if you make
changes in your document.
You can also create a custom table of contents with the options you choose and any custom styles that
you've applied by using the Table of Contents dialog box.
STEP 1 APPLY HEADING STYLES TO YOUR DOCUMENT
You create a table of contents by applying heading styles — for example, Heading 1, Heading 2,
and Heading 3 — to the text that you want to include in the table of contents. Microsoft Word
searches for those headings and then inserts the table of contents into your document.
When you create a table of contents this way, you can automatically update it if you make
changes in your document.
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Microsoft Word 2010 provides a gallery of automatic table of contents styles. Mark the table of
contents entries, and then click the table of contents style that you want from the gallery of
options.
You can also create a custom table of contents with the options you choose and any custom
styles that you've applied by using the Table of Contents dialog box.
CREATE A TABLE OF CONTENTS AUTOMATICALLY
The easiest way to create a table of contents is to use the built-in heading styles (heading style:
Formatting applied to a heading. Microsoft Word has nine different built-in styles: Heading 1
through Heading 9.). You can also create a table of contents that is based on the custom styles
that you have applied. Or you can assign the table of contents levels to individual text entries.
MARK ENTRIES BY USING BUILT-IN HEADING STYLES
1. Select the text that you want to appear in the table of contents.
2. On the Home tab, in the Styles group, click the style that you want.
For example, if you selected text that you want to style as a main heading, click the style called
Heading 1 in the Quick Style gallery.
Notes

If you don't see the style that you want, click the arrow to expand the Quick Style gallery.

If the style that you want does not appear in the Quick Style gallery, press CTRL+SHIFT+S to open
the Apply Styles task pane. Under Style Name, click the style that you want.
CREATE A TABLE OF CONTENTS FROM THE GALLERY
After you mark the entries for your table of contents, you are ready to build it.
1. Click where you want to insert the table of contents, usually at the beginning of a
document.
2. On the References tab, in the Table of Contents group, click Table of Contents, and
then click the table of contents style that you want.
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Note: If you want to specify more options — for example, how many heading levels to show —
click Insert Table of Contents to open the Table of Contents dialog box.
CREATE A CUSTOM TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. On the References tab, in the Table of Contents group, click Table of Contents, and then
click Insert Table of Contents.
In the Table of Contents dialog box, do any of the following:

To change how many heading levels are displayed in the table of contents, enter
the number that you want in the box next to Show levels, under General.

To change the overall look of your table of contents, click a different format in the
Formats list. You can see what your choice looks like in the Print Preview and
Web Preview areas.

To change the type of line that appears between the entry text and the page
number, click an option in the Tab leader list.

To change the way heading levels are displayed in the table of contents, click
Modify. In the Style dialog box, click the level that you want to change, and then
click Modify. In the Modify Style dialog box, you can change the font, the size,
and the amount of indentation.
2. To use custom styles in the table of contents, click Options, and then do the following:
a. Under Available styles, find the style that you applied to the headings in your
document.
b. Under TOC level, next to the style name, type a number from 1 to 9 to indicate
the level that you want the heading style to represent.
c.
Note If you want to use only custom styles, delete the TOC level numbers for
the built-in styles, such as Heading 1.
d. Repeat step 1 and step 2 for each heading style that you want to include in the
table of contents.
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e. Click OK.
3. Choose a table of contents to fit the document type:

Printed document: If you are creating a document that readers will read on a printed
page, create a table of contents in which each entry lists both the heading and the
page number where the heading appears. Readers can turn to the page that they
want.

Online document: For a document that readers will read online in Word, you can
format the entries in the table of contents as hyperlinks, so that readers can go to a
heading by clicking its entry in the table of contents.
UPDATE THE TABLE OF CONTENTS
If you added or removed headings or other table of contents entries in your document, you can
quickly update the table of contents.
1. On the References tab, in the Table of Contents group, click Update Table.
2. Click Update page numbers only or Update entire table.
DELETE A TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. On the References tab, in the Table of Contents group, click Table of Contents.
2. Click Remove Table of Contents.
ADD ALTERNATIVE TEXT TO GRAPHICSAND OBJECTS IN WORD OR
EXCEL
Add alternative text to a shape, picture, chart, table, SmartArt graphic, or other object in word or
Excel
You can create alternative text (alternative text: Used by Web browsers to display text during
image downloads for users who have graphics turned off and for users who rely on screen11
reading software to convert graphics on the screen to spoken words.) (alt text or Alt Text) for
shapes, pictures, charts, tables, SmartArt graphics, or other objects (object: A table, chart,
graphic, equation, or other form of information. Objects created in one application, for example
spreadsheets, and linked or embedded in another application are OLE objects.) in your Office
document. Alternative text helps people with screen readers understand the content of pictures.
When you use a screen reader to view your document, or save it to a file format such as HTML
(HTML: The standard markup language used for documents on the World Wide Web. HTML uses
tags to indicate how Web browsers should display page elements such as text and graphics and
how to respond to user actions.) or DAISY (Digital Accessible Information System), alternative
text appears when you move the pointer over a picture in most browsers.
If an image requires and especially long explanation add the explanation before the image in the
document. This will be beneficial to all students not just the students with disabilities.
WORD
1.
Do one of the following:
a.
For a shape, picture, chart, SmartArt graphic or other object (object: A table, chart,
graphic, equation, or other form of information. Objects created in one application, for
example spreadsheets, and linked or embedded in another application are OLE objects.),
right-click it, click Format object, and then click the Alt Text pane.
b.
To add Alt Text to the entire SmartArt graphic or chart, click the border of the SmartArt
graphic or chart, and not an individual shape or piece.
2.
For a table, right-click the table, click Table Properties, and then click the Alt Text tab.
3.
In the Description box, enter an explanation of the shape, picture, chart, table, SmartArt graphic,
or other object. This box should always be filled in.
4.
If you want, in the Title box, enter a brief summary. This box should only be filled in if you are
entering a detailed or long explanation in the Description box.
Note: Unless you have a complex chart or table, you will usually want to enter text in just the
Description box. When you have complex content to describe, then filling in the Title field is
useful so reading the full description is not necessary unless desired.
MAKE THE ALT TEXT COMMAND READILY AVAILABLE
If you frequently add alternative text to shapes, pictures, charts, tables, SmartArt graphics, or
other objects, you can add the Alt Text command to the Quick Access Toolbar to create a
shortcut (shortcut: An icon that points to a program or file that is stored in another location.) to it.
1. In the upper-left corner above the Ribbon, click Customize Quick Access Toolbar
2. Click More Commands, and then under Choose commands from click Commands Not in
the Ribbon.
3. Click Alt Text and then click Add.
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To use the Alt Text command on the Quick Access Toolbar, select the shape, picture, chart,
table, SmartArt graphic, or other object, before you click the toolbar button, and then add your
alternative text.
EXCEL
1) Do one of the following:
a) For a shape, picture, chart, SmartArt graphic, or other object (object: A table, chart,
graphic, equation, or other form of information. Objects created in one application, for
example spreadsheets, and linked or embedded in another application are OLE objects.),
right-click it, click Format object, and then click the Alt Text pane.
b) To add Alt Text to the entire SmartArt graphic or chart, click the border of the SmartArt
graphic or chart, and not an individual shape or piece.
c) For a table, right-click the table, click Table, and then click Alternative Text.
2) For a PivotTable, right-click it, point to PivotTable Options, and then click Alt Text.
3) In the Description box, enter an explanation of the shape, picture, chart, table, PivotTable,
SmartArt graphic, or other object. This box should always be filled in.
4) If you want, in the Title box, enter a brief summary. This box should only be filled in if you are
entering a detailed or long explanation in the Description box.
Note: Unless you have a complex chart or table, you will usually want to enter text in just the
Description box. When you have complex content to describe, then filling in the Title field is
useful so reading the full description is not necessary unless desired.
CREATING WORD TABLES AND EXCEL SPREADSHEETS
Since information in a table is displayed in a format that requires the learner to visualize the
information in order to gain knowledge from that information it is important to keep the tables
simple. The more columns and rows you add to the table the harder it will be for people with
visual disabilities to understand since they need to keep the information in their head, forming a
mental picture of the table and placing each cell of information into that imagined table. When
there is a great amount of information to be displayed it is best to use Excel because it interfaces
with screen readers better.
When using Word tables or Excel spreadsheets:

Preface the table with a brief, but clear summary of the information you intend the student
to learn, giving students two views of the information. Students with learning disabilities
and visual disabilities will benefit from this approach.
o
Make sure to spell out numbers in the text descriptions to help students with
dysnumeria (their brains scramble the numbers).
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o

Identify which rows contain the column headers. Identifying heading rows will
help screen reader users set up their software to speak the relevant header
information along with the contents of the cell.
Avoid using empty rows or columns to enhance the visual appeal of the table (adding
white space) . Both Word and Excel have formatting styles that can be used instead of
the blank cells.
WORD TABLE EXAMPLE
SAMPLE DESCRIPTION:
The table below lists Helen’s breakfast, lunch and dinner expenses for Tuesday, Wednesday, and
Thursday this week. The meals headers span the top row. The days are listed in the first cells of
rows two, three, and four.
EXPENSES
BREAKFAST
LUNCH
DINNER
Tuesday
$9.95
$12.23
$25.12
Wednesday
$5.95
$7.29
$21.12
$11.95
$5.99
$19.21
Thursday
TAG HEADER ROWS IN EXCEL
To tag your headers in Excel:
1. Select the Formulas tab of the ribbon, and then select the Name Manager.
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2. Click the New button and type in the word “Title”. This tells the screen reader that row 1
contains column headers and column 1 contains row headers.
3. If your headers are not in column A and row 1, instead of putting the cursor in A1, place
the cursor in the first cell in the column that contains a row header, and type “RowTitle”
as the name.
4. Repeat step 3 using the first cell in the row that contains column headers, but enter the
name “ColumnTitle”.
Screen readers recognize the Title, RowTitle, and ColumnTitle names, so as a screen reader’s
focus moves from cell to cell; it will first speak the relevant header, then the cell coordinates, and
finally its contents.
Page 55: Making Online Teaching Accessible by Norman Coombs.
RESOURCES
Creating Accessible Content in Word and Excel by Norman Coombs
Accessibility Toolkit, http://www.csun.edu/accessibility/toolkit/tooltable.html
Create a Custom Style Set:
http://www.karlencommunications.com/adobe/SwappingStyleSetsWord.pdf
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