Microsoft Word

Why should I use Word?

We recommend Microsoft Word because it is highly compatible with other word-processing programs and it has robust accessibility features.

For written documents, text should be perceivable and understandable for individuals who are Blind, have low vision, or are otherwise visually impaired. These individuals often use screen reading software to have the text read to them. Screen reading software must be able to effectively interpret and navigate your texts. An accessible document must:

• Have sufficient color contrast
• Have sufficient size (or the ability to manipulate font size)
• Be organized in a way that is logical and makes sense when read in order
• Contain functional interactive elements (such as hyperlinks)
• Use clear, appropriate language for the audience
• Describe images or illustrations through Alt Text
• Tell a screen reader program where sections and subsections begin so a user can skip or return to a relevant section
• Tell a screen reader program what information is contained in a table or image and what order to read it in
• Interact with other screen reader functions like copying and pasting or note-taking functions.
• Function consistently whether the user is accessing the document on a desktop or mobile device.

Logical Reading Order

There is no universal logical reading order, but you do need to make sure that documents are consistent throughout. A novel needs its chapters to appear in the right order, history needs to be presented chronologically, and educational texts often need to teach one topic before the next. Creating a logical reading order is an essential step to accessible document design so that Word can tell assistive technology how to read your document in the proper sequence.

Tags

Tags are built-in cues that identify stylistic elements in the document and help users interpret it. Tags are generally created automatically within Word. However, automatic tagging won’t always produce your intended result. You should run Word’s built-in accessibility checker and fix issues.

Headers/Headings

Headers or headings are a specific kind of tag that identifies titles of documents, the start of a section or subsection, tables and charts, and more. Headings create a hierarchy within the document that will tell a screen reader how sections relate to each other and assist with navigation.

Headers also create visually distinct text, which can indicate to readers which level of information they are reviewing. Simply increasing font size or making text bold, underlined, or italicized won’t provide the appropriate information to a screen reader.

The highest-level heading is not numbered and is commonly used for titles. Each level below will have an increasing header number. When you use headers, start at the highest level for the section and go down as needed to identify subsections. It may be useful to create an outline of your material and use the outline to determine which heading level is appropriate. Here is a more in-depth guide on headers.

Charts and Graphs

You should also use headers to introduce charts, graphs, images and tables. Learn more about charts and graphs.

For tables, make sure you label columns and rows with descriptive headings to identify them.

If you would like to give your document a specific visual style, you can edit the Heading Style to use the font, font size, and colors you prefer while maintaining appropriate tags. Here’s a guide on how to do this in Microsoft Word.

Color, Images, and Illustrations

For your document to be perceivable, you need to also be careful about your use of color, images, and illustrations. These elements may not be perceivable to blind individuals, and they may not appear as intended to people who are colorblind. There are two rules you should always follow:

• Never use color alone to convey meaning; there should always be accompanying text or labeling.
• Include alternative text for images. Here’s a guide on alternative text.

Creating Operable, Robust Texts

Some documents, such as forms, are interactive. An accessible form needs be readable by a screen reader, but it also has to tell the screen reader how the user needs to interact in order to complete the form. This means:

• Each field in the form needs to be assigned a reading order and label
• Mandatory and optional fields should be distinguished
• Radio buttons, checkboxes, and other interactive items should be operable using keyboard commands
• If a signature is required, best practice is to create a signature line that can be e-signed.

Our recommendation is to use a program other than Word to create fillable forms, such as Qualtrics. If you need a form that can be downloaded and emailed, here is a guide on how to create accessible forms in Word using the Developer Tab.

Do I need a PDF?

It’s a common practice to save documents as PDFs. However, this is an added step that will require you to run a second accessibility check on your final document. If you leave your document in its native Word format, users can make minor modifications to suit their needs like enlarging text or changing colors.

If you determine you need a PDF format:

• Run the accessibility checker within Word and fix any issues it raises.
• Do not use the “Print to PDF” function, as it does not always save accessibility functions. Use “Save As PDF.”
• Use the Accessibility Checker within Adobe Acrobat or a program like PAC to verify the PDF is accessible before uploading or distributing.