The areas to keep in mind in creating accessible Word documents include: design and layout, figures and media, tables, content, contrast and colour, and saving and printing.
Verify that the items noted below are utilized to increase the accessibility of your files. This page can act as one big checklist, or you can choose a specific area below and focus on one aspect of your file at a time.
Design and Layout
- Avoid using watermarks
- Balance text and the use of white space on each page
- Use the correct heading style (Heading 1: main, Heading 2: section heading, etc.); this can be checked using the Navigation Pane
- Headings should be followed by no more than 2-3 paragraphs of content
- Use bullet points to avoid long uninterrupted paragraphs
- Use numbered lists if the order of items is important
- Do not use multiple spaces, lines, or tabs for layout design
- Use left-justified margin
- Use a minimum of 12-point font size
- Use sans serif font such as Arial, Comic Sans MS, Courier New, Georgia, Tahoma, Veranda, or Franklin Gothic
- Use bold text for emphasis
- Avoid the use of italic, underline, and all capital letters together
Figures and Media
- Insert figures using the “In line with text” function
- Diagrams and pictures should be large enough to easily see details
- Provide written descriptions using the “Alt text” function
- If the image contains text, repeat the text exactly in the Alt Text description or adjacent content
- For decorative images, write ” ” (double quote – space – double quote) in the Alt Text title and description. This tells screen reader software to skip over the image instead of describing it.
- Provide captioning or transcripts for video clips and text transcripts for audio clips
- Avoid using orange, red, and green in your graphs or objects
Tables
- Correctly define column headers in the first row of a table
- Use the Tab key to move through the table cells
- The tab order of cells should match the table appearance
- Avoid using tables for layout
- Avoid using blank columns and rows for visual formatting
- Avoid merging or splitting cells
Content
- Give the document a descriptive title
- Use headings that match the information that follows
- Give every hyperlink a meaningful and descriptive display text and avoid meaningless phrases such as “Click here”, and “Learn more”
- Use short sentences and straightforward messages
- Do a spell and grammar check
Contrast and Colour
- Use dark font on light background or light font on dark background
- Never use colour alone to convey information; use text or other visual presentations in addition to colour
- If using colour, ensure high contrast
- Avoid using orange, red, and green in your graphs or objects
Saving and Printing
- Avoid printing on glossy and colored paper
- Save the file as a .docx document
- Give the document a descriptive file name
- Verify the document fully passed the Accessibility Checker
Exporting to PDF
- Export, rather than print, to PDF in order to preserve tags and other accessibility features or settings.
- In order to create the desired tags during PDF export, the following must be observed:
Word for Windows
- Select “File” → “Export“ → “Create PDF/XPS”
- Click on “Options”
- Activate the option “Document structure tags for accessibility” if it’s not already activated
Word for Mac
- Select “File” → “Save As”
- Select the option “PDF” in the drop-down “File format”
- Activate the option “Optimal for electronic distribution and accessibility”
Originally Published: October 25, 2023
Last Updated: September 6, 2024
