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For creating accessible Word documents this is a checklist as well as detailed steps/explanations that can be followedThis article is intended for students, faculty, and staff who are interested in making Word documents accessible.

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titleDocument Title & Author
  1. Click on File found in the Word menu

  2. Click Info

  3. Under Properties, add the Title and Author if needed

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titleHeaders and Styles
  • Use Styles found in the Home tab of the Ribbon

  • Modify the heading format by right mouse clicking on the Heading in the Styles panel

  • Emphasis style is for italics and Strong is for bold

  • Tip: Turn on Navigation Pane in Word to see the structure. Click on View in the Ribbon and turn it on under Show section

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titleAlternative (Alt) Text
  • Do not start alt text with “picture of“ or “graphic of”

  • Validate auto-generated alt text

  • Include enough information for end user

  • Exclude information found near the image (example: caption below image)

  • Include alt text for images with hyperlink

  • Tip: You can turn on/off the Automatic Alt Text setting found in File > Options > Accessibility

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titleDescriptive Hyperlinks
  • Write link text where it is going, for example IT Accessibility

  • Do not use “click here”, “learn more”, “read more”

  • Do not underline text that is not a link because keyboard users may think it is a link that is inaccessible

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titleTrue Tables
  • Use only data for tables

  • Designate top row as the header for each column

  • Turn on Repeat Header Row (found under Layout menu item when table is highlighted)

  • Add Alt Text to the table

  • Cannot create accessible table if using split cells, merged cells, or nested tables in Word when exporting to PDF

  • Tab through each cell to check for navigation (left to right and down)

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titleAdequate Color Contrast

Detailed information and steps to ensure adequate color contrast.

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titleAvoid Justified (Centered) Formatting
  • Creates inconsistent spacing, which can force the reader’s eyes to “jump” when reading

  • Becomes a serious issue with using assistive technologies (AT), for example screen magnifiers

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titleAccessibility Checkers
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titleCreating PDFs from Copiers

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