Word Guides

Create a uniform heading structure in Word by using Styles. This allows screen readers to navigate a document and improves accessibility for everyone.

To add and edit Headings:

1. Select the text and choose the appropriate style under Styles on the Home ribbon. (e.g., "Heading 1")
2. Headings 1, 2, or 3 can also be assigned using CTRL + ALT + 1, 2, or 3, respectively.

Tip: To view all your Headings in a document, open the Navigation Pane from the View tab.

Give appropriate alternative text to all your images. This alt text is read aloud by a screen reader and should remain intact if you export the document to HTML or PDF.

To add Alt Text:

1. Right-click on the image and select View Alt Text. The Alt Text panel will open.
2. Enter appropriate alt text in the text box on the side panel. 
3. You can close the panel when you are done; there is no save button. Saving the document will save your alt text.

If the image is purely decorative, you can check the box labeled “Mark as decorative” in the Alt Text panel. Images marked as decorative are not announced by screen readers, so use this only for images that do not convey meaning.

Tips:

• You can also access the Alt Text panel by clicking on the image, selecting the Picture Format tab, then clicking Alt Text under Accessibility  on the ribbon.
• Double click an image to open the Picture Format tab, where you can access the Alt Text panel.
• If you do not see the Alt Text option, make sure you have the most up to date version of Word. Alternative text is available in Office 14.1 or newer.

When creating columns, always use true columns, not columns created by hand with Indents or the Tab key.

To create Columns:

1. Select Layout on the ribbon.
2. Select Columns in the Page Setup group and choose the appropriate column from a list of preset types. 

Tip: You can also select "More Columns" to define custom columns.

Use true numbered and bulleted lists to emphasize a point or a sequence of steps.

To create Lists:

1. Select the Numbering or Bullets option on the Home ribbon, under the Paragraph group in the Home ribbon.

Use descriptive link text so your links are meaningful and recognizable to your audience. Word automatically creates a hyperlink when a user pastes a full URL onto a page, but the URL alone may not make sense to screen reader users, so more information is needed.

To add a Hyperlink to existing text:

1. Select the text you want to add a link to and right-click it. A menu will appear.
2. Select Link from the menu.
3. Confirm that the text in the Text to Display field is a meaningful description 
4. Enter the URL in the Address field.

To add a Hyperlink without existing text:

1. Select the URL you want to make accessible and right-click it.
2. Select Link from the menu.
3. Confirm that the text in the Text to Display field is a meaningful description 
4. Enter the URL in the Address field.

Tips:

• You can also insert links by going to the Insert tab and selecting Links on the ribbon.
• The keyboard shortcut to add a link is CTRL + k.

Accessible tables need a clear table structure and table headers to help orient and guide users. Use the Table tool to create tables in Word. Do not use images of tables. Do not create tables by hand with indents and other formatting.

To create Tables:

1. Select the Insert tab.
2. Select Table > Insert Table. 
3. Select the number of columns and rows you want, then select OK.

To add table headers to the first row:

1. Select the Table Layout tab.
2. Choose the Repeat Header Rows option in the Data group on the ribbon.
   

Options in the Design tab may be used to change appearance but will not provide the necessary accessibility information.

Word includes a built-in Accessibility Checker that identifies accessibility issues and steps to fix them.

1. Open the Review tab in the ribbon.
2. Select the Check Accessibility button. The Accessibility Assistant panel will open.
3. The Accessibility Checker task pane will show accessibility errors, warnings, and tips on how to repair the errors. Select specific issues to see Additional Information at the bottom of the task pane.

Tip: The Accessibility group in the ribbon also has a drop-down menu, from which you can select Alt Text and the Navigation Pane.

Create a uniform heading structure in Word by using Styles. This allows screen readers to navigate a document and improves accessibility for everyone.

Headings can be created using the Styles toolbar on the Home ribbon.

To create Headings:

1. Select the text and click on the appropriate style. (E.g. “Heading 1”)
2. Headings 1, 2, or 3 can also be assigned using command   + option + 1, 2, or 3, respectively.

Tip: To view all your Headings in a document, open the Navigation Pane from the View tab.

Give appropriate alternative text to all your images. This alt text is read aloud by a screen reader and should remain intact if you export the document to HTML or PDF.

To add Alt Text:

1. Right-click (or control + click) on the image and select View Alt Text. The Alt Text panel will open.
2. Enter appropriate alternative text in the text box.
3. You can close the panel when you are done; there is no save button. Saving the document will save your alt text.

If the image is purely decorative, you can check the box labeled “Mark as decorative” in the Alt Text panel. Images marked as decorative are not announced by screen readers, so use this only for images that do not convey meaning.

Tip: If you do not see the Alt Text option, make sure you have the most up to date version of Word. Alternative text is available in Office 14.1 or newer.

When creating columns, always use true columns, not columns created by hand with the Tab key.

To create Columns:

1. Select Layout tab on the ribbon.
2. Select Columns in the Page Setup group and choose the appropriate column from a list of preset types.

Tip: You can also select "More Columns" to define custom columns.

Accessible tables need a clear table structure and table headers to help orient and guide users. Use the Table tool to create tables in Word. Do not use images of tables. Do not create tables by hand with indents and other formatting.

To create Tables:

1. Select the Insert tab.
2. Select Table > Insert Table. 
3. Select the number of columns and rows you want, then select OK.

To add table headers to the first row:

1. Select the Table Layout tab.
2. Choose the Repeat Header Rows option in the Data group on the ribbon.

Options in the Table Design tab may be used to change appearance but will not provide the necessary accessibility information.

Use descriptive link text so your links are meaningful and recognizable to your audience. Word automatically creates a hyperlink when a user pastes a full URL onto a page, but the URL alone may not make sense to screen reader users, so more information is needed.

To add a Hyperlink to existing text:

1. Select the text you want to add a link to and right-click it. A menu will appear.
2. Select Link from the menu.
3. Confirm that the text in the Text to Display field is a meaningful description 
4. Enter the URL in the Address field.

To add a Hyperlink without existing text:

1. Select the URL you want to make accessible and right-click it.
2. Select Link from the menu.
3. Confirm that the text in the Text to Display field is a meaningful description 
4. Enter the URL in the Address field.

Tips:

• You can also insert links by going to the Insert tab and selecting Links on the ribbon.
• The keyboard shortcut to add a link is Command + k.

Use true numbered and bulleted lists to emphasize a point or a sequence of steps.

To create Lists:

1. Select the Numbering or Bullets option on the Home ribbon, under the Paragraph group in the Home ribbon.