Microsoft Word Accessibility Guide

Why Word Accessibility Matters

• Word documents are shared widely across campus
• Accessible Word documents convert to accessible PDFs
• Screen readers rely on proper structure to navigate
• Good structure helps everyone find information faster

Use Heading Styles

The most important accessibility feature in Word is using built-in heading styles instead of manually formatting text.

How to Apply Heading Styles

1. Select your heading text
2. Go toHometab
3. In theStylesgroup, click the appropriate heading level:
   • Heading 1— Document title (use once)
   • Heading 2— Major sections
   • Heading 3— Subsections

View Document Structure

Check your heading structure:

1. Go toViewNavigation Pane
2. Click theHeadingstab
3. Verify headings appear in correct hierarchy

Add Alt Text to Images

Screen readers read alt text to describe images to users who can't see them.

Adding Alt Text

1. Right-click the image
2. SelectEdit Alt Text(or View Alt Text)
3. In the Alt Text pane:
   • Write a brief, meaningful description
   • Or check "Mark as decorative" if image is purely decorative

Good vs. Bad Alt Text

Create Accessible Tables

Tables should be used for data, not layout.

Set Header Row

1. Click in the table
2. Go toTable Designtab
3. CheckHeader Rowin Table Style Options

Add Alt Text to Table

1. Right-click the table
2. SelectTable Properties
3. ClickAlt Texttab
4. Add a description of the table's purpose

Table Best Practices

• Keep tables simple (avoid merged cells when possible)
• Don't use blank rows or columns for spacing
• Make sure the table reads logically left-to-right, top-to-bottom
• Don't use tables for layout

Meaningful Hyperlinks

Link text should describe where the link goes.

Creating Good Links

1. Select the descriptive text
2. PressCtrl+K(or Insert Link)
3. Enter the URL
4. Add a ScreenTip if helpful

Link Examples

Use Built-in Lists

Use Word's bullet and numbered list features instead of typing characters manually.

1. Select your items
2. Click theBulletsorNumberingbutton on the Home tab
3. Use the Increase/Decrease Indent buttons for nested lists

Color & Contrast

• Don't rely on color alone to convey meaning
• Ensure sufficient contrast (4.5:1 for normal text)
• Avoid light gray text on white backgrounds
• Test readability if using colored backgrounds

Fonts & Formatting

• Use sans-serif fonts (Arial, Calibri, Verdana) for body text
• Minimum 11pt for body text (12pt preferred)
• Avoid all caps for long passages
• Avoid excessive italics
• Left-align text (avoid full justification)
• Use adequate line spacing (1.15 or 1.5)

Run Accessibility Checker

Word has a built-in accessibility checker that catches common issues.

1. Go toReviewtab
2. ClickCheck Accessibility
3. Review issues in the Accessibility pane
4. Click each issue for explanation and fix suggestions

Run this before sharing any document!

Exporting to Accessible PDF

When you create an accessible Word document, it can become an accessible PDF.

1. Run Accessibility Checker first and fix issues
2. Go toFileSave As
3. ChoosePDFas the format
4. ClickOptions
5. CheckDocument structure tags for accessibility
6. Click OK and Save

Word Accessibility Checklist

• Used built-in heading styles (H1, H2, H3)
• All images have alt text or marked decorative
• Tables have header rows marked
• Links have descriptive text
• Lists use built-in bullets/numbering
• Document has sufficient color contrast
• Document has meaningful file name
• Accessibility Checker run with no errors

Related Resources

• PowerPoint Accessibility Guide
• Excel Accessibility Guide
• PDF Remediation Guide
• Heading Structure Best Practices