How to Insert Footnotes in Microsoft Word | Section 508 for Word

In today’s post, we’re exploring the powerful world of footnotes and how to seamlessly insert them using the Insert Footnote option in Microsoft Word. This is an essential part of making your MS Word document Section 508 compliant.

Video Guide

Footnotes are not just about enhancing the aesthetics of your document. They play a crucial role in making your content accessible to all users, especially those relying on Assistive Technology. So let’s get started by inserting a footnote.

How to Insert Footnotes

I have a sentence in my document titled “The Scan and OCR Feature in Adobe Acrobat Pro DC”. I want to add a footnote to reference a specific video. To do this:

1. Select the Insert button.
2. Then navigate to the Footnotes and Endnotes group.
3. If you don’t see these options on your Insert tab, find them by using the Search button and typing in “footnote.”

Upon selecting the Insert Footnote option, a little number one element will automatically appear, linked to the text where the footnote is inserted. Here, I’ll paste in the content for the footnote, which in this example reads: “This post was written from the YouTube video,” followed by the link to the video. If I want to include multiple footnotes, I can easily add them in the same manner.

Once inserted, these footnotes will seamlessly link to their corresponding text within Microsoft Word. And when it comes to converting the document to PDF, rest assured that the footnotes will be correctly tagged, ensuring accessibility for all users.

Section 508 Compliance

Let’s take a moment to review our document in PDF format. After saving the document as a PDF and reviewing the tags, we can see that the footnotes are appropriately linked and accessible. This is a crucial step in ensuring the accessibility of our content. Microsoft Word’s built-in features make it incredibly straightforward.

Running the accessibility checker further confirms that our document is in good shape, with no major issues detected. However, it’s worth noting that we may need to address some minor elements, such as adding alt text to hyperlink descriptions, to further enhance accessibility.

In summary, utilizing the Insert Footnote option in Microsoft Word is a game-changer when it comes to creating accessible content. By incorporating footnotes seamlessly into your documents, you’re not only enhancing readability but also ensuring compliance with accessibility standards.

Download the Free Section 508 Checklist for Microsoft Word:

Let me be your champion for inclusion. I offer tailored solutions (and self-paced courses!) to ensure your documents meet and exceed compliance expectations. For more detailed insights, tutorials, and in-depth discussions on accessibility and related topics, don’t forget to check out my YouTube channel: The Accessibility Guy on YouTube. Subscribe for regular updates!