We have the power to make Microsoft Word documents accessible. Proper formatting is essential for those that rely on technology for reading and access.
There are certain criteria that make a document accessible. The goal of this page is to provide you with all the resources you need to make your documents accessible in Microsoft Word.
Where do we start?
The structure behind the scenes in MS Word dictates the accessibility of any document. These structural items provide easier navigation for those who use assistive technology. With no structure, there is no navigation.
Here are the top elements to consider when making a word document accessible. Each of the links below will take you to a dedicated blog post and video on how to implement it.
Interested in a free MS Word Checklist – Review our resource page
Top accessibility elements to consider
- Heading Styles
- Lists – Unordered vs Ordered
- Table Accessibility
- Alternate Text for all images and graphics
- Hyperlinks in Microsoft Word
- Accessibility Checker
Other items to consider for Word Accessibility
As this page is updated, I will add extra subjects!
- Color contrast
- Headers and footers
- Page numbers
- How do I apply columns to my text in Microsoft Word?– Columns can be ideal for formatting instead of using a heading structure or a table.
- Exporting to PDF – This can be challenging if you do not have the correct settings on the export!
- Change the way headings look in MS Word
Apply formatting in word before exporting
The more work you can put into your word document for accessibility purposes, the easier it is to export the file to other accessible file types.
Video overview of how to make Word documents accessible
This video can be used as an example for walking through fixing common errors in Microsoft Word.
Not interested in learning how to make your documents accessible?
If you are finding that remediation is too complicated or not something you enjoy doing, then my team is here for you. We can make any and all of your documents accessible for a reasonable price. Over 100k pages made accessible so far.
