5 Minutes to an Accessible Document
5 THINGS YOU CAN DO IN 5 MINUTES TO MAKE YOUR WORD DOCUMENTS ACCESSIBLE
1. HEADINGS
Headings help you find items quickly in your document. Especially if there is a specific topic you are looking for. For a vision impaired reader headings aid in navigation and provide structure to your document. Headings can be applied under the Home tab in the Styles group and can be changed to complement your other visual elements.
2. LISTS
Lists help organize items not only for a screen reader, but for those relying on visual cues as well. A screen reader will note whether a list is numbered or bulleted and how many items are in the list. When making lists, use the predefined options in Word.
3. IMAGES
Does the image you have in your document add to the information? Be sure to describe it in the text for someone that can't see it. If the image doesn't add to the information you may choose to change or remove it. Image description also allows others to search images in your document and find information quickly. To add alternative text in Word,
1. Right click on the object and choose Format Picture
2. Choose Layout & Properties
3. Expand the Alt Text section
4. Type a description of the object in the Description Box.
4. DESCRIPTIVE LINKS
Links often have a lot of extra letters and numbers. A screen reader will read each of these separately. By changing the name of a link to exactly what it is, you simplify it and make it easier for someone using a screen reader to understand.
For example: {+}https://support.office.com/en-us/article/Check-for-accessibility-issues-a16f6de0-2f39-4a2b-8bd8-5ad801426c7f?ui=en-US&rs=en-US&ad=US+
Versus: Word Accessibility Checker URL
5. EXPORTING
Save your document as a pdf to keep the formatting. If you print to a pdf all of the formatting for headings, lists, etc. will be lost.