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In many cases, the easiest way to publish a handbook online is to produce a PDF from a Word document. Review the following checklist as you finalize your Word document, so you can ensure it can be easily viewed by people with a range of sight disabilities.

Headings

Check Description
[  ] Create headings by using built-in styles in Word.
[  ] Write short, concise headings that include keywords.
[  ] Write headings that give people good clues about the information that follows them.
[  ] Arrange headings in order – H3 headings under H2, H2 headings under H1, and so on.
[  ] Make sure each heading contains no more than 2-3 paragraphs of content.

Why is this important?

  • Most people just scan a page, so headings might be the only information that gets read.
  • Screen readers and text-to-speech tools are programmed to find heading styles.
  • People who are blind depend on headings for navigation.
  • People who have any reading issues depend on headings to:
    • Provide clues about the content.
    • Organize content into groups of related ideas.
    • Limit bursts of reading to a few paragraphs.

Images

Check Description
[  ] Add Alternative Text (Alt Text) to images, diagrams, SmartArt, and tables.
[  ] Write Alt Text that describes what’s important in the image.
[  ] If you included an image for visual emphasis or decoration, write " " (Double quote –space – double quote) in the Alt Text title and description. This tells screen reader software to skip over the image, and not describe it for a blind person.
[  ] If the image contains text, repeat the text exactly in the Alt Text description or adjacent content.

Lists

Check Description
[  ] Create lists (bulleted and numbered) by using built-in features in Word.
[  ] Insert a lead phrase or sentence to introduce the list.
[  ] Make lists that contain related items. If you have to, make more than one list.
[  ] Use numbered lists if the order of items is important.

Why is this important?

  • Screen readers and text-to-speech tools are programmed to understand lists that you create with the built-in features. This is especially important for nested lists.
  • People who use screen readers appreciate hearing that a list about to be read.
  • It’s easier to remember list items if they are related to one another.

Links

Check Description
[  ] Give every link meaningful display text.
[  ] Make sure the link display gives a clear idea of the destination and purpose of the link.
[  ] Avoid meaningless phrases such as Click here, and Learn more.

Why is this important?

  • If a link does not have meaningful display text, then screen readers read the link URL one character at a time. This can be extremely difficult or impossible to follow while listening.
  • If you must use a phrase such as Click here, include some contextual information. For example, use “Click here to learn more about applying.”
  • Check the destination site. If you can, learn its title and use that in the link display text.

Tables

Check Description
[  ] Insert tables by using built-in features.
[  ] Use the Tab key to move through the table cells. Make sure the tab order of cells matches the table appearance.
[  ] Do not place a table within a table (nested table).
[  ] Do not leave a cell blank at the beginning of a column to simplify the visual format.
[  ] Make sure that the table has one header row.
[  ] Add column labels in the header row that describe their contents.
[  ] Fix any merged or split cells in the table.

Why is this important?

  • Screen readers and text-to-speech tools are programmed to understand how tables are organized, if you the table by using built-in features.
  • Some screen readers can repeat column labels on request. This can be very helpful on large tables with lots of data.
  • Screen readers keep track of their location in the table by counting table cells. If a cell is merged or split, then the screen reader loses count. It can’t provide helpful information to the listener any more.

Document as a whole

Check Description
[  ] Save the file as a Word document (.docx). You can always go back and edit a Word document much more easily than a PDF.
[  ] Give the file a meaningful name. If saving for use on the web do not use spaces.
[  ] Make sure the filename gives a clue about the document contents.
[  ] Add the author’s name and the document title to the document properties.

Why is this important?

  • Meaningful file names help people locate the information that they want.

More tips for an accessible document

Fonts

  • Sans Serif.
  • Minimize the use of character formats like italics and bold.

Alignment

  • Use left-aligned text whenever possible.
  • Centered (justified) text creates uneven vertical lines that are very difficult for people with reading disabilities and people with low vision.

Colors

  • Never use color alone to indicate information. People who are color-blind might not be able to see the point.

Writing style

  • short, simple sentences.
  • Avoid abbreviations except when the abbreviation is part of common language, like USA or NASA.
  • Group related ideas under a heading.
  • If possible, limit paragraphs to one idea.
  • Check readability statistics.

White space and background

  • Allow ample white space between lines and between paragraphs.
  • Clearly separate text and background.

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