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Creating Accessible Word Documents

Here are a few simple steps you can take to greatly increase the accessibility of your Microsoft Word documents.

Format text with headings

Using the built-in heading formatting in Microsoft Word makes a document’s structure more accessible to those using

screen readers. In an open Word document, highlight the text that is to be formatted and choose appropriate headings for topics

and sub-topics (e.g. Highlight the title of the document and click on the Title format option listed in the ribbon).

Heading Format Tools

Title

Heading 1

Tag images with alternative text

Adding alternative text will help make images within your document accessible. Follow these steps:

Right-click on

image and

select Format

Picture

Select Layout

and Properties

symbol

Add in description

of image

Format lists

Using Word’s list format options, whether numbered or unordered, helps those using a screen reader be able to identify lists as lists.

Highlight text and choose best option for content.

List formatting tools

Simplify Tables

Avoid nesting rows and columns (creating a complex table) when possible as the table then becomes difficult to understand for

screen reader users. To make simple tables accessible, identify which row contains column headers and make the change described

below.

Highlight header

row of table and

right click. Select

Table Properties

Check box to

repeat as header

row at the top

of each page

Additional Resources

 EDUCAUSE: ADA Compliance for Online Course Design

 University of Washington: Creating Accessible Documents

For additional help with document accessibility contact Leslie Barton lb261@evansville.edu

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