Creating an Accessible Microsoft Word document

Transcription

1 Creating an Accessible Microsoft Word document Use Built-in Formatting Styles Using built-in formatting styles could be the single most important step in making documents accessible. Built-in formatting styles provide a logical reading order that serves as a navigation guide for persons utilizing assistive technologies. Always use styles to format documents. Most importantly, always use styles to create Headings and Lists. Select a formatting style shown in the image above. Heading 1, Heading 2, and Heading 3 are the most common. Heading Editing If you would like to change the size, color, or font of a heading style, click on the Edit Styles button as shown below: A Style editor pop up widow will open. Click on the Heading style you would like to edit, in this example above it was Heading 1. Choose Modify. Make your changes to your Heading style. Click the x to save changes.

2 You can edit the color, size, and font type of your Heading Style. Heading Order Assigning headings in documents is the most important accessibility feature that can be added to a document. Traveling from heading to heading is the number one way people who use Assistive Technologies navigate documents. Headings should be applied to provide a sequential and relational understanding. This means that the heading which introduces a big idea, should be identified as a Heading 1 (read by a screen reader as, Heading, Level 1 ). If the next heading still speaks to some aspect of the same idea introduced in your Heading 1, then it should be identified as a Heading 2 (read as, Heading, Level 2 ). The next heading could be another Heading, Level 2, a Heading, Level 3, or if a new big idea is being introduced a Heading, Level 1. Other rules for Headings: Sequential headings should never be more than one level apart from one another. Meaning, you can follow a Heading 2 with either a Heading 1 or a Heading 3, but not a Heading 4. The first Heading in a document should be assigned as a Heading 1. You may have multiple Heading 2s after a Heading 1. This same rule applies to all Heading levels. In Word you may assign heading levels down to Heading 9. Use Appropriate Font Style and Size The font styles listed below are the most commonly recommended due to both their readability and availability across a variety of computer operating systems. Serif fonts vs. Sans Serif fonts: Serifs are semi-structural details or small decorative flourishes on the ends of some of the strokes that make up letters and symbols. An example would be the Times New Roman font. Sans serif does not have these details or flourishes. Generally, sans serif fonts work best as screens with low resolution make serif fonts more difficult to discern. It is also recommended to use a minimum font size of 12 point. In order to ensure that documents will be accessible to the largest audience possible, choose one of the following sans serif font styles: Arial Verdana Calibri

3 Other aspects to consider when creating your document: Use bold or italic text to display emphasis. Don t underline words since on a web page this indicates hyperlinks. Avoid including moving or blinking text. Keep the number of fonts used in a document to a minimum (2-3 different font types). Use Color Appropriately Good Contrast People who have low-vision or color-blindness have difficulty reading documents when text color does not strongly contrast with the background color. Over 5% of men have partial color blindness either having difficulty distinguishing red from green, or distinguishing blue from yellow. Choosing poor color combinations can make reading a struggle. TIP: Avoid the following color combinations, which are especially hard on color blind people: Green & Red; Green & Brown; Blue & Purple; Green & Blue; Light Green & Yellow; Blue & Grey; Green & Grey; Green & Black. Use the Coblis Color Blindness Simulator to test your images: Never Use Color Alone to Convey Important Information Some people have color vision problems which prevents them from distinguishing between certain colors. When developing documents using color for comparison or multiple options, always provide texture. For example, in maps and infographics, try using texture in addition to color to differentiate between objects. Texture, in addition to tone, helps a color blind audience read something like an infographic. Add Alternative Texts for Images It is read by screen readers in place of images allowing the content and function of the image to be accessible to those with visual or certain cognitive disabilities.

4 It is displayed in place of the image in browsers if the image file is not loaded or when the user has chosen not to view images. To add Alt Text in Microsoft Word 2013, Right Click (or, Shift + F10) on the image, click Format Picture, click on the Layout and Properties tab, and select Alt Text. Fill in Title and the Description box. Alt Text tab of the Format Picture menu in Microsoft Word 2013 Specify Column Header Rows in Tables Header rows are rows that contain information that help identify the content of a particular column. If the table spans several pages of a print layout, the header row will usually repeat itself at the beginning of each new page. When creating or formatting a table, be sure to use one of the Table Styles to ensure a Header Row will be added: Select the table, click the Design tab in the Table Tools, and select a style. Weekly Course Calendar Week 1 Topic Assignment This row is a Header Row Introduction, review of syllabus Lecture 1 - Digital Image Basics Basic manipulation in Photoshop and Adobe Bridge. Homework: Have scanned images or original photos for first assignment. Need more than one.

5 Just like with an image, a table must also have an Alt Text. Select the table (click to the top left corner of the table) right click, select table properties, and click on the Alt Text tab. Give the table a Title and Description. Click ok when finished. TIP: Always try to construct simple tables Only use one row in the Header. Never Merge or Split cells. Try not to leave any cells, rows or columns Blank. Not following the construction techniques listed above make it very difficult if not impossible for someone using Assistive Technologies to understand the table. Use Meaningful Hyperlink Text Hyperlink text should provide a clear description of the link destination. One of the ways a person who uses Assistive Technologies can navigate a document is by skipping from hyperlink to hyperlink. Since this method of navigation does not include any of the surrounding text, the hyperlink text by itself needs to provide sufficient meaning. For this reason, using phrases like, Click Here, or Visit are not sufficient as they by themselves do not provide enough meaning. For example: Clear description: Coblis Color Blindness Simulator Unclear: To create a hyperlink: Type the descriptive link, then select the text. Right click the selected text, and then choose Hyperlink. Type in the address of the link. Click OK to save the changes.

6 Table of Contents In addition to providing a quick and necessary way for persons using Assistive Technologies to navigate a document, applying Headings has another excellent benefit for content creators and document reviewers. Place cursor at the desired Table of Contents location Go to References tab Click on Table of Contents Choose a style and click Table of contents are listed by Heading style.

7 List Formatting When bulleted or numbered list formatting is used, screen readers will properly announce the text as being part of a list. List formatting provides the user with a means to quickly navigate between items as well as move in and out of lists. When lists are made with repeated use of the Tab key or Spacebar, screen readers will not recognize them as lists, meaning that the list reading controls are inoperative. List formatting. Text Boxes Do not use Text Boxes, as they are inaccessible. A screen reader will not read the contents of Text Boxes until it has reached the very end of the document. Check Accessibility When you are finished creating your Word document, preform an accessibility check. Once the check has run, it will list the issues and how to correct the issues to the right of the document. Accessibility checker and issues found. This tool is only in Windows version of Word.

8 Additional Resources Web AIM: Web accessibility in mind: This website is an excellent resource for web and document accessibility. Section 508 Checklist: In June 2001 Section 508 of the Workforce Rehabilitation Act went into effect specifying the requirements for accessible Information and Communication Technology (ICT). This is a list for your website or documents. WCAG 2.0 Checklist: Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 covers a wide range of recommendations for making Web content more accessible. WAVE Web Accessibility Evaluation Tool: This tool analyzes and reports any accessibility issue with a website.