Fixing accessibility issues in Microsoft Word documents

By Charlotte Gregory-Ellis, Learning Technologist (Curriculum Development)

Microsoft Word is a core tool widely used across the University of Derby, for everything from lecture notes to assignment briefs. Yet, for students with disabilities, Word documents can pose accessibility challenges if not properly formatted. Creating accessible Word documents is crucial to ensuring that all students, regardless of ability, can fully engage with and benefit from the content. This article provides clear, actionable steps to make Word documents more inclusive, covering essentials like using headings, adding descriptive alternative text to images, and structuring tables effectively. By making small adjustments, educators can significantly improve accessibility, helping to create a more inclusive academic experience for everyone.

Checklist for staff to self-review their materials

Word document

1. Use a proper heading structure.
   • Using headings (styles) helps structure your document. It makes them easier to follow and enables screen readers to navigate your document by its headings. It is even easier for users to navigate your document if your headings are descriptive.
   • Users can use the navigation Pane in Word to navigate easily around the document.
   • Guide to applying styles in Word.
2. Accessible text.
   • Use left-aligned rather than justified text, to make it easier to read.
   • Write in plain English, using language which is as simple to understand as possible.
   • Avoid italics, underlining and capitalisation for emphasis, and use bold sparingly.
   • Use accessible fonts and text size.
   • Using an inaccessible font can slow a reader when reading your document. When creating a document, select a clear and easy to read font. The weight and size of your text need to also be considered.
3. Provide meaningful descriptions (alt text) for any images included.
   • Adding alt text to images makes the meaning clear for everyone and it is very easy to add in Word.
   • Check our previous blog post on adding alt text to images.
   • Guide to adding alt text in Word.
4. For content-heavy documents, use lists.
   • Using numbered or bulleted lists in documents can be a very useful way of breaking up complex, content-heavy information, making it easier to follow.
5. Make sure hyperlinks make sense as standalone items.
   • Adding hyperlinks in Word is very easy through right-clicking on any word or group of words. However, the hyperlink should make sense, describing the destination rather than just ‘click here’.
6. Create accessible tables.
   • Word lets users create complex tables with straddled columns or rows, but this can make them hard for a screen reader to describe. Keep tables simple without any merging or split cells.
   • Only use tables for data.
   • Do not use tables for formatting documents.
   • Include a header row.
   • Ensure you include a table header and repeat the table header on subsequent pages.
7. Check the colour contrast.
   • To check the colour contrast you can use the WebAIM colour contrast checker or another colour app checker.
8. Check information is not identified by its position, colour or sound.
   • Avoid purely visual references. Change ‘above’ and ‘below’ to ‘previously’ and ‘following’ respectively.
   • Adjust ‘left’ and ‘right’ to something not exclusively visual (e.g. ‘data in the Results column’ not ‘right-hand column’).
   • Nowhere in your document should you use colour alone to convey meaning. There should be additional text or something in the page set-up that explains what the colour difference is communicating (e.g. use ‘green submit button’ not ‘green button’).
9. Are you using video and audio?
   • Ensure captions are available in embedded audio and video.
10. Are there links to third-party content?
    • You don’t need to recreate all inaccessible third-party content, however, we are required to provide learning opportunities that are accessible to all students. If essential third-party content is not fully accessible then it should be supplemented with one or more other resources, so that in combination they meet the needs of all students.
11. Use the Accessibility Checker.
    • PowerPoint has an in-built Microsoft Accessibility Checker that can help you check your documents accessibility.
    • If you are working on teaching materials in Blackboard Ultra, you can use Blackboard Ally to check the accessibility of files.

Tips!

• Keyboard shortcuts:
  • CTRL-ALT-1: Apply header style,
  • CTRL-ALT-2: Apply heading style level 2,
  • CTRL-SHIFT-N: Apply normal formatting,
  • CTRL-K: Insert a hyperlink.
• Keep Microsoft Accessibility Checker turned on while you work.
• Create descriptive links, don’t just put ‘click here’ / ‘more information’ / ‘details’ / ‘learn more’.
• Add header styles to create structure to your document and provide navigation options.
• Include table headers.
  • Setting table headers (Video -UoD staff only).
  • Repeating rows (Video – UoD staff only).
• Contrast – Don’t only use colour to signify something:
  • Use patterns instead of colour.
  • WebAIM Checker.
  • For pie charts also provide as text/captions.
• Use inclusive language:
  • Instead of ‘see xyz’, use ‘xyz is included’.
  • Instead of ‘watch the video’, use ‘watch the video or listen to the audio transcript of the video’.
• Upload a fixed file through Blackboard Ally Instructor Feedback Panel to improve the accessibility score.
• While ideally all materials should have 100% accessibility, any and all improvements are positive progress!
• Let your students know about the Alternative Formats available through Ally.
  • Use the immersive reader in Word to support reading and writing.