Web Document Accessibility Guide

Microsoft Word

Web Enablement Team, Government Information Services, Knowledge, Information, Research and Technology Department of Internal Affairs Te Tari Taiwhenua

Contents
........................................................................................1 Introduction......................................................................3 Web Standards................................................................3 Who Benefits?.................................................................3 Structured Content..........................................................3 Efficiency........................................................................3 More Information............................................................4 MS Word Document Accessibility Guide ..............................5 Styles.............................................................................5 Alternative Text..............................................................5 Tables............................................................................6 Links..............................................................................6 Bullets and Numbering....................................................7 Font Size........................................................................7 Color..............................................................................7 Table of Contents............................................................8 Foreign Text...................................................................8 Simple Language.............................................................8 Paragraphs.....................................................................8 Text Boxes......................................................................8 Spell Check...................................................................10 Graphics.......................................................................10 Adobe Acrobat Pro......................................................10

Web Document Accessibility Guide MS Word

Introduction
This document is directed at MS Word users. It provides a list of best practice techniques designed to increase the accessibility of documents shared electronically. Some of the accessibility suggestions in this guide are also designed to assist with the conversion of MS Word to PDF. Note: 100% accessibility is not guaranteed, but by following the techniques in this guide, the document created should be more accessible.

Web Standards
The New Zealand Government Web Standards recommend HTML as the preferred file format for all documents published on the web. The second preferred option is publishing the document in two different file formats, with at least ONE optimized for accessibility. MS Word is the most popular word processing software used by organisations and it is relatively simple for content creators to integrate accessibility into their documents. For this reason, MS Word (and PDF) are pragmatic alternatives to HTML when publishing documents to the web.

Who Benefits?
Document accessibility helps people using assistive technologies, e.g., screen readers, but they are not the only beneficiaries. People with moderate to low vision benefit directly from document accessibility, as do people in the fast-growing 65 years and over demographic, as well as those with cognitive and mobility/motor impairments.

Structured Content
The main way to increase a MS Word documents accessibility is to add structured content. It is the structure that allows assistive technologies like screen readers to read the document. Furthermore, structured content is translated into tags in a PDF file, which helps make the PDF accessible.

Efficiency
Document accessibility is most effective when there is a change of mindset at the start of the document creation process. It is far more efficient to create an accessible document from the outset, rather than trying to retrofit a document for accessibility after it has been created.

Web Document Accessibility Guide MS Word

More Information
Visit the New Zealand Government web standards website (http://webstandards.govt.nz/) for more information about the web standards and document accessibility or email: web.standards@dia.govt.nz.

Web Document Accessibility Guide MS Word

MS Word Document Accessibility Guide

Styles

Always use styles to format text e.g. Headings, Normal, Quote, Captions. Use headings in a logical order so that Heading 1 is always followed by Heading2 and Heading 2 is followed by Heading 3. Otherwise a screen reader user may think theyve missed a heading or they may get confused by the order. Styles are useful as they can provide contextual information, e.g., some screen readers will read out Heading 1 along with the heading text so that users can gain an understanding of the relative importance of the heading.

Alternative Text

Screen readers generally only read text, so any non-text content that is used to convey meaning needs to have a text equivalent. Decorative content does not require alternative text e.g., graphics that do not provide any additional meaning. A good way to write useful alternative text is to imagine you are describing the image to an elderly relative over the telephone.

Web Document Accessibility Guide MS Word

Tables
Use the default MS Word functionality to create tables. Try to make table as simple as possible screen readers and other assistive technologies do not cope well with complex tables avoid nested tables. Structure tables so they make sense when read from left to right this is how screen readers read tables. If you must use complex tables, provide a description above the table to serve as a summary or text alternative for the tables main points. Use % for the table size so that the table can resize when viewed in different screen or page sizes. Tables with column headings in the top row must have the top row formatted as a header row select Repeat as header row at the top of each page in the Tables Properties/Row option.

Links
Links should have meaningful names that describe to the user where they will go and what they will find. Avoid click here unless it is grouped within the context of a related paragraph. Position the most important link at the top of the document so that it can be immediately found by document users. For example: There are several key steps MS Word users should follow to ensure their documents are accessible. Adobe provides a useful online document resource. (PDF, 1.23MB)

Web Document Accessibility Guide MS Word

Bullets and Numbering

Always use bullets to mark important points, and numbered bullets for ordered lists e.g., steps in a process. This type of formatting makes it easier for people to read information who have visual impairments (who dont use screen readers), and people with cognitive disabilities.

Font Size
Ensure that the font size is sufficient a minimum font size of 12 points is recommended to cater for people with low vision and cognitive disabilities.

Color
Be careful with colour contrast never use similar colours next to each other. A white background with black font is the best colour contrast you can get Dont rely on colour exclusively to convey meaning, for example, the line graph below uses colour to denote different trends but some readers (e.g., colour-blind ) may not be able to recognise the distinction. Use patterns and symbols to define different meanings in addition to colour.

Web Document Accessibility Guide MS Word

Table of Contents
For a large document, use a table of contents. This provides an excellent navigation aid for users and if the document has been structured correctly with the appropriate use of headings, it is very easy to create.

Foreign Text
If the document contains foreign text: 1. Select the foreign text and mark it with the appropriate language 2. Select Tools/Language/Set Language or Review tab, Proofing Group, Set Language. This allows screen readers to more accurately pronounce the text, which may aid comprehension.

Simple Language
A common criticism of government documents is overly complex language. New Zealand has varying degrees of literacy, not all readers will be native English speakers, and we have three official languages (English, Mori and NZ Sign Language). Try to keep language simple.

Paragraphs
Avoid dense paragraphs of text as this may reduce the readability of the document for visually impaired and cognitively disabled readers. Lots of white space is good, but dont use the Enter key to create this use the Spacing Before and Spacing After paragraph properties instead. Also, avoid uppercase text and justified alignment.

Text Boxes
Text boxes are floating objects in MS Word and have no fixed position, so when the document is converted to a PDF, textboxes are placed behind other objects. Screen readers will ignore the text in
Web Document Accessibility Guide MS Word 8

the box or they may be read the text in the wrong place. They are unpredictable and should be avoided.

Web Document Accessibility Guide MS Word

Spell Check
Always check the document for spelling to avoid screen readers mispronouncing incorrectly spelled words.

Graphics
If you use graphics, remember to add alternative text if the graphic provides meaning to the document. If wrapping text around the graphic, adjust the Distance from text in the image properties to add extra white space to ensure that the graphic will be recognized when converted into a PDF document.

Adobe Acrobat Pro

Adobe Acrobat Pro is the only software to date that will adequately convert the structured content from the MS Word document into a PDF document to make it accessible. To convert your MS Word document into PDF format use the Adobe Acrobat Pro plug-in installed in MS Word: 1. Select Change Conversion Setting from the Adobe PDF tab in MS Word 2. On the Settings Tab select the checkboxes: Bookmarks, Links and Enable Accessibility and reflow 3. On the Word tab, select the checkboxes: Convert cross references, Convert footnote and endnote links and Enable advanced tagging 4. On the Bookmarks tab, select the check box: Convert Word Headings to Bookmarks, then Set the proper indent levels 5. Save the file as Adobe PDF Note: After a MS Word document has been converted to PDF format, open Adobe Acrobat Pro and run a full accessibility check. It is most likely that additional functionality concerning accessibility will need to be added to the PDF file. Refer to Adobe Acrobat Pro Accessibility Checklist for more information.

Web Document Accessibility Guide MS Word

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Web Enablement Team, Government Information Services, Knowledge, Information, Research and Technology Department of Internal Affairs Te Tari Taiwhenua http://www.webstandards.govt.nz web.standards@dia.govt.nz

Web Document Accessibility Guide MS Word

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