This tutorial is for Office 2019
Using good heading and page structures in a Word document helps organize the information, and allows screen reader users to navigate through the content. Though styling text to look like a heading or hitting the tab button for list items might be fine for visual users, it is not enough information for a screen reader to detect.
That's because underneath a .docx Word file is actually XML code, and only when you use the built-in tools for headings, lists, columns, tables, and other page elements, are you coding in the structural and identifying information that the screen reader understands.
Just making text larger and bold does not make it a heading. In order to convert text to a heading in Microsoft Word, use the built-in Heading styles like 'Heading 1' and 'Heading 2', available under Styles in the Home tab.
Visit Microsoft website for more information about creating Headers in Word.
*Note: Heading 1 is usually reserved for the title of the document. Heading 2 is used for sub level headings. If there are additional levels of headings, use Heading 3, Heading 4, etc. Sub level headings can be repeated but don't skip levels.
Use Word's built-in tools to create a list in a Word Document. Use unordered lists for bullet point list items and ordered lists for numbered list items.
Tables can be challenging for screen readers. If the information can be presented in an alternative way, consider not using a table. If a table is overly complex, consider breaking the information down into multiple simple tables.
For simple tables to be accessible, you’ll need to identify which row contains the column headers. To do this in Word, right click the row and select 'Table Properties'. This brings up the Table Properties dialog. In this dialog, click the 'Row' tab, and check the checkbox that says 'Repeat as header row at the top of each page'.
*Note: Make sure that the checkbox that says "Allow row to break across pages" is unchecked.
In the same Table Properties dialog, you can add alt text to give users an idea about what kind of information is contained in the table. Keep alt text short and descriptive, like a caption. A screen reader will tell the user that it is a table, so no need to add "Table of..." to the description.
Visit the Microsoft Support website for more information about creating accessible tables in Word.
To create indents and space around a paragraph, many users will use the space bar, tab key, or return to make the content appear a certain way. But this creates blank characters or blank paragraphs that some screen readers will read aloud as the word "blank" repeatedly. This will break up the flow of information for a user, or might even signal to them that they have reached the end of the document. To avoid this problem, you can set formatted indentions and white space around a paragraph.
To make images accessible, add alternative text that will be read to a user by a screen reader. Alternative text should give both semantic and descriptive meaning to images.
In Word, alternative text can be presented in two ways:
Some images are purely decorative. Others have information that is already conveyed in the context of the document, and therefore adding more description in the alt text will be redundant for a screen reader user to hear. In these cases, you can mark the image as decorative in Word, or add closed quotes ("") in the alt text of the image properties. See How to Add Alt Text in Different Platforms.
When deciding whether you need to add descriptive alt text or use null ("") alt text, ask: Does this image contain information that is not conveyed in its surrounding context?
Yes
Use descriptive alt text to convey the content of the image in terms of its function in the document.
No
Use null alt text ("").
Sometimes, a screen reader user might want to hear all of the links in a document read out loud in a list or sequence. So it's important that the link text alone conveys the function of the link. When creating a hyperlink in a Word document, include text that conveys information about the where the link goes.
In your Word document, highlight the text you want to hyperlink and press Ctrl + k on a Windows or Command + k on a Mac. Or, select the 'Insert' tab and then the 'Link' function. Add the URL in the address field and select 'OK'.
Visit the Microsoft website for a video tutorial on how to add hyperlinks in Word.
Microsoft Word has a built-in Accessibility Checker that can assess your document for accessibility errors. Though it is a useful tool to check your work, it's important to remember that it might not catch everything. To run the checker, under the Review tab, select 'Check Accessibility'. Review any issues like missing alt text, hard-to-read contrast issues, and repeated blank characters.
If the Accessibility Checker finds 'Repeated Blank Characters', a screen reader might read this aloud as the word "blank" repeated several times. For a user, this will interrupt the flow of information, or might even signal to them that there is no more content left in the document.
To remove these blank characters:
When exporting a Word document to a PDF, you want to make sure that all the accessibility features will be preserved. There are a few different ways to properly export a Word file to a PDF, and the process is slightly different whether you are using a Windows or a Mac.
In Windows, either go to 'File' > 'Save as PDF', or select the 'Acrobat' tab in the top menu, and select 'Create PDF' to save your Word file as a PDF with the accessibility features intact. You can check to make sure the accessibility features will be saved by selecting the 'Options' button next to the 'Save' button. An Acrobat PDFMaker dialogue box will appear. Make sure the checkbox that says "Enable Accessibility and Reflow with tagged Adobe PDF" is checked.
On a Mac, go to 'File' > 'Save As...' and select PDF from the choices. Make sure the radial button that says "Best for electronic distribution and accessibility" is selected.
Accessibility Techniques for Microsoft Office | WebAim
Tables in Documents | University of Washington
Using the Accessibility Checker | Microsoft Support
Writing Effective Alt Text | Microsoft Support
Creating Accessible Word Documents Webinar (running time: 54:41) | UA Technology Accessibility, YouTube
Accessible Word Templates | Microsoft Support