16 Making Accessible Documents
Making Word, PowerPoint, and Excel Files Accessible
Accessibility Guidelines for any document type:
- Use built in styles: they are generally tagged correctly for headings
- Logical heading order: when using heading always start with Heading 1
- Add Alt Text: to images to describe visuals (Right click image –> Edit Alt text)
- Accessible Hyperlinks: when using a hyperlink use a descriptive name
- Use accessible fonts (and colors) like Arial or Calibri
- Do not add tables unless absolutely necessary, they are hazards for screen readers
Word Document Guidelines:
- Font and Format: Use accessible fonts and formats, avoiding overly decorative fonts
- Paragraph Spacing: Adjust space between sentences and paragraphs to improve readability
- Add Alt Text: to images to describe visuals (Right click image –> Edit Alt text)
- Check your headings: always start with Heading 1 and progress from there
- Accessibility Checker: Use the built-in Accessibility Checker to identify and fix accessibility issues as you create your document
PowerPoint Document Guidelines:
- Slide Titles: Ensure each slide has a unique title to help screen readers navigate the presentation
- Reading Order: Set the reading order of slide content to ensure it is logical for screen reader.
- Alt Text for Visuals: Add alt text to images, charts, and other visuals. Mark decorative elements as decorative
- Keep Text Readable: using large fonts and concise bullets points
- Templates: are generally fairly accessible and are a safe way to start
Setting the Reading Order
- Go to the “Home” tab on the ribbon.
- Click on “Arrange” in the “Drawing” group.
- Select “Selection Pane” from the dropdown menu. This will open the Selection Pane on the right side of the screen.
- View the current order in the Selection Pane, you will see a list of all objects on the current slide. The order in which they are listed is the order in which screen readers will read them.
- Rearrange any out of order objects, to do this click and drag objects in the Selection Pane to rearrange them. The topmost item in the list will be read first, followed by the next item, and so on.
- Group Related Elements: If you have multiple elements that should be read together, you can group them. Select the elements by holding down the “Ctrl” key and clicking each one.
- Right-click on one of the selected elements and choose “Group” from the context menu. This will group the elements together, and they will be read as a single unit.
- Check the Reading Order: After arranging the objects, go through the list in the Selection Pane to ensure the reading order is logical and makes sense for the content of the slide.
- Repeat for Each Slide: Repeat the above steps for each slide in your presentation to ensure the reading order is set correctly throughout the entire presentation.
Excel Files Guidelines:
- Use clear headings for each column and row
- Avoid merged cells
- Add Alt text to charts and visuals
- Name your worksheet meaningfully
- Use the Accessibility Checker: Utilize Excel’s built-in Accessibility Checker to identify and fix accessibility issues as you create your spreadsheet
PDFs and Scan Guidelines:
- Avoid Scans: they are hard or impossible to read with a screen reader and can even be hard to read without one.
- If you are the author of your document, leave it in .docx/Word format. Do not export to PDF.
- If the document is from an outside source and is not currently accessible, check the original source and download a new copy. They may have updated the document to be more accessible since your last download.
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You can schedule an appointment or email us at sita@uiowa.edu.