Formatting Word Documents

Headers

Screen readers help users comprehend the organization or conceptual hierarchy of your document by marking up titles, section headers, and subheaders. Screen readers recognize the markup that this formatting creates and can scan the document for these elements to get an overview of the content, just as any sighted reader would. 

In order to help your students and screen readers visually break up the document, you need to format sections of text in Word documents using the appropriate header styles so that the page is hierarchically structured. For more information about formatting with headers review the WebAIM website Links to an external site..

The main sections will use Heading 1, Heading 2 Styles with subsections using the larger numbered Heading styles.

Hyperlinks

Make sure your hyperlinks describe the page to which they link, so that screen readers can scan the page - just as a sighted user would - to see whether they want to click through.  

Links are more useful when they make sense out of context. Authors should avoid non-informative link phrases such as:

• click here
• here
• more
• read more
• link to [some link destination]
• info

In fact, the phrase "click here" is unnecessary, even if it precedes a more meaningful phrase. For example, a link that says "click here to access today's weather" can be shortened to "today's weather." In some cases it may make sense to precede a link phrase with "more" or "read more about," (e.g. "more about global warming"), but if these extra words can be avoided, it is probably best to avoid them (e.g. "global warming" may convey the same meaning as "more about global warming," depending on the context). For more information on links review the WebAIM website Links to an external site..

If you are considering creating a document such as a syllabus that you plan to distribute in class and digitally, and therefore wish to include URLs that students could type from the printed copy into their browsers, best practice is to hyperlink a descriptive link and then follow immediately with the URL (without hyperlink) in parentheses. 

Example: To manage your registration, open MyCuesta Links to an external site. (https://my.cuesta.edu) ....

Lists

Lists and columns add important hierarchical structure to a document. Sometimes users create "lists" and "columns" manually by hitting the Tab key to indent content. While this provides visual structure for sighted users, it does not provide the document structure needed for assistive technology users.

List types

There are two types of lists used in Word: ordered and unordered. 

Ordered (numbered) lists are used to present a group of items (words, phrases, sentences) that follow a sequence:

1. Preheat grill with "high" heat setting.
2. Cook hamburgers on "medium" heat setting.
3. Flip hamburgers when juices are visible on the top of the patty.
4. Remove hamburgers when the inside temperature is 160℉.

Unordered (bullet) lists are used for a group of items without a sequence:

• Ketchup
• Mustard
• Pickles
• Onions

Images

A screen reader will skip over images that have no alternative text thus eliminating useful information to a reader who cannot visually decode images. Providing an effective text description depends on the image you are describing. 

For example, a purely decorative image may not have any text associated since it conveys no meaning. Scientific diagrams and images may require concise and expert text to accurately convey the meaning including linking to another page with a more detailed explanation.  

For a screen reader user, an image with no descriptive tag is equivalent to a sighted person seeing a black box.

WebAIM (Web Accessibility in Mind) provides web accessibility solutions to individuals with disabilities. Links provided will give you information about the different types of visual impairments, such as blindness, colorblindness and low vision and how to make the web more accessible to users with visual disabilities.

•  Techniques in Word Links to an external site.
• Techniques in PowerPoint Links to an external site..

Complex Images

According to W3C Links to an external site.; Complex images contain substantial information – more than can be conveyed in a short phrase or sentence. These are typically:

• graphs and charts, including flow charts and organizational charts;
• diagrams and illustrations where the page text relies on the user being able to understand the image;
• maps showing locations or other information such as weather systems.

If your image description cannot be summarized concisely in an alt text box, use of the these methods to describe the image. 

• Use a caption beneath the image to describe the information it conveys
• Describe the image in surrounding text; or
• Link out to a web page with a longer description

See W3C for more information about complex images Links to an external site.

Tables

Screen readers can scan your document for tables and can scan header rows to give the user a sense of whether to further explore the contents. Therefore, designating column headers in a table is essential to screen reader users understanding how the information is laid out. Microsoft Word only allows the top row of a table to be designated as a header row. You cannot designate the first column as a header. Other Tips for Tables: Avoid split or merged cells Strive for a uniform number of rows and columns Add Alt Text to clarify the content of the table (Right click on the table, select table properties, then select Alt Text) You can accomplish by selecting "Design" tab from the rich formatting toolbar, select the row header in your table, then click check box for row header.

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Other formatting concerns

Similar to the way that style markers signal a document's organization to screen readers, other formatting codes also help aid the visually impaired user's comprehension. Here are a few: Indenting: Use tabs instead of the space key Vertical spacing: Use line spacing or page breaks instead of extra paragraphs (from the toolbar: Home > Page Layout, and Insert > Page Break, respectively). Color and Contrast: Choose a color scheme with a lot of contrast to improve legibility for people with visual impairments. View the document in gray scale to ensure that it is readable Some types of color blindness make it difficult to distinguish colors. Therefore, instead of just color, use pattern to fill in graphs and charts to add texture and make it easier to interpret the information.