Instructional Technology Department
Microsoft Office 2010
Creating Accessible Documents
Creating Accessible Documents in Microsoft Office 2010
Accessibility is like Gravity…it’s not just a nice thing, it’s the LAW.
What is Accessibility?
According to the Microsoft online tutorial, Create an accessible office document, “Accessibility means
making something usable by everyone—including people with disabilities. Since you can't always find
out specifics about your audience, you should create documents that are as accessible as possible to
everyone.”
Another term used for accessibility is Universal Design. Everyone, regardless of their ability, should
have access to the same information.
Guideline Summary
All Microsoft Office documents, with the exception of Visio, can be made accessible when used for
their intended purpose. Accessible documents include the following features:
 Structural formatting such as headings, tables, table of contents, and lists that allow users to
navigate the document
 Descriptive text that explains pictures, charts, and graphs to users
 Layout, design, and color that makes the content accessible to use and understand
The principal concepts of document accessibility will help you meet the State of Minnesota accessibility
standard. Source: MN.IT “Making Electronic Documents Accessible” (see last page for link)
Accessible Microsoft Office documents
Structural Formatting
Headings and Styles
 Use styles and headings (e.g., Heading 1, Heading 2)
 Do not create your own styles for Heading 1, Heading 2 as they are used to organize content for
screen readers. Instead, change the existing styles to meet your needs (e.g., font, size, color).
 DO NOT use text boxes. Screen readers view them as an image. Use a 1x1 table instead.
 Graphs and charts are images; provide an alternative method to convey the information.
ITS | Creating Accessible Documents
Page 1 of 4
Last Modified: 10/2/13




Set document properties on the File tab. Add subject and author.
Create a table of contents for long documents.
Headers and footers cannot be read by screen readers. Place important information elsewhere
in the document.
Use a Page Break to break your content to the next page. Do not use returns as the screen
reader will read that as “<space> <space> <space> <space>” and so on.
Tables
 Check reading order of a table (tab order).
 Specify header rows.
 Add a bookmark in the top left table cell to provide a screen reader to jump to the table.
 Repeat header rows for subsequent pages.
 Eliminate blank rows, columns, and cells in your table.
Descriptive Text


Add descriptive Alt Text for images, table cells, and charts.
Include descriptive text for hyperlinks. Do not use “Click here…” as a hyperlink.
Layout, Design, Color



Do not use color as the only way to differentiate content.
Add text and textures to fill chart data.
Place images in-line instead of floating in front of text.
Finishing Touches


Use MS Word’s Accessibility Checker by saving your document, clicking File, click the [Check for
Issues] button, and click [Check Accessibility].
Protect the document by setting the Restrict Editing option on the Review tab.
Accessible PowerPoint Presentations
If you are going to share your PowerPoint file digitally with attendees or via an e-mail or web site, you
need to make sure the document is accessible to all potential readers.
Tips for making accessible PowerPoint presentations







Use the same tips for adding alt text to images, the use of tables and hyperlinks, etc.
Check Outline View to make sure all titles and main text display
Do not use the Text Box feature to add content (it is considered an image to screen readers)
Make sure all slides have unique titles
Include closed captions for any audio or video
Make sure the reading order of each slide is logical
Increase visibility for colorblind viewers
ITS | Creating Accessible Documents
Page 2 of 4
Last Modified: 10/2/13
Viewing your presentation in Outline view
Outline view is useful for quick editing and to make sure your presentation is accessible.
1. Click the View tab.
2. In the Presentation Views group, click Normal.
3. In the pane that contains the Outline and Slides tabs, click the Outline tab.
Converting MS Office documents to Accessible PDFs
Make sure your MS Office documents retain their accessibility features by using the tips below:



Save your document as a PDF using File + Save As. Do not use the Print as PDF option.
Before saving your PDF document, click Options and make sure the “Document structure tags
for accessibility” check box is selected.
Check the reading order of your PDFs.
Tips for making accessible PDF documents
It is far easier to use the accessibility features in MS Office to create accessible documents and then
save to PDF instead of making an existing PDF accessible. However, if you do not have the original
file, use the tips below:








Add tags to the document.
Add a language attribute.
Add alt text to images.
Delete hidden text boxes.
Check the read order.
Use Read Out Loud to listen to how your PDF will be read aloud.
Label objects correctly.
Specify table header columns and rows.
Links

Minnesota Learning Commons: http://www.accessibility.project.mnscu.edu/
o Go to Classroom Training Materials and click Manual Office 2010 August 2012 Update.
Then click Office 2010 Manual for step-by-step instructions.

MN.IT Services: Making Electronic Documents Accessible:
http://mn.gov/oet/governance/for-agencies/accessibility/electronic_documents.jsp#
o Click Word Documents and then Using Microsoft Word 2012 to Create Accessible
Documents for video tutorials
ITS | Creating Accessible Documents
Page 3 of 4
Last Modified: 10/2/13
o Video: Module 1: Introduction to Accessible Documents (9 minutes):
http://www.state.mn.us/mn/forms/oetweb/accessibility/word-accessibilitytraining/Word_Accessibility_Mod1.htm

A Checklist for Accessible Word and PDF Documents:
http://mn.gov/oet/images/TA_Checklist_for_Accessible_Word_PDF.pdf

Microsoft Office: “Create an Accessible Office Document”:
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/frontpage-help/overview-RZ006380094.aspx?section=1

Microsoft Office: “Ten Tips for Accessible Documents”:
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/word-help/ten-tips-for-accessible-documentsHA010337552.aspx

Creating accessible PowerPoint presentations
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/powerpoint-help/creating-accessible-powerpointpresentations-HA102013555.aspx#_Toc286131979

Video: Check accessibility of a PowerPoint 2010 presentation
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/powerpoint-help/video-check-accessibility-of-a-powerpoint2010-presentation-VA101838861.aspx?CTT=3

Acrobat accessibility training resources:
http://www.adobe.com/accessibility/products/acrobat/training.html

Examples of JAWS screen reader (JAWS = Job Access With Speech)
o Video: Trace Dissemination (UW-Madison): Introduction to Screen Readers:
http://youtu.be/o_mvO6EQ0tM
o Video: Karen Sorensen: Screen Reader Example:
http://youtu.be/y-ar9fRltwo
o Video: WIrelessRERC: Basic Overview of the JAWS Screen Reader:
http://youtu.be/qiKWTTtGq7U
ITS | Creating Accessible Documents
Page 4 of 4
Last Modified: 10/2/13