Microsoft Word

To improve readability for all users, apply the following formatting best practices in your Word documents:

• Font Style: Choose easy-to-read fonts such as Arial, Calibri, Helvetica, or Futura. Avoid decorative or hard-to-read fonts (e.g., script fonts or symbol fonts like WingDings).
• Font Size: Use a minimum font size of 12 pt. to ensure text is legible for all users.
• Line Spacing: Use 1.15 – 1.5 line spacing to improve readability. Avoid single spacing (1.0), which can feel crowded, and double spacing (2.0), which can make content harder to follow for some users.

Note: WCAG guidelines do not define specific requirements for font style, size, or spacing. However, following these best practices helps improve readability and overall accessibility.

Headings divide information into meaningful, digestible chunks that make content easier to read and navigate. They act as signposts throughout your document, helping readers quickly find and understand information.

• Use Heading 1 for the document title. Ideally, include only one Heading 1 per document.
  • Do not use the Title style for accessibility. Always use Heading 1 for the document title.
• Use Heading 2 for main sections or topics.
• Use Headings 3–6 for subheadings and nested content.
• Avoid using Headings 7–9, as they do not translate well to HTML and may not be supported by assistive technologies.

Note: Screen reader users can navigate documents in three ways: by reading from start to finish, by jumping between headings, or by navigating through a list of links. Using clear, structured headings helps support efficient navigation.

Video Tutorials

• Creating Accessible Headings in Microsoft Word (18:57)
• Microsoft Support: Customize or Create New Styles (0:46)

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Using Styles to Apply Headings

Creating headings in Word involves more than simply bolding or emphasizing text. Instead, headings are managed by what word calls styles, built-in formatting characteristics that can easily be applied to text. Styles can be applied one of two ways in Word. 

Using the Styles Ribbon

1. Highlight your text.
2. Select the appropriate heading level from the Styles section on the Home tab.

Using the Styles Pane

1. Highlight your text.
2. Select the Styles Pane from the right side of the Styles section.
3. Choose the appropriate heading level from the pane that opens.

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Modifying Styles

Word Headings are preformatted, but you can easily customize the visual appearance of your headings across an entire document. 

1. Format your text (font, color, spacing, etc.) as desired.
2. Highlight the formatted text.
3. Right-click the heading style in the Ribbon or Styles Pane.
4. Select Update Heading to Match Selection.

All text using that heading style will update automatically. You can also select Modify for additional formatting options.

Use Word’s built-in list styles to create numbered and bulleted lists. Avoid manually formatting text with numbers, symbols, or tabs to create "lists."

Note: Screen readers rely on built-in list formatting to identify and navigate lists. Manually typed lists may not be recognized as lists.

Video Tutorial

• Creating Accessible Lists in Microsoft Office (4:19)

Steps for Applying Pre-Set List Styles

1. Highlight the desired list text. 
2. Choose the Numbered List or Bulleted List option. 
3. Select your preferred list style from the drop-down menu. 

The reading order is how a screen reader presents content to users. A clear, logical structure ensures your document is read in the correct order and is easy to navigate.

Video Tutorials

• Creating Accessible Headings in Microsoft Word (18:57) - see timestamp 9:19 for information on the Navigation pane.

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Navigation Pane

The Navigation Pane provides a visual outline of your document based on headings. Use it to review structure, confirm reading order, and quickly navigate between sections.

Note: Screen readers rely on heading structure to determine reading order. If headings are out of sequence, content may be read in a confusing or incorrect order.

Launch the Navigation Pane

1. Navigate to the View tab.
2. Check the box next to Navigation Pane.
3. The Navigation Pane will open on the left side of your document.

Using the Navigation Pane

• Click on any of the headings in the Navigation Pane to go to that section.
• Drag headings up or down in the Navigation Pane to reorganize content.
• Review the heading structure to ensure a clear, logical reading order  

For documents spanning multiple pages, include a Table of Contents (TOC) to help readers quickly navigate your content. Microsoft Word's Table of Contents uses your heading structure to create internal links, allowing users to quickly jump to specific sections of your document. Additionally, Word's built-in Table of Contents updates automatically when headings are edited, reordered, or reformatted.

Note: Screen reader users can navigate directly through a Table of Contents using its links. A well-structured TOC improves navigation for all users.

Video Tutorials

• Create a Table of Contents in Microsoft Word (7:06)
• Microsoft Support: Insert a Table of Contents (0:37)

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Add a Table of Contents

Before adding a Table of Contents, make sure your headings are finalized and correctly structured. Ensure that all headers have the right text, order, and level.

1. Navigate to the References tab. 
2. Select Table of Contents. An Automatic Table of Contents pane should appear.
3. Choose your preferred style.

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Edit a Table of Contents

1. Navigate back to the References tab.
2. Select Table of Contents.
3. Choose Custom Table of Contents from the Automatic Table of Contents pane. A Table of Contents editor pane will appear. 
4. Set the style format.
5. Choose how many heading levels to display.
6. Ensure hyperlinks are enabled for navigation.
7. Select OK to apply changes.

A new Table of Contents will be generated with your selected settings.

 

When creating tables in Word, simplicity is key. Complex table designs can be difficult for assistive technologies to interpret and navigate. Follow these best practices to ensure your tables are accessible:

• Build tables directly in Word. Avoid drawing, importing, or inserting tables as an image file.
• Use tables for data only—not for layout or visual formatting.
• Keep table structure simple, with a clear header row (and first column, if needed).
• Repeat header rows for tables that span multiple pages.
• Avoid using blank, merged, or split cells. These can create issues for screen reader users, who may not be able to navigate the table in a logical reading order.

Video Tutorials

• Creating Accessible Tables in Microsoft Word (5:22)
• Microsoft Support: Create Accessible Tables in Word (2:18)

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Steps for Creating a Table

You can create a table in Word from the Insert tab using one of the following methods:

Visually Set Table Size

1. Navigate to the Insert Tab.
2. Select the drop-down arrow next to Table.
3. Hover over the grid to specify the dimensions of the table (number of rows and columns). 
4. Click to insert the table.

Insert a Table

You may also choose to select the Insert Table option.

1. Navigate to the Insert tab.
2. Select the drop-down arrow next to Table.
3. Choose Insert Table. This will open the Table Editing pane.
4. Input the number of columns and rows. [Optional: You may also choose to manually specify column widths and how to treat cell data.]
5. Save changes by clicking Ok. 

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Set Table Header Row

A table header row is the top row of a table that serves as a title for the categories of information in each column. Designers often manually bold this row to create emphasis, but it's important to mark headers properly in the code to ensure they are structurally identified. 

Set the header row: 

1. Select the Table in question.
2. Highlight the row that you would like to make the Header Row.
3. Navigate to the Table Design tab. 
4. Find the check-box labeled Header Row. Ensure that it is checked.

Note: Screen readers rely on table structure—not visual formatting—to understand and navigate data. Always define a header row instead of just bolding text.

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Repeat Table Header Rows Across Pages

When working with a long table that spans multiple pages, screen reader users may struggle to remember how data is organized across pages. To simplify navigation and improve accessibility, set the table to automatically repeat header rows on each page. 

1. Select the table by clicking on the selection icon at the top left corner of your table.
2. Right-click on the top row of the table.
3. Select Table Properties. A Table Properties Dialog box will populate.
4. Select the Row tab.
5. Check the box beside Repeat as header row at the top of each page.
6. Press OK to save your table preferences. 

When adding Images, always include alternative text (alt-text). Alt-text provides a text description of an image so users relying on screen readers can understand an image's purpose and content, even if they can't see it. 

Video Tutorials

• Creating Accessible Simple Images in Microsoft Office (6:23)
• Microsoft Support: Improve accessibility with alt text (2:07)

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Add Alternative Text to Images

1. Navigate to the Insert tab.
2. Select Pictures.
3. Choose how you would like to import the image.
4. Right-click on the image.
5. Then, select Edit Alt Text (Windows) / View Alt Text (Mac) from the menu. An Alt Text Pane will open on the right-hand side of the screen.
6. Type your alt-text into the text box. 

Long descriptions provide a detailed text explanation of the essential information conveyed in a detailed or complex image (e.g., charts, graphs, diagrams).

Note: Complex images still need alternative text. Use the alt-text to identify the image and direct users to the location of the long description. Use the long description to fully explain the complex visual.

Video Tutorials

• Introduction to Accessible Complex Images (15:28)
• Introduction to Writing Long Description (15:16)

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Where to Place Long Descriptions in Microsoft Word

Because long descriptions are rather lengthy and more detailed, they should not be placed in the alt-text field. Instead, you’ll need to decide where to put them. You have two options:

• Describe the image in the surrounding text. This is the most accessible option, benefitting both screen reader users as well as other readers.
• Place the description in an appendix. If your space is limited, you can create an appendix that contains the long description. If you go with this option, make sure you link from the original location to the appendix AND link from the appendix to the original text. This will allow users to easily navigate back and forth between the original text, image, and description.

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Long Description Example

Write link text that clearly describes the link's purpose and destination (e.g., Download the accessibility checklist rather than Click here). This helps all users understand where the link will take them; there should be no ambiguity.

Note: Ensure link text is clear, descriptive, and unique. Screen reader users can navigate by pulling up a list of links, which are read without surrounding text. Each link should stand alone and clearly indicate where it leads.

Video Tutorials

• Creating Accessible Links in Microsoft Office (7:12)
• Microsoft Support: Create Accessible Links in Word (2:09)

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Add Hyperlinks to Descriptive Text.

1. Select the descriptive text you want to link.
2. Right-click on the text and select Edit Hyperlink (Windows) / Hyperlink (Mac).
3. In the Address field, enter your URL.
4. Click OK to apply changes. 

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Add Descriptive Text to Hyperlinks

1. Select the existing link.
2. Right-click on the link and select Edit Hyperlink (Windows) / Hyperlink (Mac). 
3. Insert the descriptive text you want to display in place of the URL in the Text to Display field at the top of the dialog box.

Accessibility Tip: Do not change the visual appearance of link text. Links use a universal style (blue and underlined) that signals interactivity. Changing this style may make links harder to recognize or cause them to appear as emphasis or spam.

Use sufficient color contrast to make text readable for all users. 

• Maintain a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1 for regular text
• Use at least 3:1 for large text (18+ pt. or 14+ pt. bold)
• Check contrast using tools like the WebAIM Contrast Checker  or the Colour Contrast Analyser tool.

Microsoft Word defaults to black text on a white background for optimal readability. While you can customize text color and background using the Font Color, Text Highlighter, and Shading options, all color choices must still meet WCAG 2.1 AA color contrast standards.

Note: The Accessibility Checker in Word can flag contrast issues and suggest more accessible color combinations, but you should still verify contrast ratios using a color contrast tool.

Video Tutorials

• Introduction to Accessible Color (15:55)
• Fixing Color Contrast (13:30)

Steps for Editing Text and Background Color

1. Highlight the desired text. 
2. Select the Font Color tool and/or the Text Highlighter tool.
3. Choose from the pre-set colors OR input a 6-digit HEX color code.
4. For greater accessibility, choose from colors displayed under the High Contrast Only colors.

When using color to convey meaning, it is essential to include a text alternative so that all users can understand the content. Users who are color blind, have low vision, or rely on screen readers may not perceive color differences and may miss important details. Additionally, screen readers cannot interpret color, so any meaning conveyed through color must also be presented in text.

Video Tutorials

• Fixing Color as the Sole Means of Information (11:08)

Apply In Line with Text wrapping to all images and objects. This ensures content is read in the correct order for screen reader users.

Objects not set to In Line with Text are placed on a separate layer, which can cause them to be skipped or read out of order. Keeping objects inline places them within the document’s reading order so that they are encountered at an appropriate time.

Note: Place images near the text that describes them so users encounter the image and it's contextualizing text together.

Set an Object to In Line with Text

There are two ways to set an image or object to In Line with Text:

From the Layout Tab

1. Select the image or object.
2. Click the Layout tab.
3. Select Wrap Text. 
4. Choose In Line with Text.

From the Image or Object

1. Select the image or object.
2. Right-click the image or object. 
3. Select Wrap Text. 
4. Choose In Line with Text.

 

SmartArt, charts, and shapes created in Microsoft Word are largely inaccessible because they exist on a separate drawing layer. As a result, screen reader users may not be able to navigate or read the content within these elements. Because these objects are not part of the main document structure, you will not be able to add alternative text to these graphics. 

Note: If content is essential, do not rely on SmartArt, shapes, or charts alone. Provide the same information in text or use accessible alternatives, such as tables. For example, convert diagrams into structured lists or tables, and summarize key points in surrounding text.

If you choose to make SmartArt or Charts in Microsoft Word, you will need to flatten the graphic and treat them as complex images.

Note: Converting a graphic to an image does not make it fully accessible on its own. Always include both alt text and a long description so all users can access the information.

Steps to Flatten a Graphics

1. Screenshot your SmartArt or Chart.
2. Delete the original SmartArt or Chart.
3. Navigate to the Insert tab. 
4. Select Pictures.
5. Insert the screenshot.
6. Add alternative text to briefly identify the image and locate the long description. 
7. Provide a long description to fully explain the graphic. 

Text boxes in Microsoft Word are often inaccessible because they exist on a separate drawing layer. As a result, screen readers may not detect or read the content within them, which can cause important information to be missed.

To achieve the visual effect of a text box while maintaining accessibility, apply a padded border to your desired paragraph text.

Steps for Creating a Bordered Paragraph

1. Highlight the paragraph you want to spotlight.
2. Navigate to the Home tab.
3. Locate the Borders button in the Paragraph group.
4. Select Outside Borders.

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Customize a Bordered Paragraph

To customize the spacing of the border and add padding around the text to mimic a text box, you may:

1. Navigate to the Home tab.
2. Locate the Borders button in the Paragraph group.
3. Select Borders and Shading.
4. In the Borders tab, select Options.
5. Adjust the spacing (padding) around the text as needed.

 

Document title and language are part of your file’s metadata. Metadata is the descriptive information embedded within a file that helps users identify, organize, and properly interpret your document—especially for assistive technology users. 

Video Tutorial

• Set Language in Microsoft Office (7:03)

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Steps to Set the Document Title

In Windows

1. Navigate to the File tab. 
2. Select the Info tab.
3. Locate the Title field on the right-hand side. 
4. Enter or edit the document title.

To add additional metadata:

1. Select the Properties drop-down menu.
2. Choose Advanced Properties.
3. Enter details in the Summary tab (e.g., subject, author, keywords). 

On Mac

1. Navigate to the File tab.
2. Select Properties at the bottom of the context menu.
3. In the Properties dialogue box, select the Summary tab.
4. Enter the document title in the Title field. 

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Steps to Set the Document Language

In Windows

1. Navigate to the File tab. 
2. Select the Options tab at the bottom.
3. In the Options pane, select the Language tab. Choose which language you prefer for both display purposes and reading and proofing purposes. You may have to download a language extension for less common languages.

On Mac

1. Navigate to the File tab.
2. Select Properties at the bottom of the context menu.
3. In the Properties Dialog box, select the Custom tab.
4. In the Name field, scroll down to select language.
5. Once language is selected, type the preferred language in the Value field. Then, click add.
6. The language property should populate in the Properties field box. Click OK to apply the changes.

Note: Setting the correct document language ensures screen readers pronounce content accurately and improves spell check and grammar tools.

Use the Spell Check feature in Word to ensure your document is free of spelling errors. Misspelled words can confuse all users, but they pose a particular challenge for screen reader users, as incorrect spelling may lead to mispronunciations or misinterpretations of the content. 

Note: Always run Spell Check before sharing your document to ensure clarity and accurate screen reader output.

Launch the Spell Checker

1. Navigate to the Review tab.
2. Select Editor or Spelling and Grammar. 

3. Review and correct any flagged errors in the Spelling pane, including grammar suggestions in the Editor.

Run the Accessibility Checker in Word to identify potential accessibility issues in your document. This checker scans your document for potential issues that might prevent people with disabilities from accessing the content properly. It will highlight the issues, provide suggestions on how to fix them, and then prompt you to fix these issues. 

Video Tutorials

• Check Accessibility in Microsoft Office (4:52)
• Microsoft Support: Check the Accessibility of Your Document (1:10)
• Microsoft Support: Inspect Files for Accessibility (1:25)

Launch the Accessibility Checker

1. Navigate to the Review tab.
2. Select Check Accessibility. 
3. The Accessibility Assistant pane will open on the right side of the screen. 

Note: The Accessibility Checker is a helpful starting point, but it does not catch everything. Even if your document shows no issues, accessibility problems may still exist. Use the accessibility guidance on this page to ensure your document is fully accessible.

Avoid adding blank lines using the Enter/Return key. These hard returns are read by screen readers as blank, which can interrupt the flow of content and create a confusing experience for users.

Instead of adding empty lines for visual spacing, use built-in spacing and formatting tools to control layout.

• Adjust line spacing or paragraph spacing.
• Use Styles to maintain consistent spacing.
• Insert a page break to start a new page intentionally.

Use Show/Hide to Find Blank Lines

The Show/Hide feature displays hidden formatting marks, including paragraph breaks created by pressing Enter. This helps you identify and remove unnecessary blank lines.

Turn On Show/Hide

1. Navigate to the Home tab.
2. Select the Show/Hide (¶) button in the Paragraph section.

Use Show/Hide to Clean Up Your Document

• Look for multiple ¶ symbols stacked together (these indicate extra blank lines).
• Delete unnecessary paragraph marks to remove blank space.
• Confirm spacing is controlled through formatting—not empty lines.

The file name is separate from the document’s title in the metadata. While the title helps describe the content internally, the file name is how the document is stored, located, and referenced on your computer. When saving a Word file, choose a clear and concise file name. Avoid unnecessary special characters, as screen readers may read each character aloud, which can be distracting and slow navigation for users relying on assistive technologies.

There are several ways to convert a Microsoft Word document to a PDF, but not all methods preserve accessibility. To maintain accessibility features—such as headings, links, and metadata—use the correct export option.

• Avoid using Print to PDF. This method creates a visual-only version of your document and removes important structural elements like headings, bookmarks, links, and metadata.
• Use Save as PDF to preserve a document’s accessibility.

• The Export to PDF option (Windows) also maintains accessibility, but it may result in a larger file size.

For most cases, using Save as PDF is recommended.

Demonstration: Word to PDF

Watch TTaDA's Introduction to Exporting Word Documents to PDFs.