Use at least the main style options: Title, Heading (with numbered levels), and Normal. Make sure you identify your headings in the correct order. This helps to create an easy-to-understand system for somebody navigating your text. For example, you can assign your paper title the Title style, use the Heading 1 style for your main section headings, use Heading 2 for your subsection headings, and so on. Make sure that you don’t skip heading levels. Nest your headings so that their Style numbers correspond to their hierarchy (i. e. don’t go from 1 to 3 or use 3 for your main title and 1 for your subtitles; make sure 1 is the biggest heading, then 2, then 3, etc. ). Remember that you can customize how your Styles look without affecting accessibility. Feel free to change fonts, sizes, and colors. Just make sure that each heading or piece of text is “tagged” with the right Style label so that screen readers can identify it. For longer documents, consider using Word’s built-in Table of Contents feature. This automatically uses your headings to create a linked Table of Contents that can make navigating your document easier for all readers.
To add alt text, start by right clicking on your image. Go to Format Picture and then Alt Text. Write a simple but complete description of the image or other visual feature in the title and/or description box (depending on its length) and click OK.
Use clear and designated column headings. Just like you use Style headings throughout your text, use column headers to make your tables consistent and easy to navigate. Make sure that under Table Options, you select Header Row so that screen readers will identify the top row as column headings. Make tables as simple and logical as possible. If possible, avoid having merged or split cells only in certain columns or rows, because this will be confusing when the contents is read aloud. Stick to a standard, evenly laid out format. Try to make your tables read logically from left to right and top to bottom (if working in English). To get a better idea of how a screen reader will navigate your table, use the tab key on your keyboard to check the order that the cursor goes through your columns and rows. Using alt text for tables, as well as images and charts, can also help.
When you want to add a hyperlink, right-click on the line where you want the link and select to Hyperlink (or go to Insert and then Hyperlink). Copy or type the URL into the address or link to text box. Include a simple but meaningful description under display or text to display. This is the writing that will actually be visible in your document, and when clicked it will take the reader to the website of the URL.
Instead, use document formatting. Rely on indentations, line spacing, and Styles to create the effect you want. To create extra space after lines without pressing enter, right click and go to Paragraph. Under Spacing, adjust the before, after, and line spacing options as desired to get the layout you want. One way to check how your document might “look” to a screen reader is to select the option to show all non-printing characters so that you can see the paragraph symbol that appears every time you hit the enter key and the dot that appears every time you hit the space bar. Ideally, these should only appear when you truly are stopping an old word or paragraph and starting a new one. They shouldn’t be there when you just want to create extra space.
Instead, use the “top and bottom” or “in line with text” text-wrapping options.
Keep titles short, especially if they appear often. If you’re using color, avoid putting very similar colors on top of one another. Contrast makes text easier to read for everybody, especially those with visual impairments. Don’t rely on color-coding alone. For users who can’t perceive color or are using screen readers, make sure that information is conveyed in multiple ways, not just through color of the text. For example, avoid a long list of items where red text signifies one thing and blue another.
