Microsoft Word Accessibility

The guidelines below should assist you in creating accessible documents using Microsoft Word. For more in-depth tutorials, please see Make your Word documents accessible to people with disabilities. Also, check out Section508.gov's comprehensive suite of accessibility training videos.

• Font size: Use a font size that is 12 points or larger. Text can be difficult to see when it is smaller than 12 points. This is especially important for printed documents where the text cannot be enlarged like on a screen. How to change the font size in Office.
• Font style: Use standard sans serif fonts. Script or decorative fonts can be difficult to read. Serif fonts can be difficult to read on screen. Recommended fonts: Verdana, Calibri, Arial, Helvetica, Tahoma, Lato, Open Sans, Segoe UI. Do not use script or decorative fonts. Serif fonts, such as Georgia or Times New Roman, are ok for headings but should be avoided for body text. See Understanding Accessible Fonts and Typography for Section 508 Compliance.
• Headings: Use hierarchical heading styles (Heading 1, Heading 2, etc.) to identify headings and subheadings. Headings that are created using heading styles allow screen reading software to jump to different parts of a document. Making headings visually different (bigger font, bold, etc.) is not enough. Heading styles must be used in order for screen reading software to identify headers from body text because this semantically designates the text as headings. How to create heading styles. If you don’t like the default options you can customize the heading style formatting to your preferences.
• Lists, Bullets, Headers, Footers: Use Word’s built-in formatting options to create lists, page numbers, headers and footers, and footnotes. Using the built-in formatting options allows screen reading software to differentiate lists, page numbers, headers and footers, and footnotes from body text. Note: Do not place important information such as the word “Confidential” in the header or footer. How to create:
  • Bulleted/numbered lists
  • Page numbers
  • Headers and footers
  • Footnotes
• Alt Text:Include alt text for all non-decorative pictures, tables, graphs, charts and graphics. Alt text is a description of images or graphics. Screen reading software reads alt text out loud for the user. How improve accessibility with alt text. If the picture or graphic is only used for decoration, select “Mark as decorative” in the alt text options. This way screen reading software will disregard it.
• Color: Make sure there is appropriate contrast between the text color and background. Light text on a light background or dark text on a dark background is hard to see. Use a contrast checker such as the WebAIM contrast checker to ensure there is enough color contrast in your document.
• Color as emphasis: Do not use color as the only means of conveying information. People who are colorblind might not be able to differ the color differences. Do not say “Take note of the text in red.” Include an additional way to differentiate the text. For example, “Take note of the text that is red and with an asterisk.” How to use color and other sensory characteristics plus text to convey meaning.
• Line spacing: Avoid using the Enter key to skip lines. Instead, use the line spacing options orpage breaks to skip lines or go to the next page. Screen reading software will repeat the word “Blank” every time there is a line that was skipped using the Enter key. This can be annoying especially when there are many skipped lines. How to use line spacing options and page breaks.
• Tables: Make sure data tables have a header row and/or first column. There needs to be a designated header row and/or first column in order for screen reading software toread the contents in a data table in the correct order. When creating tables used for data (vs. just for layout), check the header row option (and if needed, the first column row) in table style options. If you are using a table for layout purposes,make sure to uncheck both the header row and first column options. Please see Use Built In Features to Create Layout and Data Tables for in-depth instructions on how to do this, and for further instructions on how to accessibly create tables, please see Create accessible tables in Word. Note: Do not use the “Draw Table” option as that is will not result in an accessible table.
• Links: Use meaningful text for links. Descriptive hyperlink text provides context that allows people who use screen reading software to identify and sort through links.Important: For documents that might be printed, full URLs can be included within the text body or at the end of the document. Instead of typing “Click here to log into MySCCC,” type “Log in to MySCCC.” Please see how to create accessible links in Word.
• Text wrap: Place images, text boxes, or other graphic elements “In line with text.” Doing this ensures that the reading order of elements is preserved and that screen reading software will identify the elements in the proper order. Note: Screen reading software might not detect text that is in text boxes at all unless the text boxes areplaced in line with text. How to create accessible text boxes. Although this video pertains to text boxes, the instructions are the same for placing images in line with text.
• Columns: Avoid using tabs or the space bar to create columns. Using tabs or the space bar does not ensure that the text would be read in the correct order. Instead, create columns using Word’s built-in column options.
• Symbols: Avoid using symbols. Not all symbols are accessible to screen readers. If you must use a symbol, use a text alternative next to it. For example:  ♦ diamond Note: Emojis are accessible.
• Equations: Use the Equation Editor to format mathematical equations. Equations or scientific notation that is typed out without the Equation editor will not be read correctly by screen reading software. How to use the Equation Editor. Do not use symbols as they will not result in an accessible equation.
• Accessibility Checker: Do not rely on the Accessibility Checker to pick up all issues. The Accessibility Checker is an excellent supplementary tool, but it will not identify every issue. How to use the Accessibility Checker.