Making Documents Accessible using Microsoft Word This document describes how to create an accessible Word document and convert it into a PDF.

Transcription

1 Making Documents Accessible using Microsoft Word 2010 This document describes how to create an accessible Word document and convert it into a PDF. The University of Bradford retains copyright for this material, which may not be reproduced without prior written permission. We welcome feedback on our documentation. Please infoserv-feedback@bradford.ac.uk. For alternative formats please see: Microsoft Word screen shots(s) reprinted by permission from Microsoft Corporation. Microsoft is a registered trade mark and Windows is a trade mark of Microsoft Corporation. February 2016

2 Contents Introduction... 1 Why Structuring a Document is Important... 1 Styles... 2 Bullets... 2 Numbered bullets... 2 Table of contents... 3 Text... 3 Hyperlinks and screen tips... 4 Tables... 4 Table headers... 5 Columns... 6 Cross references... 6 Captions... 6 Colour... 6 Images... 7 Grouped images... 7 Positioning images... 7 Text boxes and borders... 8 Alternative (ALT) Text... 8 Spell Checking... 9 Accessibility report... 9 Converting a Word Document to PDF... 9 Screen Readers... 9 Word Templates for Staff... 9 Further Help... 10

3 Introduction Creating an accessible document is not difficult and many of the techniques used will help you to produce a structured, professional looking document and with practice, will help you to work more efficiently. Accessibility means making something usable by as many people as possible, including disabled people. You are not just creating an accessible document with blind or visually disabled users in mind; other disabilities (eg hearing, cognitive and mobility) should also be considered. Aside from making a document accessible, an alternative format must also be produced, eg provide a PDF as well as a Word document. It is important to understand that it is illegal, under the Equality Act 2010, to discriminate against disabled people by providing inaccessible documentation. Why Structuring a Document is Important To create an accessible PDF, your Word document must use Word s in-built Styles for headings and lists. During conversion to PDF, Adobe Acrobat creates tags and bookmarks from these style elements. The tags describe the layout of the document to assistive technology (screen reader software), enabling it to navigate and read the document correctly. Bookmarks allow the reader to navigate easily through the document. Structuring a document in this way also has the added benefit of enabling a table of contents to be generated automatically and allow you to quickly reorder your work using Outline view, or export the Outline to generate a PowerPoint presentation. A well-structured document is easier to read and looks more professional. More importantly, a document will be more accessible if: headings and lists have Styles applied to them; important points are marked with Bullets; instructions, which need to be followed, have numbering applied. there is plenty of white space between the paragraphs, so they do not look too cluttered; there is plenty of white space around the graphics, so they are easy to see and are more likely to be recognised in the PDF conversion; Note: Screen readers can announce the type of style used before speaking the text, (eg "Heading style 1") alerting the listener to the importance of the text. 1 February 2016

4 Styles You may find it easier to have the Styles pane open while working on a document. To do this: 1. On the Home tab, in the Styles group, click on the dialog box launcher button in the bottom right corner. The Styles pane will appear. 2. Click on the Options link at the bottom right of the Styles pane. 3. Select In current document from the Select styles to show: list. If you use these Styles for headings, they will be converted to bookmarks in the PDF to enable easier navigation. Heading styles should be used logically, ie Heading 1 style for the most important heading, then Heading 2 for sub headings etc. Using a heading style out of sequence will cause the reader or screen reader difficulty in navigating and understanding the document. To apply a style: 1. Click within the text and then, from the open Styles pane, select a heading style. General templates have already been created for members of staff at the University. These templates contain all the styles you are likely to need (Heading 1, Heading 2, Heading 3, lists etc.). Please find the templates at: Bullets To add bullets: 1. Select the paragraphs to which bullets are to be applied. 2. If the document includes a bullet style (eg List Bullet), select it from the Styles pane. Alternatively, on the Home tab, in the Paragraph group, select Bullets. To remove a bullet, click in the paragraph and select the Normal style from the Styles pane. Note: It is recommended that you use the round bullet shape. The more elaborate bullet designs do not convert into accessible characters. Numbered bullets Numbered bullets should be used for instructions. To add them: 1. Select the paragraphs to which numbering is to be applied. February

5 2. If the document includes a numbered bullet style (eg List Number), select it from the Styles pane. Alternatively, on the Home tab, in the Paragraph group, click on Numbering. To remove a numbered bullet, click in the paragraph and select the Normal style from the Styles pane. Table of contents Always create a table of contents when producing a large document (generally documents with more than six pages). This can be formed quickly (if you use Word s in-built heading styles) and is easy to update. 1. Position the cursor in the document where you want the table of contents to appear. 2. On the References tab, in the Table of Contents group, click on Table of Contents. 3. Click on Insert Table of Contents. Ensure the settings are correct and click on OK. To update a table of contents: 1. Right click within the table of contents. From the pop up menu select Update Field. 2. Select Update entire table and click on OK. Text Font font must be accessible (using a sans-serif font and an appropriate size generally 11pt or higher) and must comply with the University's brand guidelines. See: Avoid using underlined text, italicised text and capitalised sentences, as these reduce readability. Paragraph spacing - dense paragraphs of text are difficult to read. Use plenty of white space between paragraphs, to spread out the information. Do not press the Enter key more than once between paragraphs to add extra space. The University templates are already designed to leave extra space when pressing the Enter key. In some areas of your document you may still require some extra spacing. In these cases, select the paragraph and then from the Page Layout tab, in the Paragraph group, enter values in the Before: and After: Spacing boxes. Alignment do not Justify text, as the unequal white space this generates makes the text difficult to comprehend and causes problems for dyslexic people and those using a screen magnifier. 3 February 2016

6 Hyperlinks and screen tips Hyperlinks should be typed in full. A screen tip describing the linked resource can also be added: 1. Type the hyperlink in full and highlight it. 2. On the Insert tab, in the Links group click on Hyperlink. 3. Click on ScreenTip and add a description of the resource being linked to. 4. Click on OK and then OK again. 5. Hover over the link to see the screen tip displayed. Tables Use tables only for data purposes (not for aesthetic layout purposes). Use simple table, as complex tables (with multiple levels of headings, merged cells etc) may be too intricate for assistive technology to interpret. In this case, an alternative method of conveying the information should be found. Tables must to have alternative text added to them. 1. Select the table and from the Table Tools Layout tab, select Properties. 2. Select the Alt Text tab. 3. Include a description for the table in the Description field (not the Title field). Note: Don t use tabs and spaces to create the appearance of a table. Also, don t use tables to create columns of text. Use the Column feature instead. See the section on: Columns. Screen readers read tables row by row across columns. Always design tables so they make sense when read from left to right, top to bottom. A4 black and white single sided 5p double sided 4p February

7 A4 colour single sided 10p double sided 8p To create a table: 1. On the Insert tab, in the Tables group, click on Table. 2. Drag over the grid to select cells or click on Quick Tables and choose one. Note: Notice that when your table is selected the contextual Table Tools tab appears, beneath which are the Design and Layout tabs. These contain tools for manipulating your table. Table headers Ensure that, if your table has a header row, the header row is repeated on subsequent pages to help readers follow the flow of information. To do this: 1. Select the header row. On the Table Tools - Layout tab, in the Data group, click on Repeat Header Rows. It is recommended that you do not allow table rows to break across a page. To prevent this: 1. Select the table and on the Table Tool - Layout tab, in the Table group click on Properties. 2. Select the Row tab and uncheck the Allow row to break across pages option. Click on OK. Tables should have the row and column headers marked. This enables anyone using a screen reader to tab through the table and associate the table cells with the headers. To do this: For tables with both row and column headers 1. Click in the cell where the row and column headers intersect. 2. On the Insert tab, in the Links group, click on Bookmark. 3. In the Bookmark Name: field type in: Title and then click on Add. For tables with row headers only 1. Click in any cell within the column containing the headers. 2. On the Insert tab, in the Links group, click on Bookmark. 3. In the Bookmark Name: field type in: RowTitle and then click on Add. For tables with column headers only 1. Click in any cell within a row containing the headers. 2. On the Insert tab, in the Links group, click on Bookmark. 3. In the Bookmark Name: field type in: ColumnTitle and then click on Add. 5 February 2016

8 Note: Do not place a bookmark in each cell that contains a header. Screen readers recognise all cells in the marked row and column as headers. Columns Columns of text are easy to read and as long as there is plenty of space between the columns they convert well to PDF. Do not try to create columns by pressing the tab key to space out the text. To create columns: 1. Select the text and then on the Page Layout tab, in the Page Setup group, click on Columns. 2. Select a number of columns from the drop down list or click on More Columns at the bottom for further options. Cross references Use the cross-reference tool to create links between sections in the same document. Anyone using a screen reader can then jump to the relevant section. 1. Type the introductory text (followed by a space), eg: For further information, see: 2. On the References tab, in the Captions group, click on Cross-reference. 3. In the Cross-reference window, make a selection from the Reference type: list. 4. In the For which heading: box, select the specific item, ensure Insert as hyperlink is selected and then click on Insert. Captions You can insert a caption to add a label or figure number to a diagram, table, equation etc. 1. Select the item that will have the caption added to it. On the References tab, in the Captions group, click on Insert Caption. 2. Choose an option from the label list, or click on the New Label button and type an alternative name. Click on OK. Colour If you use colours in your document, there are a few things to remember. Bear in mind colour blindness. February

9 Never put two similar colours next to each other. The greater the contrast the easier it will be to perceive. Use patterns in addition to colour to differentiate between coloured objects (eg in charts). Do not rely on colour alone to convey information. For example don t use red text alone to denote team leaders within an alphabetical list of staff. Images Images enhance the written word and may be more meaningful than large amounts of text, especially for those with poor English skills or dyslexic people. However, they can be a barrier to those with a visual impairment. Information conveyed by an image must be conveyed within the body text of the document, prior to including the image. Alternative text must be added to images. See the section on: Alternative (ALT) Text. Grouped images It is recommended that, for images containing multiple elements (eg pictures, text boxes and arrows), you group these together in a separate document first, take a screen shot, and then use this screen shot in your main document, with the addition of alternative text. See the section on: Alternative (ALT) Text. Note: For help with grouping images see: Positioning images Images inserted with the In Line with Text wrapping style are limited in how much they can be moved; however, they do convert well to PDF. They are ideal if you want a single image within a paragraph with no text wrapping. Floating images, eg those with the Square Wrapping style, convert less well to PDF but are much easier to move around. Always ensure that images have plenty of white space between them and the surrounding text. To create more white space: 1. Right click on the image. Click on Wrap Text then More Layout Options. 2. From the Text wrapping tab select the Square or Tight Wrapping style. 3. Select the Wrap option and adjust the distance of the image from the text. 7 February 2016

10 4. Click on OK. Text boxes and borders You should not use text boxes as they are not accessible. Instead, text can be highlighted in your document by placing a border around it. This will not cause any issues. Note: Ensure any colours you use (eg a background colour) have sufficient contrast with the text and do not cause problems when printed in black and white. To add a border: 1. Highlight the text. On the Home tab, in the Paragraph group click on the arrow next to Borders. 2. From the drop down list select Outside Borders. To add a background colour, from the drop down list select Borders and Shading. Select the Shading tab and then select a colour. Alternative (ALT) Text Screen readers can generally only translate text, so you must add alternative text to all images. The alternative text should briefly describe the image, so that when read, the user understands what is displayed on the screen. 1. Right click on the image and select Format Picture. 2. Select Alt Text. 3. In the Description field (not the Title field), type a brief and accurate description of what the image portrays. Finish the sentence with a full stop. Click on Close. Note: Extremely complicated images may warrant a one-to-one discussion between the author and a blind or visually impaired user, to find out how best to fully convey the concept described. An alternative transcript may be required. February

11 Spell Checking Making Documents Accessible using Microsoft Word 2010 Always spell check documents to avoid problems with screen readers mispronouncing words. To check the document: 1. On the Review tab, in the Proofing group click on Spelling & Grammar. Accessibility report The accessibility checker in Word 2010 provides you with a report listing potential accessibility issues and giving guidance on how they may be corrected. This should be done before the document is converted to PDF. 1. Click on the File tab. In the Prepare for Sharing group, click on Check for Issues. 2. Select Check Accessibility. A pane will appear with sections for Errors and Warnings. Errors must be corrected and warnings may need correcting if necessary. 3. Click on one of the listed errors. The Additional Information section displays advice on how to correct the issue. As each issue is corrected it disappears from the list. When all errors are corrected close the Accessibility Checker pane. Converting a Word Document to PDF To convert a Word document to a PDF: 1. Click on the File - Save As. 2. Ensure the file name is correct. From the Save as type list select PDF. 3. Click on Options and ensure Create bookmarks using: is checked and Headings is selected. 4. Click on OK and then Save. Screen Readers To listen to your document with a screen reader, open the PDF and click on View - Read Out Loud. Alternatively, a free demonstration version of Jaws can be downloaded from: Word Templates for Staff Staff may find the ready-made University Word templates useful. They are available at: 9 February 2016

12 Further Help IT Services help sheets, including some on Accessibility and more advanced features in Word: Staff IT training courses and support sessions: Customised accessibility courses for individual departments can be arranged. For details, contact: Microsoft Accessibility: A wide range of information, including tutorials, training, guides and case studies. See: Adobe Acrobat resources: WebAIM Web Accessibility in Mind: webaim.org/resources. February