Microsoft Word Resources
Accessibility Tips for Word Documents
- Use built in Styles and Formatting to mark up headers and lists in documents. This provides structure to content visually and when it is read aloud by a screen reader like JAWS.
- Provide alternative text descriptions for images which include: descriptive, decorative and/or charts. Consider purpose, significance and context of image for Alternative text description.
- Provide descriptive labels for hyperlinks (e.g. use instead of www.csuci.edu).
- Keep tables simple; screen readers read tables from left to right not in the way you arrange your data in the table.
- Make documents available in other formats (PDF or HTML) as needed.
Additional Resources
- This web page, created by the CSUN, has excellent quick reference on how to design accessible Word documents.
- From Microsoft:
Adobe PDF Resources
Accessibility Tips for PDF Documents
- Before you create your PDF, start with an accessible document (e.g. Word 鈥� add alternate text to images and use styles; PowerPoint 鈥� create in Outline mode).
- Use the Acrobat 鈥淐reate PDF鈥� button (appears in the menu bar) to create your PDF file
- Existing PDF files (or PDF files not created using the Acrobat icon) use Adobe Acrobat 8 Professional Accessibility checker to check for and/or fix accessibility problems. Exceptions: Scanned documents or fillable PDF forms, use Acrobat to make PDF accessible.
Adobe PDF Accessibility Resources
- - This web page, created by the CSUN, has excellent tutorials and videos that explain the process of making Adobe PDF documents ADA-compliant for your students.
- From Adobe: