Universal Document Accessibility Principles
Universal Principles
Headings
One of the best ways to start creating more inclusive documents using Microsoft Word is to get into the habit of structuring your document using headings. It is tempting to just type your text and then change the size and boldness, but if you can get into the habit of using the Styles Pane to create your headings, you will make it a lot easier for people with disabilities to read your document.
Before you start writing, create an outline of your content by starting with Heading 1 (by the way, you can change the way all of your headings appear, or leave them as they are). Heading 1 will be the overall title of your document. You can either choose Heading 1 from the Style Pane or highlight your text and then choose Heading 1 from the style pane.
Heading 2 will be the supporting topic beneath heading 1 in outline form. Heading 3 will support heading 2 and so on.
Links
If your document contains links, use keywords in your content to create the hyperlink. In some cases, it is ok to hyperlink the URL, but keep in mind that a screen reader will read every character of that URL, so you'll need to have a compelling reason to do that. By hyperlinking the keyword or key phrase, people who use assistive technology will hear where the link will take them - and those who don't use assistive technology will see the emphasis on those key ideas. Avoid creating a hyperlink on words like "click here" because that is not descriptive enough. On the other hand, it is not necessary to hyperlink whole sentences or paragraphs.
If your hyperlink leads to a document like a PDF, be sure to include "PDF" in the hyperlink. Again, this lets all end users know what they're getting if they click on that link.
Images
If you're adding images to your document, make sure you right-click on the image and edit the "alt text" or alternative text. This is a short, succinct description of the image that will be read to people using screen readers. Do not add alt text that contains the words "image of" or "photo of" - the description should be short, but give someone who can't see the image an idea of what is being communicated using the image. This takes practice and creativity, but it is very important so that everyone understands important information. If your image is just decorative, there is a box you can check that says "Decorative Image" and screen reader users will not be made aware of the image.
Color
The difference between your text color and the background color must be at least 4.5:1 in most cases. If your document is black text on a white background, you don't have to worry about color contrast. But if there are any other colors in your document that contain important information, you must check the color contrast. The best way to do this is by using the accessibility checker in Word.
Color must not be the only way to convey information. If text is important and the only way you signify that it is important is to change the text color - a person who is colorblind may not be able to perceive that change. Make sure there is at least one other way to distinguish the important information.
Data Tables
If you are inserting a table in your document make sure you use the insert table option in the menu and give the table a descriptive header row. Complex tables (with multiple header rows and columns) are very difficult to make accessible, so whenever possible, only use simple data tables.
Converting to PDF
Once you create an accessible document, it is easier to convert that document into a PDF. For more information, please see WebAim's excellent article on converting Word to PDF and converting PowerPoint documents to PDF. It is important to remember that you should NOT choose "Print to PDF" and then upload that document to the web or distribute it widely. Print to PDF creates an image file that is not at all accessible for people using assistive technology.