WebAIM - Web Accessibility In Mind

Word 2011 for Mac
Creating Accessible Documents

Creating and Editing Headings

  1. Select the Home tab from the ribbon.
  2. In your document, select the text to convert to a heading.
  3. Click on the appropriate heading level in the Styles in-ribbon gallery; e.g., Heading 1.
  4. Headings 1, 2, or 3 can also be assigned using Command + Option + 1, 2, or 3, respectively.
    Screenshot of 'Styles' toolbar.
Notes

Word documents with a true heading structure provide at least two benefits:

  • The document retains this structure when correctly exported to HTML or PDF.
  • The document's readability is increased for all users.

Adding Alternative Text

  1. Right-click on the image and select Format Picture. A dialog box will appear.
  2. Select the Alt Text option in the sidebar. Enter the appropriate alternative text in the Description field, NOT the Title field.
    Screenshot emphasizing inserting alt text in the 'Description' field of the 'Format Picture' dialog.

Creating Tables

  1. Use the Insert Table command to create a table.
  2. If your table has a column header(s), right click on the first row in the table and select Table Properties > Row > Repeat as header row at the top of each page.
    Screenshot emphasizing checking the 'Repeat as header row at the top of each page' checkbox in the 'Options' section of the 'Table Properties' dialog.
Important

Do NOT create tables "by hand" with spaces or the Tab key.

Editing Hyperlinks

  1. Select a hyperlink, right-click, and select Edit Hyperlink or Cmd + K.
  2. Change the text in the Text to display field to a more meaningful description.
    Screenshot of the 'Text to display' field highlighted in the 'Edit Hyperlink' dialog.

Creating Lists

  • Select the Page Layout tab on the ribbon.
  • Select the Bullets or Numbering menu from the Paragraph group.
    Screenshot of selecting the 'Bullets and Numbering' option from the 'Paragraph' group.

Creating Columns

  1. Select the Page Layout tab on the ribbon.
  2. Select Columns in the Page Setup group.
    Screenshot of the 'Columns' drop-down menu on the 'Page Layout' toolbar.