WebAIM - Web Accessibility In Mind

E-mail List Archives

Re: MS Word, Horizontal Graphical Lines Accessibility

for

From: chagnon
Date: Jan 8, 2025 12:22AM


We have 2 solutions:

1. If you have access to the Word.docx file, then change how the horizontal lines (or rules) are created. Instead of drawing a graphical rule, set a "border" to be generated with a style, maybe a heading style or whatever formatting style is appropriate for the document.

Borders (including just a top border) and shadings defined in a style will automatically be artifacted in both the Word.docx and the exported PDF. So this eliminates the problem right in the source file and needs no further remediation.

2. If you only have the PDF, then artifact the rule.
— Select the <Figure> tag in the Tag Tree and click to expand it to show the actual "image"/rule in the yellow content-container box.
— Right-click on the image/rule and select Change Tag to Artifact. Select the default settings in the next dialog box and click OK.
— An empty <Figure> tag will remain in the Tag Tree, which you can now delete because it's empty.

FYI, the terms "background" and "decorative" used in some Adobe and Microsoft products actually mean "artifact," the formal term used in accessibility. Decorative and background are subjective loosey-goosey terms and sometimes the graphics themselves should have Alt Text, or Actual Text, or be artifacted, depending on how the graphics are used and their purpose.

—Bevi Chagnon

Bevi Chagnon | PubCom.com
Designer, Trainer, Author, Accessibility Expert
Member of the ISO committees for PDF and PDF/UA
Adobe Community Expert in the Adobe online forums

PubCom.com: Accessible Design + Technology
Office documents • Adobe InDesign • Acrobat • PDFs • EPUBs
View our blog and tutorials at www.pubcom.com/blog