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Thread: MS Word Text Box Work Around
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From: Jim Homme
Date: Fri, Mar 17 2023 9:47AM
Subject: MS Word Text Box Work Around
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Hi,
This comes from me, totally blind, with a visual question. I have a document with a text box that the screen reader cannot read. The text box is on the right with text on the left. Would it work visually if I put the part of the document with the text box and other text in its own section, make a left column with the text the screen reader can read, and a right column with extracted text from the text box, and a border around the right column? I can't send the document. It's confidential. Just asking for visual reasons for the future.
Also, I don't understand how text boxes usually act visually and trying to learn.
Thanks.
Jim
=========Jim Homme: He, Him, His
Senior Digital Accessibility Consultant
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From: Karen McCall
Date: Fri, Mar 17 2023 9:55AM
Subject: Re: MS Word Text Box Work Around
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Text boxes are objects that float above the text layer of the document. JAWS has a keyboard command to list objects and text boxes are included in the list. It is Ctrl + Shift +letter O. It will list graphics and other objects. Not sure of the similar keyboard command for NVDA.
However, because text boxes float above the text layer of the document, those of us using adaptive technology can't rely on any association with surrounding content. It is like reading two different "documents" the text layer and the text boxes.
I teach people to use paragraph styles instead of text boxes because you can create the same effects with a paragraph style (borders, fill, centering and other effects) and have the content be more accessible.
If you can create a paragraph style and remove the text from the text box and use the paragraph style, it would be more accessible.
If you want to have the effect of the content being side by side, use Columns in Word to create the effect.
If you want to e-mail me off list for assistance, please do.
Cheers, Karen
From: Steve Green
Date: Fri, Mar 17 2023 9:59AM
Subject: Re: MS Word Text Box Work Around
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There are all sorts of accessibility problems with the form controls available in Word, so I recommend that they should not be used. In fact, I recommend that you don't use Word for forms.
If you really must use Word, one option is to create a two-column table with the text labels in the left-hand column. You treat the right-hand column as if it contained textboxes. It's not properly accessible, but it's about as good as you can get in Word. If you do this, I recommend adding instructions saying it's how the form is constructed, because it may not be obvious.
Steve Green
Managing Director
Test Partners Ltd
From: Karen McCall
Date: Fri, Mar 17 2023 10:17AM
Subject: Re: MS Word Text Box Work Around
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I agree about form controls in Word, just say NO!
I recommend creating the form template in Word, exporting it as a tagged PdF and adding the form controls in Acrobat; or, creating an HTML form.
The advantage to the PdF form is that the end-user can save a copy for their reference/archive.
Apologies, I didn't realize the text boxes were in a form.
Cheers, Karen