Headings

Structuring and Formatting Documents for Accessibility

Creating accessible documents isn’t just about adding content—it’s about organizing and formatting that content so everyone can use it. Proper structure and formatting make documents easier to navigate, especially for people using assistive technologies like screen readers.

In this lesson, you’ll learn how to use built-in tools in Word to make your documents more readable and accessible. By mastering these skills, you’ll help ensure your work is clear, professional, and usable by all. Mastering document structure is essential for creating accessible content. A clear structure not only helps users find information quickly but also ensures that assistive technologies can interpret your documents correctly. Here are some key practices to follow:

Lesson Exploratory Goals

Use heading styles to create logical, easy-to-navigate documents.
Apply built-in list and column tools for consistent formatting.
Design tables that are simple, structured, and accessible.
Recognize and avoid common formatting pitfalls that hinder accessibility.

Introduction to Structure in Microsoft Word

Introduction: Why Use Heading Styles? Heading styles create a logical structure, making documents easier to navigate for everyone, especially screen reader users.

Step 1: Select Your Heading Text
Select the text you want to turn into a heading. This could be a section title or a subsection within your document. In Word, you can select all text in a document (Ctrl+A), or select specific text or items in a table by using the mouse or keyboard.

Step 2: Choose a Heading Style
Go to the Home tab and select the appropriate heading level (such as Heading 1 or Heading 2) from the Styles group. This applies the correct formatting and structure.

Adding headings using the styles ribbon in Microsoft Word.

Step 3: Modify Styles as Needed
If you want to change the appearance, use the Styles pane to adjust font, size, or color—without breaking the underlying structure.

Screenshot of modifying styles in Word with the Styles icon and Modify button highlighted.

Summary: Benefits of Heading Styles
Using heading styles ensures your document is organized, accessible, and easy to navigate for all users.

Lists and Columns

Applying Lists and Columns in Word

Lists and columns help organize information and make documents easier to read. Using Word's built-in list and column features ensures that your content is properly tagged for assistive technologies, so users can understand and navigate your information efficiently. Manual formatting, like typing dashes or using tabs, can confuse screen readers and disrupt the reading order.

Creating Accessible Lists
Always use the built-in bullets or numbering tools from the Home tab instead of typing symbols or numbers manually. This ensures lists are properly tagged and recognized by assistive technologies, making them easier to navigate for all users.

Step 1: Select Your Text
Highlight the text you want to turn into a list.

Creating lists in Word using the Paragraph bullets tool.

Step 2: Choose Bullets or Numbering
Home → Paragraph → Bullets or Numbering.
Step 3: Customize Your List (Optional)
Use the dropdown to select different styles or define a new one.

Using Columns Correctly

Apply columns using the built-in Columns tool, not by inserting tabs or spaces. This keeps the reading order logical and ensures screen readers present the content in the correct sequence.

To create columns in Word:
1) Select your text → 2) Layout tab → 3) Columns and choose a preset or More Columns.

Adding columns in Word using Layout → Columns.

Tables

Enhance Table Accessibility in Word
Designing accessible tables in Microsoft Word ensures that all users can effectively navigate and comprehend the information. This guide focuses on implementing table headers, banded rows/columns, and appropriate table styles to improve accessibility.

Step 1: Enable Table Headers
Inside the table → Table Design → check Header Row.

Word table formatting options with Header Row checked.

Step 2: Apply Banded Rows or Columns
Table Design → check Banded Rows or Banded Columns.

Table Design tab with Banded Columns checked.

Step 3: Choose an Accessible Table Style
Table Styles gallery → pick a high-contrast style with clear separation.

Quick Styles table formatting options in Office.

Step 4: Verify Table Accessibility
Review → Check Accessibility and address issues.

Office Review tab with Check Accessibility highlighted.

Alt text and Descriptive Hyperlinks

What Is Alternative Text and Why Does It Matter?

Alt text is a brief description added to images, charts, or graphics so that people who can’t see them can still understand their purpose. Well-written alt text provides context and meaning, helping users understand visual elements. Alternative text (alt text) and descriptive hyperlinks are essential for making your documents accessible. By providing clear descriptions for images and meaningful link text, you help all users understand and navigate your content.

How to Add Alt Text in Word

Right-click an image, chart, or graphic → View Alt Text. Enter a clear, concise description. If purely decorative, mark as decorative.

A building with multiple chimneys against an orange sunset sky.

Creating Descriptive Hyperlinks

Descriptive hyperlinks tell users where a link will take them. Replace raw URLs with concise, meaningful phrases.

Best Practices for Accessible Hyperlinks

Use Descriptive Text: e.g., “Company Accessibility Policy.”
Edit or Update Links: Select text → right-click → Link → set “Text to display” and “Address.”

Context menu in Word with the Link option highlighted. Insert hyperlink dialog with Text to display and Address fields.

Accessibility Checker

Checking and Fixing Accessibility Issues in Word

Run the Accessibility Checker to identify potential issues.
Interpret results: errors, warnings, and tips.
Fix common issues: missing alt text, improper headings, table structure, and link text.

Step 1: Review → Check Accessibility.

Office Review tab with Check Accessibility.

Step 2: Review results and jump to issues.

Accessibility pane showing a text contrast warning with actions.

Final Review Before Sharing

Do a final manual review to ensure clarity and usability.

Structure and Headers

Structuring and Formatting Workbooks for Accessibility

Creating accessible workbooks is about organizing data so everyone can understand it. Proper structure makes spreadsheets easier to navigate, especially for people using assistive technologies like screen readers.

In this lesson, you’ll learn how to use built-in tools in Excel to make your data more readable and accessible. Mastering data structure helps users find information quickly and ensures that assistive technologies can interpret your data correctly.

Lesson Exploratory Goals

Use table headers to create logical, easy-to-navigate data sets.
Apply cell styles and formatting for a clear visual hierarchy.
Design tables that are simple, structured, and accessible.
Avoid pitfalls like merged cells and blank rows/columns.

Introduction to Structure in Microsoft Excel

Header Row in Excel

In the query pane, select Edit to open the Power Query editor.
To confirm that Power Query recognized your headers, select Home → Transform → Use first row as headers. Power Query converts the first row to headers.
To rename columns, double-click each column header and type the desired name.
To return transformed data to the worksheet, select Home → Close & Load.

Why Use “Format as Table”? Formatted tables provide structure so screen readers can associate data cells with their headers.

Step 1: Select your data range (include header row).
Step 2: Home → Format as Table → pick a style.

Using Format as Table in Excel.

Step 3: Confirm “My table has headers.”

Summary: Formatted tables make data organized, accessible, and easy to filter/navigate.

Data Organization

Organizing Data in Excel

Clear data organization makes spreadsheets easier to read. Avoid blank rows/columns within data and give each worksheet a meaningful name. Manual formatting tricks can confuse screen readers; built-in tools keep structure consistent and accessible.

Best Practices

Creating Accessible Data Lists
Keep the data region contiguous; use “Format as Table” to define the region formally.

Name Your Worksheets: Right-click a sheet tab → Rename → descriptive name.
Avoid Blank Rows/Columns: Screen readers may treat blanks as the end of data.
Don’t Merge Cells: Use Center Across Selection instead.

Using Cell Styles for Emphasis

For titles/labels outside tables, use Cell Styles (Home tab). This preserves structure while providing visual hierarchy.

Tables

Enhance Table Accessibility in Excel
“Format as Table” implements headers, banding, and styles to improve accessibility.

Step 1: Define Table Headers Ensure “My table has headers” is checked.

Excel table options with Header Row checked.

Step 2: Apply Banded Rows/Columns Use the Table Design tab.

Excel Table Design with Banded Columns checked.

Step 3: Choose an Accessible Table Style Select a high-contrast style.

Excel Quick Styles for tables.

Step 4: Verify Table Accessibility Review → Check Accessibility.

Excel Review tab with Check Accessibility highlighted.

Alt text and Descriptive Hyperlinks

Source: Section 508 — Training: Spreadsheets.

What Is Alternative Text and Why Does It Matter?

Alt text for charts/images helps users understand visuals. Provide clear descriptions; mark decorative images as decorative.

How to Add Alt Text in Excel

Right-click a chart or image → Edit Alt Text → summarize the main insight (trend/comparison). Mark decorative items as decorative.

Sample image in an Office application.

Creating Descriptive Hyperlinks

Use Descriptive Text: e.g., “View Q3 Sales Report.”
Insert/Edit: Select cell → right-click → Link → set “Text to display” and web “Address.”

Context menu in an Office app with Link option highlighted. Insert hyperlink dialog with Text to display and Address.

Accessibility Checker

Checking and Fixing Accessibility Issues in Excel

Run the Accessibility Checker.
Understand errors, warnings, and tips.
Fix common issues: missing alt text, merged cells, missing headers, default sheet names.

Step 1: Review → Check Accessibility.

Office Review tab with Check Accessibility.

Step 2: Review results and navigate to issues.

Accessibility pane showing a text contrast warning with actions.

Final Review Before Sharing

Do a final manual review to ensure clarity and usability.

Slide Structure

Structuring and Formatting Presentations for Accessibility

Creating accessible presentations isn’t just about adding content—it’s about organizing content so everyone can follow along. Proper structure makes slides easier to navigate, especially for people using assistive technologies.

Use built-in tools in PowerPoint to make presentations more readable and accessible. Clear structure ensures assistive technologies interpret slides correctly.

Lesson Exploratory Goals

Use built-in slide layouts for logical structure.
Check and adjust reading order of elements.
Design tables and lists that are simple and accessible.
Avoid formatting pitfalls that hinder accessibility.

Introduction to Structure in Microsoft PowerPoint

Why Use Slide Layouts? Layouts provide a hierarchy with placeholders for titles and content so screen readers can understand reading order. Every slide should have a unique title.

Step 1: Home → New Slide → choose an accessible layout (e.g., Title and Content). Use the Title placeholder.

Step 2: Add content to placeholders to preserve logical order.

Using placeholders on a PowerPoint slide to ensure correct structure.

Step 3: Check reading order: Home → Arrange → Selection Pane (read bottom to top).

Summary: Using layouts keeps presentations organized, accessible, and easy to navigate.

Lists and Columns

Applying Lists and Columns in PowerPoint

Source: US Section 508 — Training: Presentations.

Accessible Lists: Use built-in bullets/numbering (not manually typed symbols).

Using Columns Correctly

Source: US Section 508 — Training: Presentations.

Create columns in a text box: Select text box → Home → Add or Remove Columns → choose an option.

Tables

PowerPoint Tables

Source: U.S. Section 508 — Training: Presentations — Tables.

Enhance Table Accessibility in PowerPoint
Implement header rows, banded rows, and accessible styles.

Step 1: Enable Table Headers Table Design → Header Row.

PowerPoint table options with Header Row checked.

Step 2: Apply Banded Rows Table Design → Banded Rows.

PowerPoint Table Design with Banded Rows checked.

Step 3: Choose an Accessible Table Style Pick a high-contrast style.

PowerPoint Quick Styles for tables.

Step 4: Verify Table Accessibility Review → Check Accessibility.

PowerPoint Review tab with Check Accessibility highlighted.

Alt text and Descriptive Hyperlinks

Source: U.S. Section 508 — Training: Presentations — Images.

What Is Alternative Text and Why Does It Matter?

Alt text helps users understand images, charts, and graphics on slides. Mark purely decorative items as decorative.

How to Add Alt Text in PowerPoint

Right-click image/graphic → Edit Alt Text → concise description.

Sample image on a PowerPoint slide.

Creating Descriptive Hyperlinks

Best Practices: Use descriptive link text (e.g., “Learn more”). Right-click selected text → Link → set “Text to display” and “Address.”

Context menu in PowerPoint with the Link option highlighted. Insert hyperlink dialog showing Text to display and Address fields.

Accessibility Checker

Checking and Fixing Accessibility Issues in PowerPoint

Run the Accessibility Checker.
Ensure every slide has a unique title.
Fix reading order using the Selection Pane.
Provide descriptive link text and alt text.

Office Review tab with Check Accessibility.

Accessibility pane with contrast warning and recommended actions.

Final Review Before Sharing

Do a final manual review to ensure clarity and usability.