CINXE.COM

<!DOCTYPE html> <html lang="en"> <head> <meta charset="utf-8"> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1"> <title>WebAIM: Microsoft Word - Creating Accessible Documents</title> <link rel="shortcut icon" href="/media/favicon.ico"> <link rel="home" href="/"> <link rel="search" href="/search/"> <link rel="alternate" href="https://webaim.org/blog/feed" type="application/rss+xml" title="WebAIM Blog"> <script async src="https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtag/js?id=G-Y41PF8WV9X"></script> <script> window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; function gtag(){dataLayer.push(arguments);} gtag('js', new Date()); gtag('config', 'G-Y41PF8WV9X'); </script> <link href="/styles/main.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css"> <link href="/styles/print.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="print"> <script src="/media/scripts/jquery.js"></script> <script src="/media/scripts/main.js"></script> <link href='https://fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=Roboto:400' rel='stylesheet' type='text/css'> <link href='https://fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=Kameron:400,700' rel='stylesheet' type='text/css'> <link href="/styles/documents.css?ver=2" rel="stylesheet"> <link href="https://fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=Open+Sans:400,400i,700" rel="stylesheet">  </head> <body> <div id="headcontainer" class="clearfix" style="background-image: url(/media/banners/articles.jpg)"> <header> <div id="skiptocontent"><a href="#maincontent">skip to main content</a></div> <h2><a href="/"><img src="/media/logo.png" width="315" height="83" alt="WebAIM - Web Accessibility In Mind"></a></h2> <nav> <h2 class="hidden">Main Navigation</h2> <ul> <li><a href="/services/">Services</a></li> <li class="current"><a href="/articles/">Articles</a></li> <li><a href="/resources/">Resources</a></li> <li><a href="/projects/">Projects</a></li> <li><a href="/community/">Community</a></li> </ul> </nav> <div id="search"> <form method="get" role="search" action="/search/" id="sitesearch"> <p class="search"><span><label for="q">Search:</label> <input type="text" name="q" id="q"><input type="image" src="/media/template/search.svg" alt="Submit Search"></span></p> </form> <p class="intro"><a href="/intro">Introduction to Web Accessibility</a></p> <p class="training"><a href="/services/training">WebAIM Training</a></p> </div> </header> </div> <main id="maincontainer" class="clearfix"> <article id="maincontent"> <h1>Microsoft Word<br><span class="subtitle">Creating Accessible Documents</span></h1> <p id="breadcrumbs"><span class="hidden">You are here: </span><a href="/">Home</a> > <a href="/articles/">Articles</a> > Microsoft Word - Creating Accessible Documents</p> <nav> <h2 id="contents">Article Contents</h2> <ol> <li class="currentpage"><span class="hidden">Current page: </span>Page 1: Microsoft Word - Creating Accessible Documents <ol> <li><a href="#intro">Introduction</a></li> <li><a href="#headings">Headings</a></li> <li><a href="#altText">Alternative Text for Images</a></li> <li><a href="#tables">Data Tables</a></li> <li><a href="#links">Links</a></li> <li><a href="#listCol">Lists & Columns</a></li> <li><a href="#other">Other Principles</a></li> <li><a href="#checker">Accessibility Checker</a></li> <li><a href="#pdf">Converting to PDF</a></li> <li><a href="#practice">Principles into Practice</a></li> </ol> </li> <li>Page 2: <a href="word365mac">Word 365 and 2019 for Mac</a></li> <li>Page 3: <a href="word365win">Word 365 and 2019 for Windows</a></li> <li>Page 4: <a href="word2016mac">Word 2016 for Mac</a></li> <li>Page 5: <a href="word2016win">Word 2016 for Windows</a></li> <li>Page 6: <a href="word2013">Word 2013 for Windows</a></li> <li>Page 7: <a href="word2011">Word 2011 for Mac</a></li> <li>Page 8: <a href="word2010">Word 2010 for Windows</a></li> </ol> </nav> <div class="callout"> <div class="title">Document Accessibility Online Course</div> <p>WebAIM offers a four-week online course on document (Word, PowerPoint, and PDF) accessibility.</p> <p class="calloutlink"><a href="https://webaim.org/training/docs/">Learn more about the Document Accessibility Course.</a></p> </div> <div class="section" id="intro"> <h2>Introduction</h2> <p>Microsoft Word is the most widely used word processor on the market, and the .docx format is the <span lang="la"><em>de facto</em></span> format for text documents. It is also often used to create PDF and HTML files for websites. There are several things you can do to make your Word Documents more accessible for people with disabilities, and this capability improves with each version of Office.</p> <div class="important"> <div class="title">About this article</div> <p>The following best practices are provided to help you maximize the accessibility of your Word documents. On this page you will find general principles for increasing accessibility in all versions of Word.</p> <p>When you are ready to put these recommendations into practice, select your version of Word from the article contents or at the bottom of this page.</p> </div> </div> <div class="section" id="headings"> <h2>Headings</h2> <p>A good heading structure is often the most important accessibility consideration in Word documents. When encountering a lengthy Word document, sighted users often scroll and look for headings to get an idea of its structure and content. Screen reader users can also navigate Word documents by headings. For example, screen reader users can access a list of all headings in the document, jump from heading to heading, or even navigate by heading levels (e.g., all second-level headings). </p> <p>However, this only works if Word's <span class="menuchoice"><em>Heading</em></span> styles are used. Unfortunately, it is a common practice to create a "heading" by highlighting the text and applying a different font, a larger font size, bold formatting, etc. using Word's <em>Font</em> styles. These Font styles will provide <strong><em>visual</em></strong> headings but not the document structure needed for navigation by assistive technology users is missing.</p> <p>Heading levels should represent the structure of the document.</p> <ul> <li>A <span class="menuchoice">Heading 1</span> is the main content heading. There is generally just one Heading 1 per document, although it is possible to have more than one (e.g., a journal where each article is a Heading 1). </li> <li>A <span class="menuchoice">Heading 2</span> is a major section heading.</li> <li>A <span class="menuchoice">Heading 3</span> is a sub-section of the Heading 2.</li> <li>A <span class="menuchoice">Heading 4</span> is a sub-section of the Heading 3, and so on.</li> </ul> <p>You should not skip heading levels, such as using a <span class="menuchoice">Heading 4</span> after a <span class="menuchoice">Heading 2</span> with no Heading 3 between the two.</p> <div class="note"> <div class="heading">Note</div> <p>Word supports Heading 1-9, but web pages and PDF files only support 6 levels of headings. For this reason, we recommend limiting yourself to Heading 1-6.</p> </div> </div> <div class="section" id="altText"> <h2>Alternative Text for Images</h2> <p>If an image presents content or has a function, you must provide an equivalent <a href="/techniques/alttext/">alternative text</a> for this image. This information will be presented to a screen reader user when they encounter the image.</p> <p>There are two ways to provide alt text in Word documents:</p> <ol> <li>Use the <span class="menuchoice">"Alt text" functionality in Word.</span> You can add "Alt text" text to Pictures, Shapes, Charts, SmartArt, and (in Office 365) Icons and 3D Models. </li> <li>Provide an alternative in the surrounding text.</li> </ol> <p>For complex images like charts, you will often need to provide succinct "Alt text" plus a table or lengthier text alternative near the image.</p> <p>Alternative text should be:</p> <ul> <li>Accurate and equivalent – present the content or function as the image.</li> <li>Succinct – a few words are usually enough; a short sentence or two is sometimes appropriate.</li> <li>NOT be redundant – do not provide information that is in the surrounding text.</li> <li>NOT use descriptive phrases – screen reading software identifies images, so do not use phrases such as "image of..." or "graphic of...".</li> </ul> </div> <div class="section" id="tables"> <h2>Data Tables</h2> <p>A <a href="/techniques/tables/data">data table</a> is a grid of information organized into columns and rows. Sighted users scan a table to make associations between data in the table and their appropriate row and/or column headers. Screen reader users make these same associations if tables are structured correctly. The tools for creating accessible tables are limited—especially in older versions—but you can identify a single row of column headers and a single column of row headers.</p> </div> <div class="section" id="links"> <h2>Links</h2> <p>Links in Word documents allow users to visit web pages, send an email, and to navigate to headings or bookmarks within the same document. When you paste a webpage address—or URL—into a document and hit <span class="keycap">Enter</span> or <span class="keycap">Space</span>, Word automatically creates a link and uses the URL as the link text. It is usually best to give the link more descriptive text. <p>Follow these principles to create accessible links:</p> <ul> <li>Use descriptive link text that does not rely on context from the surrounding text.</li> <li>Keep the amount of text in the link to a minimum.</li> <li>Use underlined text with a color that stands out from the surrounding text.</li> </ul> <div class="important" id="important1"> <div class="title">Important</div> <p>Screen reader users may skim a document by navigating from link to link. Avoid ambiguous link text that is difficult to understand out of context (e.g., "click here").</p> </div> </div> <div class="section" id="listCol"> <h2>Lists & Columns</h2> <p>Lists and columns add important hierarchical structure to a document. Sometimes users create "lists" and "columns" manually by hitting the <span class="keycap">Tab</span> to indent content. While this provides visual structure for sighted users, it does not provide the document structure needed for assistive technology users.</p> <p>There are two types of lists used in Word: bullets and numbers. Bulleted lists are used for a group of items without an order or hierarchy:</p> <ul> <li>Ketchup</li> <li>Mustard</li> <li>Pickles</li> <li>Onions</li> </ul> <p>Numbered lists present a group where the number of items matter or where there is an order or sequence:</p> <ol> <li>Preheat grill with "high" heat setting.</li> <li>Cook hamburgers on "medium" heat setting.</li> <li>Flip hamburgers when juices are visible on the top of the patty.</li> <li>Remove hamburgers when the inside temperature is 160℉.</li> </ol> </div> <div class="section" id="other"> <h2>Other Principles</h2> <ul> <li>Use simple language.</li> <li>Ensure that font size is sufficient, usually a minimum of 11 points.</li> <li>Provide sufficient contrast between text colors and background colors.</li> <li>Do not use color as the only way to convey information.</li> <li>Be careful with the use of watermarks. They can impact readability and create low contrast.</li> <li>Provide a table of contents for long documents.</li> </ul> </div> <div class="section" id="checker"> <h2>Accessibility Checker</h2> <p>Word has an Accessibility Checker for identifying and repairing many accessibility issues. The checker's <span class="menuchoice">Inspection Results</span> classifies accessibility issues into three categories:</p> <ul> <li><span class="smallcaps">Errors:</span> content that makes a document very difficult or impossible for people with disabilities to access. <ul> <li><em>Example: an image with no alt text.</em></li> </ul> </li> <li><span class="smallcaps">Warnings:</span> content that in most—but not all—cases makes the document difficult for people with disabilities to access. <ul> <li><em>Example: a link with text that is not descriptive of its function.</em></li> </ul> </li> <li><span class="smallcaps">Tips:</span> content that people with disabilities can access, but that might be better organized or presented. <ul> <li><em>Example: skipping from a first-level heading to a third-level heading.</em></li> </ul> </li> </ul> <p>Clicking an item in the results highlights the corresponding item in the document and displays the <span class="menuchoice">Additional Information</span> section:</p> <ul> <li><strong>Why Fix:</strong> explains why the issue impacts accessibility.</li> <li><strong>How to Fix:</strong> suggestions for repairing the issue.</li> </ul> </div> <div class="section" id="pdf"> <h2>Converting to PDF</h2> <p>Many Word documents end up as PDF files. It is a convenient way to preserve formatting and accessibility information, assuming the file is converted correctly. Read more on <a href="/techniques/acrobat/converting#word">converting a Word document to accessible PDF</a> in our Acrobat/PDF article.</p> <p>Make sure that you have the right <a href="https://helpx.adobe.com/acrobat/kb/compatible-web-browsers-pdfmaker-applications.html#main_PDFMaker_compatible_applications">version of Acrobat for your version of Word</a>. Some accessibility information may still need to be added in <a href="/techniques/acrobat/converting">Acrobat Professional</a>. </p> </div> <div class="section" id="practice"> <h2>Principles into Practice</h2> <p>Ready to get started? Select your version of Word:</p> <ul> <li> <a href="word365mac">Word 365 and 2019 for Mac</a></li> <li> <a href="word365win">Word 365 and 2019 for Windows</a></li> <li> <a href="word2016mac">Word 2016 for Mac</a></li> <li> <a href="word2016win">Word 2016 for Windows</a></li> <li> <a href="word2013">Word 2013 for Windows</a></li> <li> <a href="word2011">Word 2011 for Mac</a></li> <li> <a href="word2010">Word 2010 for Windows</a></li> </ul> </div> </article>  <aside id="articlemeta"> <div id="updated">Last updated: <time datetime="2021-02-26">Feb 26, 2021</time></div> <div id="translations"> <h2>Translations</h2> <ul> <li><a href="http://www.esok.fi/stivisuositus/word/word-asiakirjat-ja-saavutettavuus"><img src="/media/common/flags/fi.png" alt="">Finnish</a> by ESOK</li> <li><a href="https://concadus.com/barrierefreiheit/microsoft-word/"><img src="/media/common/flags/de.png" alt="">German</a></li> </ul> </div> <div id="related"> <h2>Related Resources</h2> <ul> <li><a href="/training/docs/">Accessible Documents Online Training</a></li> <li><a href="/resources/evaloffice">Word and PowerPoint Accessibility Evaluation Guide</a></li> <li><a href="/techniques/powerpoint/">PowerPoint Accessibility</a></li> <li><a href="/techniques/acrobat/">PDF Accessibility</a></li> </ul> </div> </aside> </main> <footer> <div id="footerresources"> <div class="footerblock"> <h2 id="copyright">©2025 WebAIM</h2> <p id="contact"> Utah State University<br> 6807 Old Main Hill<br> Logan, UT 84322-6807<br> <a class="phone" href="tel:4357977024">435.797.7024</a></p> <div id="checkpage"> <h2>Check Your Accessibility</h2> <form action="https://wave.webaim.org/report" novalidate> <label for="waveurl">Web site address:</label> <input type="url" id="waveurl" name="url" title="Web site address"> <input type="submit" value="WAVE"> </form> </div> </div> <div class="footerblock"> <h2 id="blog">From the Blog</h2> <ul><li><a href="/blog/join-the-discussion/">Join the Discussion鈥擣rom Your Inbox</a></li><li><a href="/blog/severity-ratings/">Using Severity Ratings to Prioritize Web Accessibility Remediation</a></li><li><a href="/blog/25-tips/">25 Accessibility Tips to Celebrate 25 Years</a></li><li><a href="/blog/celebrating-webaims-25th-anniversary/">Celebrating WebAIM's 25th Anniversary</a></li></ul> </div> <div class="footerblock"> <h2 id="popular">Popular Resources</h2> <ul> <li><a href="/training/virtual">WebAIM Training</a></li> <li><a href="/standards/wcag/checklist">WCAG 2 Checklist</a></li> <li><a href="/newsletter">WebAIM Monthly Newsletter</a></li> <li><a href="/resources/contrastchecker">Color Contrast Checker</a></li> <li><a href="/resources/designers/">Web Accessibility for Designers</a></li> <li><a href="http://wave.webaim.org/">WAVE Web Accessibility Evaluation Tool</a></li> </ul> </div> <div id="footerlinks"> <ul> <li><a id="footercontact" href="/contact">Contact</a></li> <li><a id="footerabout" href="/about">About</a></li> <li><a id="footerrss" href="/community/rss">RSS Feeds</a></li> <li><a id="footertwit" href="http://twitter.com/webaim">Twitter</a></li> <li><a id="footercopyright" href="/copyright">Copyright & Terms of Use</a></li> </ul> </div> <div class="clear"></div> </div> </footer> </body> </html>