5 Tips for Accessible Word Documents

Microsoft Word is one of the most common tools used for creating flyers, handouts, syllabi, readings, and assignments. It’s also one of the most common sources of accessibility problems in Blackboard courses or websites. The good news: Word has built-in tools that can make it easy to create documents that work for every faculty, staff, and student; including those who rely on screen readers or other assistive technologies. These 5 tips will help you build accessibility into your Word documents from the start, no special expertise required.

1. Use Heading Styles

One of the most impactful things you can do for document accessibility is also one of the simplest: use Word’s built-in heading styles instead of manually increasing font size or bolding text to create section titles. Heading styles already give your document structure that screen readers can navigate, such as a table of contents for assistive technology. Think of headings as signposts. Screen reader users can jump from heading to heading the same way sighted readers scan a page.

• Find heading styles in the Home tab under “Styles.”
• Apply Heading 1 for your main title, Heading 2 for major sections, and Heading 3 for subsections.
• Avoid skipping levels, don’t jump from Heading 1 directly to Heading 3.

2. Write Descriptive Link Text

When you insert a hyperlink into a Word document, the link text is what gets read aloud to screen reader users. Vague phrases like “click here,” “read more,” or a raw URL give no information about where the link leads. Descriptive link text also helps users who are scanning a document quickly. (Refer to 5 Tips for Creating Clear and Accessible Links for more information.)

• Instead of: “For the course schedule, click here.”
• Write: “Download the course schedule (PDF).”

3. Add Alt Text to Images

Any image in your Word document that conveys meaning (e.g., a diagram, a chart, a photograph), does need an alternative text; so students using screen readers can access the information it contains. If you’re unsure how to describe a complex image, a generative AI tool can generate a starting point. Be sure to review and revise before saving it.

• Right-click on an image and select “Edit Alt Text.”
• Write a concise description focused on the image’s purpose, not just its appearance.
• For purely decorative images, check the “Mark as decorative” box in the alt text panel.

4. Make Tables Accessible

Tables are a common accessibility problem in Word documents, especially when they’re used for layout rather than data. A table designed to organize visual information can become a challenge for a screen reader user to follow if it’s not structured correctly.

• Use tables for data, not for page layout.
• Add a table title or brief description above the table so students know what it contains.
• Mark your header row: right-click the top row → Table Properties → Row → check “Repeat as header row at the top of each page.”
• Avoid merged or split cells. Keep tables simple. 

5. Run the Accessibility Checker

Word has a built-in Accessibility Checker that scans your document and flags any potential problems to fix before you save and share it with students. It can quickly identify any issues you might have missed.

• Go to Review → Check Accessibility.
• The checker will flag errors (must fix), warnings (should fix), and tips (consider fixing).
• Click on each flagged item for a plain-language explanation and apply the suggested fix.

Running the Accessibility Checker in Microsoft Word before uploading a file to Sites or Blackboard is one of the simplest habits you can build into your document workflow. It’s also one of the fastest ways to improve your Accessibility score.

For more information, view UMBC’s Digital Accessibility’s site on Accessible Documents & Presentations on how to make your word documents accessible.

Coming Soon: Beyond PDFs

Why Use PDFs at All? While this article focuses on making your Word documents accessible, we often get asked why PDFs are so common if they are harder to remediate. In an upcoming article, we’ll dive into the question of the PDF Dilemma and share why sharing your original Word file is often the preferred choice for accessibility. Keep an eye out for that deep dive soon!