Accessibility Features of Microsoft Word

While vendors such as Adobe, Microsoft and Macromedia have begun to address accessibility issues in the development of their software tools, much work remains. Among the most popular word processing programs that provide users a set of tools to address a wider range of accessibility issues is Microsoft Word.

The features of Microsoft Word that support accessibility are:

• Use of alternate text for images in Word documents.
• Use of styles & formatting for marking up headers and lists.
• Use of hyperlink creation on text.

These are the three features that we will focus on learning in this tutorial.

How to Create Alternative Text for Images:

Microsoft Word versions 2002 and newer have the capability to add verbal alternate text descriptions of any images used in an electronic document, as required by the 508 Guidelines of the Electronic Rehabilitation Act. Any time you insert a decorative or informative image into your Microsoft Word document, create an alternate description by performing one of the following two procedures.

Procedure One to create an alt text for an image:

1) In Word go to Format> Picture>

2) Then, select the tab labeled "Web". On that page in the box provided, enter up to 100 words of alternate text. Close the box by clicking on OK to save the image's alternate text.

OR

Procedure Two to create an alt text for an image:

1) Right-click your mouse on the image and select Format Picture...

2) Then, as in the procedure one, select the tab labeled "Web". On that page in the box provided, enter up to 100 words of alternate text. Close the box by clicking on OK to save the image's alternate text.

This simple act of adding alternative text to images, will ensure that your alt-text will be carried over when you transform its contents into either PDF or Web page format. In essence, what you can do to create descriptive alt-text ahead of time in your original Word documents will save time and work when you discover your PDF or Web page needs to be retrofitted to meet the 508 standards!

For an in-depth explanation on how to develop effective descriptive text for more complex informational images such as diagrams, charts and graphs, visit our Descriptive Text tutorial.

How to Use Styles and Formatting:

To learn how to use styles & formatting for marking up headers and lists, please visit use our Creating Accessible Microsoft Word & WordPerfect Documents by Using Markup tutorial OR WebAIM?s article on how to create structured MS Word documents. The WebAIM article includes information on how to create structured documents in Word 2000-2003, Word 2007, and Word 2004 for Mac.

How to Create Hyperlinks for Text:

In Word, immeditely after you type a URL (e.g. http://www.cew.wisc.edu) and press enter, a hyperlink will be automatically created for you.

Sometimes it is better to make a hyperlink using a word or phrase that will identify where the link is taking you to. To turn a word or a phrase into hyperlink follow these steps:
1) Highlight the text you want. Right click your mouse and choose the option "Hyperlink"



2) In the window that will pop-up (see image below), type in the first text box the text to be displayed (e.g. the text you highlighted should be there) and type in the second text box the URL address of the page to be linked to, and click OK .


After clicking OK , you will be able to see an active link (underlined and in blue) as in the example below.


And that's it. You have just learned how to:

• Use alternate text for images in Word documents.
• Use styles & formatting for marking up headers and lists.
• Use hyperlink creation on text.