Document Accessibility

Documents Should Contain Headings

Headings help to create an outline on your document.

• Headings allow screen reader users to easily jump between parts of the document
• Impacts both visual users and visually-impaired users

Ensure Images Contain Alt Text Descriptions

Ensure all meaningful images shared within the document contain alt text descriptions.

• Recall, alt text descriptions are crucial to ensuring that users with visual impairments can understand what your images are about
• If an image in your document does not add value or is purely for decorative purposes, mark it as decorative so that screen reader users can disregard it
• Impacts visually-impaired users

Notes on Use of Color

1. Limit the use of colors within your document.

• Stick to the default font color black to ensure easier reading
  • Avoid changing the document font color to bright colors since documents typically contain a white document background. This results in poor color contrast for visual users.

2. Do NOT assign meanings to color.

• Why? A percentage of visual users have color blindness. Though they may have vision -  having color blindness prevents users from being able to perceive shades of color.
  • Avoid marking critical information with color. Instead, communicate importance through plain text that can be read.
• Impacts visual users

Links Should Use Clear Link Text

Link text refers to the word choice used on hyperlinks.
In short, links when read aloud, should describe where they go or what they do.

• Avoid using generic phrases like “click here” or “read more" or "learn more". 
• Generic phrases lack context for visually-impaired users who can listen to links read aloud.
• Impacts both visual users and visually-impaired users

Tables Use First-row headers

Tables should have first-row headers enabled.

• The header row allows the screen reader to read the column names and help users understand how the table is organized.
• Impacts visually-impaired users

Choose Legible Fonts

Ensure that your document fonts are easy to read.

• Sans-serif fonts are easier to read than serif fonts.
  • Sans-serif fonts include: Arial, Calibri, Aptos
  • Serif fonts include: Times New Roman, PT Serif
• Impacts visual users

Use Bullet/Number List

Screen reader users will have an easier experience understanding your item lists if you use the bullet or numbered list features found on most word-processors.

• If the sequence of your item list does not matter, then use the bullet list feature
• If the sequence of your item list does matter, then use the numbered list feature
• Impacts both visual users and visually-impaired users

Remove Blank Paragraphs

If a document contains various blank paragraphs, screen readers will announce every blank paragraph encountered, which can be disorienting to listen to.

• Avoid using the "enter" key to create empty space. Instead, add blank paragraph spacing by modifying the paragraph spacing options found in most word-processors
• Impacts both visual users and visually-impaired users