Microsoft Word Accessibility Guidelines

• The title or "saved as" name of the document should relate to the content within the document. 
• Set the language of the document. This ensures that a screen reader reads the document in the correct language.
  • In the US, the default language in Word is English. To change the language: Go to the Review ribbon > Language >  select the editing language you want to use > select "Default" or "OK."
    
    
     
  • Additionally, you need to set the language if a specific paragraph or section in the document uses a different language. To do this, you would highlight just the section where the language is different from the rest of the text surrounding it and follow the preceding steps to set language. When you are done with this section, be sure to set the language back to the original document language for the rest of the document. 

Lists

Word has built in list features for ordered (a list in sequential order) and unordered (a list not in sequential order/bulleted) lists. When creating a list, use the list options in the "home ribbon." 

Tables

Tables are a great way to convey data and are highly accessible when created properly. 

1. Choose Insert > Table when creating a table and select the number of rows and columns needed (rows and columns can be added and/or deleted during the design phase as well). Do not use the "draw table" option. 
2. On the Design tab, choose the Table Design, and then select Header row.
3. Begin adding column headings to each column. Enter your data in the subsequent rows. It is fine to stylize the table with colors, highlights, etc., just be sure the color contrasts are accessible. 
4. You can only make simple tables in Word accessible (e.g. only one header row, no header columns, no merged or split cells); Word cannot make complex tables accessible. Complex tables can only be made accessible through another format (e.g. PDF).

Check out the ETS Alternative Text page

• All images including logos and icons. If the images add to the context, add correct alt text. If the image does not add to the context, mark the alt text as “decorative.” (there is a checkbox that allows you to mark as decorative)
  • Example of good alt text: "Two children are playing with blocks on a carpeted floor."
• To easily add alt text in Word, right click on the image and select "edit alt text."  
  
• If displaying a chart, graph, infographic or anything that requires a longer description to explain the content, add simple alt text to the image and then a long description. Long descriptions can be strategically placed below or beside an image. 
• Long descriptions can also be added to a Word or PDF document and linked to from the presentation. (best practice, if you have more than one long description within a course/page/slide/presentation and choose the link out method, add symbolic numbers or letters to your images ie 1A, 2B, 3C, etc and use those as headings in your long description document so users can easily locate the description for the image they seek)  

• Select the “Review” tab and then “Check Accessibility.”
  
• Look for accessibility issues and correct them.