Creating Accessible Documents

The following basic principles can be applied to improve the accessibility of documents:

1. Use text-based file formats.
2. Use text descriptions to explain the content and functionality of images used in documents.
3. Use formatting features to organize documents.

1. Use text-based file formats

A text file contains only printable characters (e.g., letters, numbers and symbols), and no control (non-printing) characters, which initiate actions relating to the text. Examples of software applications that use text-based file formats are the following:

• Microsoft Word document
• Rich text format (RTF)
• Notepad

2. Use text descriptions for images

Images can present a major obstacle to individuals who are blind or partially sighted. Text descriptions can be used to explain the content and function of images used in documents. However, they should not provide any additional information – they should be text-substitutes for images.

Two common methods of text description are Alt Text and long descriptions. In both cases, a screen reader will read the text description. Simple images need Alt Text whereas complex images need Alt Text and a long description.

Alt Text

Alt Text is typically used on simple images, where it is sufficient to describe the content and/or function of the image. Examples include company logos (the Alt Text could be the name of the company) or a portrait of a manager (the Alt Text could be that person’s first and last names).

If an image provides no information relating to the content of the document (i.e., you could delete it without removing any information from the document), Alt Text is not necessary. Line breaks, which often appear as an image in the text, are an example. PDF icons as links for downloading PDF files are another example if the icon appears next to its related text. Normally, the Alt Text would have been “PDF”. However, since the PDF icon is included with its related text, Alt Text is not necessary.

Long Descriptions

A long description is typically used for a complex image, as this type of image requires a more detailed description of its content and/or function. Examples of complex images include pie graphs, bar charts, maps, and flowcharts. These require both Alt Text and long descriptions.

Consider the following image:

The first step would be to write an Alt Text (i.e., a caption) for the image (for example, “Figure 1. Overview of the 2015-2016 Budget”).

The second step would be to write a longer text, describing the content and function of the image. For a chart such as that above, the overall message could be summarized, with any important points or trends revealed by the chart expanded upon. Consider the following:

Overview of the 2015/2016 budget, for the Eastern, Western and Northern regions. For all four quarters of the fiscal year, the budget remains steady for each region: $20,000-$30,000 for the Eastern region; $30,000-$40,000 for the Western region; and $45,000 for the Northern region. In the third quarter, however, the Eastern region’s budget will increase temporarily to $90,000.

For more information, including step-by-step instructions, on making images more accessible please read the Basic Guidelines for Images and Tables.

3. Use formatting features to organize documents

The following are ways to use formatting features of your software application to ensure that the content of your document is organized and makes sense.

• Use the software application’s heading styles (for example, if using Microsoft Word, use Title, Subtitle, Heading 1, and Heading 2).
• Include a table of contents for long documents.
• Use an easily-readable font that is at least 10 or 12 point.
• Use any decorative images sparingly, or not at all.
• Use graphics only to enhance what is already provided in the text.

Basic Guidelines for Images and Tables

Whenever you include an image or a table in your document:

• Write an introduction for each table, figure or image in the body of the content.
• Include a caption for each image and table (e.g., Table 1. Hearings and Hearing Dates).
• Simple images need Alt Text whereas complex images need Alt Text and a long description.
  • Alt Text is hidden within the image whereas long descriptions should be included in the body of the text.
  • Do not put long descriptions in text boxes. They should appear immediately after the image in the content of the document.
• It is recommended to include the data table for charts. The benefit of including the table is that the long description for your chart can simply describe the overall message of the chart, without weighing down the text with numbers. You can then introduce the data table that will provide the numeric details. For example:

Instructions for Adding Alt Text or Long Descriptions in Microsoft Word

To add Alt Text or long descriptions to an image in Microsoft Office 2003:

1. Right-click on the image.
2. Choose Format Picture.
3. Select the Web tab.
4. Enter an Alt Text description of the image.
5. Select Close.

To add Alt Text or long descriptions to an image in Microsoft Office 2007:

1. Right-click on the image.
2. Choose Format Picture.
3. Select the Alt Text tab.
4. Enter an alternative text description of the image.
5. Select Close.

To add Alt Text or long descriptions to an image in Microsoft Office 2010:

1. Right-click on the image.
2. Choose Format Picture.
3. Select the Alt Text tab.
4. Enter an alternative text description of the image; do not enter anything in the title box.
5. Select Close.

In the event you are unable to follow the instructions above, you can add an Alt Text command to the Quick Access Toolbar (upper-left corner above the Ribbon, next to the Office Button) to create a permanent shortcut to it. You will need to do the following steps only once:

1. Click Customize Quick Access Toolbar , to the extreme right of the Toolbar.
2. Under Choose commands from, click More Commands.
3.  Select Commands Not in the Ribbon.
4. Click Alt Text and then click Add.

To add Alt Text or long descriptions to an image:

1. Select the image.
2. Click on the Alt Text button on the Quick Access Toolbar.
3. Select the Alt Text tab.
4. Enter an alternative text description of the image.
5. Select Close.

Date modified:

2015-06-08