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Best Practices for Word Documents

Instructions

Microsoft Word is one of the most utilized platforms for creating documents because Word documents can be exported to other file types. Due to this fact, we will spend some time in this lesson discussing how to implement the best practices that were referenced in our previous lesson. In the following sections, you will find step by step instructions on how to implement each best practice.

How to Find the Accessibility Checker in Word

How to Save a Word Document as a PDF

If documents are being exported to PDF, they should always be saved as a PDF and never printed to PDF. You can save a Word document as a PDF utilizing the following instructions:

Go to the File tab
Select either Save As or Save as Adobe PDF
Select the location where you would like to save the file
Give the file a proper file name
In the 'Save as type' box, select PDF
Hit the Save button

To complete this process using only a keyboard, utilize the following instructions:

Hit the Alt button
Hit the F button
Hit the A button (Save As)
Hit the O button (Browse)
Select the location where you would like to save the file
Give the file a proper name
In the 'Save as type' box, select PDF
Hit the Save button

Word Document Examples

Headings

Lists

Alternative Text

Correct Way
Incorrect Way

This example provides a description of the context of the image.

Links

Correct Way
Incorrect Way

Digital Accessibility Policy

This example is correct because it gives users context in terms of where they will be taken when selecting the link.

Spacing

Video coming soon!

Tables

Video coming soon!

Use of Color

Video Resources

Word Document Accessibility Video Examples Links to an external site. (Section508.gov)
Making Documents Accessible Links to an external site. (has a screen reader example)
How to Make a Word Document Accessible Links to an external site.