Creating Accessible MS Word Documents: Styles, Alternate Text, Captions

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Creating Accessible MS Word Documents Styles,
Alternate Text, Captions

• Adam Navarro Jimmie Flanagin, Philip Tran

2
Open Z Drive

• Do not save to your desktop
• Go to My Computer
• Select Z Drive by double left mouse click
• Save all documents from today to your Z Drive

3
First Step

• Open Microsoft Word 2003

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Introducing the Toolbar

• Viewing the Toolbar
• You can turn on options for tools that will then
  show in your toolbar. The menu for this is under
  View on the top menu bar.

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Toolbar Submenu

• View Toolbar Submenu
• Make sure that Standard and Formatting are
  checked.

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Styles Menu

• The Styles Menu
• Appears to the left of the Font menu on the
  toolbar.
• The Styles menu allows you to specify the level
  of headings for your document.
• Screen-reader software (e.g. JAWS) recognizes
  Styles and Heading levels to facilitate
  navigation for users that have very low vision or
  blindness.
• Failing to use the Styles menu options will
  result in documents that are not as usable, hence
  being less accessible to students (and others)
  with disabilities.

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Creating a Word Document with Style

• Open a blank Word document.
• Using the Styles menu, select Heading Level 1.
• Type a Title for the Document.
• Save the document to your Z drive.
• Next, create a second level heading with your
  name but turn off the italics and bold styles
  by clicking on the icons in your toolbar.
• You can create a third heading with todays date.
• The Styles menu option should be Normal for
  regular text such as the body of the document.
• Save the document to your Z drive.

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Making Pictures Accessible with Alternate Text
and a Caption

• Insert the CD marked Creating Accessible PDF
  Documents.
• Open the CD and find the folder called Creating
  Accessible PDF Documents.
• Locate the folder marked Sample Images and open
  it.
• Select a picture that you like and copy it (right
  click on the picture and select Copy)
• Paste the picture into your document below the
  last heading.
• The next steps are crucial in creating
  accessibility.

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Making Pictures Accessible with Alternate Text
and a Caption

• Right-click on the picture and you will get a
  submenu
• Select Format Picture

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Making Pictures Accessible with Alternate Text
and a Caption

• A menu box will appear select the tab marked
  Web.
• Type in an alternate text description (150
  character limit) and click OK.
• Save the document to your Z drive.

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Making Pictures Accessible with Alternate Text
and a Caption

• Create a Caption by right-clicking on the picture
  and selecting Caption.
• Another menu box will open that lets you place a
  Caption under the picture.
• Using the Caption option will be recognized by
  the screen-reader (JAWS).
• The Caption option will also automatically number
  the captions that you create.

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Making Pictures Accessible with Alternate Text
and a Caption

• Type in your caption and click OK.

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Creating Accessible MS Word Documents Styles,
Alternate Text, Captions

• Now you know how to create an accessible Word
  document that can be transformed into an
  accessible PDF document. You can use these
  simple steps when creating course materials for
  your classes. Be creative!
• We hope you have enjoyed learning about this
  process that is essential to the success of the
  Accessible Technology Initiative. Thank you for
  participating in this important project.
• Please feel free to ask questions.
• Call Jimmie Flanagin for more information.
• Alternate Media Services campus 4109