Accessibility

Writing and Formatting

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Getting Started

All of us can make small adjustments to the way we write and format documents that makes them accessible to all audiences. Here is an overview of ways to get started, along with more in-depth training options that are available free to the UCR community. Quick tips for creating accessible documents.
    • The most easily accessible format is a Word document. Word documents are well-designed for people using assistive technology to access text-to-speech and/or enlarged text in a way that does not disrupt the flow of the document.
    • Use headings to structure the document.
    • Add alternative text to images.
    • Create links by using meaningful text descriptions.
    • Avoid the use of SmartArt.
    • Avoid adding text boxes.
    • Avoid putting important information in headers or footers.
    • Tags (<H1>, <P>, <Table>, <Figure>) have been applied to every part of the document and are nested under a “Document” tag.
    • PDF is not an image or a scan of a document.
    • Colors or sensory characteristics are not used alone to convey meaning.
    • If the document is over 8 pages, a cover page is included, along with an up-to-date and linked table of contents.
    • Headings [H1, H2, H3....] are used to label the content. Do not skip headings when cascading downward. H2 should always be nested under H1, H3 should always be nested under H2, etc. It is okay to skip headings upward, however, meaning you shouldn’t skip from H2 to H4, but you can skip from H4 to H2. Think of headings as the content outline.
    • Content is presented in a meaningful sequence with descriptive headings.
    • Every page starts with an H1 heading.
    • Headings are descriptive and concise.
    • Headings are not inside an image. They must be in text form.
    • Never more than 6 levels of headings are used, ideally less. H7, H8, and H9 should not be used.
    • Correct styles are used. All non-heading text should be formatted as paragraph text, list, etc.
    • Tabs and spaces are not used in sequence to manipulate formatting.
    • Simple sans serif fonts are used.
    • No alternative characters from external websites are used to make written content appear in different weights, styles, or fonts.
    • Text is resizable to at least 200% while adapting to the screen or window width. Users should not have to scroll horizontally to read content.
    • Drop caps are not used. They separate the letter from the rest of the word for screen readers.
    • ALL CAPS are not used for any writing unless necessary, as in the case of an acronym. All-caps writing spells out every letter on screen readers.
    • Bold and italics are used minimally.
    • Text is left-justified (not centered) for text in paragraphs if writing in a left-to-right (LTR) language, such as English. If writing in a right-to-left (RTL) language, such as Arabic, text should be right-justified. Centered titles and headings are okay.
    • Text is not underlined unless it’s a link.
    • Numbered lists are used when the order matters.
    • Bullet lists are used when the order does not matter.
    • Bullet points or letters/numbers for ordered lists are not manually typed. Use the list functions in the document builder.
    • Color of content is not solely relied on for meaning. For example, a list of color-coded events will need additional text labels to be interpreted by a screen reader.
    • Plain, concise, informative, and standard language for readability and comprehension is used, avoiding too many abbreviations or jargon. Hemingway Editor is a good tool for readability.
    • ASCII art is not used.
    • Line height (line spacing) is at least 1.5 times the font size.
    • Space following paragraphs is at least 2 times the font size.
    • Letter spacing (tracking) is at least 0.12 times the font size.
    • Word spacing is at least .16 times the font size.
    • The contrast ratio between text and background is at least 3:1 for bold text 14px or larger and medium-weight text 18px or larger.
    • The contrast ratio between text and background is at least 4.5:1 for all bold text smaller than 14px and all medium-weight text smaller than 18px.
    • Tables are not used for content that can be equally represented with text.
    • Tables are not used for design layout purposes.
    • Tables have clearly labeled row and column headings.
    • Tabs or spaces have not been used to give the appearance of columns.
    • The draw tool has not been used to draw tables.
    • Document headings styles are not used as column or row headings.
    • Complex tables are broken up into separate tables if possible.
    • Split tables up into simpler and smaller tables, when possible. Every effort must be made to avoid having a table extend between pages.
    • There are no split or merged cells.
    • There are no empty cells or spaces to create white space or to format the table. If an empty cell is necessary, use "no data", "no value", "blank", "none", or "not applicable."
    • Captions are placed above the table, not below.
    • All tables have alternative text.
    • There is clear text that labels the significant parts of the data, such as the chart title and the horizontal and vertical axis.
    • Labels and legends are used to clearly mark and distinguish data points.
    • Graphs are linked to the same data in table form.
    • "Direct labeling" is used, if possible — position the label directly beside or adjacent to the data point.
    • All links have a descriptive name indicating where they will take the user. “Learn More” and “Click Here” are not descriptive.
    • Links are simple and do not spell out the entire URL unless it is very short. Even then, a descriptive link text is often better.
    • Links do not open in a new window unless specifically stated so in the link text.
    • Links are not broken.
    • Links to files or downloads are labeled as such.
    • Links to pages that require a login are labeled as such.
    • Information is provided in the link text about where the link leads. For example, if you’re linking to a PDF document, say so directly in the link text.
    • If the text is going to be printed, the link includes descriptive text followed by the link URL in parentheses.
    • Multiple links with identical URLs have the same text.
    • Multiple links with different URLs have unique text.
    • Text is not underlined unless it's an active hyperlink. Links should almost always be underlined.
    • A descriptive document title is in file properties.
    • The document begins with a descriptive page title, written as an H1 heading, at the top of the first page. This title should closely match the title in the document settings.
    • Initial View is "Show: Document Title” in file properties.
    • PDF security settings are set to "Content copying for accessibility: Allowed”.
    • Filename concisely describes the subject or purpose.
    • If you are providing a document in PDF format, the PDF must be a text based/searchable PDF. If not, it will be inaccessible to screen readers.
    • Start with an accessible source document. By following the previous suggestions for creating an accessible MS Word document, you are on your way to creating an accessible PDF.
    • If you are creating a pdf from an MS Word document, save/convert the MS Word document to PDF by choosing "Save as PDF" rather than printing to PDF.
    • Simple documents should convert pretty well from MS Word to PDF. More complex documents may need to be checked for accessibility and even remediated for accessibility.
    • If you have a Professional version of Adobe Acrobat, you can run an accessibility check.
    • If you are using PDFs that were created by someone else, check to make sure they are accessible. Older PDFs created by scanning an article are often purely an image. These image documents are inaccessible to screen readers.
    • The correct language is set for the document in file properties.
    • Content in a language that differs from the majority of the document has the correct language in its tag properties.
    • Make sure to use plain language and avoid figures of speech,acronyms, and idioms
    • Elements in “Order” panel match the visual/logical reading order of the page.
    • All meaningful, non-repetitive content, has the correct tag in the “Tags” panel.
    • All tags follow the visual/logical order of the page.
    • There are no empty tags in the “Tags” panel (except for TD).
    • The document is tested with screen readers like NVDA, JAWS, or VoiceOver to ensure it is navigable and all elements are read correctly.
    • The document has been tested on different devices (desktop, tablet, mobile) to ensure proper rendering and accessibility.
    • All content is accessible without a mouse. Navigate through your document using only the keyboard (Tab, Shift+Tab, Enter, Space) to ensure this. 
    • A link to an accessibility statement and/or contact information for recipients who need assistance or further accommodations is provided.
    • Using list styles makes a document scannable for every user, and tells a screen reader that specific items are related to one another.
    • Link text should stand out from surrounding text, and not by color alone. Links should also be descriptive of what to expect when a user clicks on it

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