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Accessible content

How to make documents accessible

Any documents created by or commissioned by the council must meet accessibility standards to be published on the council website. This is a legal requirement. To find out more about the regulations, view why accessibility is important.

This page explains how to:

  • Create accessible documents using Microsoft Word
  • Check if they are accessible
  • Convert them to PDF without losing accessibility features

Whenever possible, consider accessibility from the start. It's much easier to build accessibility into a document than to fix problems later.

Main principles

Our ALDO course Making Information Accessible and Inclusive provides simple, practical tips to help you create more accessible digital content that is easier to access, navigate and understand.

Create an accessible document

Creating accessible documents factsheet is a comprehensive guide with universal principles, best practice and helpful tips. It covers:

  • Headings
  • Font types and sizes
  • Tables
  • Lists
  • Images
  • Links

Make your Word documents accessible is a guide with step-by-step instructions specifically for Word documents. It includes how to use the Accessibility Checker to fix issues while writing your document.

Check accessibility

Before converting to PDF, which you must do correctly, or sending your Word document for publishing on the website, please run the Accessibility Checker.

The checker is a free tool available in Word, Excel, Outlook, OneNote and PowerPoint that:

  • Finds most accessibility issues (you will need to check some things manually)
  • Explains why they are issues
  • Gives suggestions on how to fix them

What you need to check manually

There are some issues that the Accessibility Checker won't pick up, which need to be checked manually:

  • Title in the document properties
  • Headings
  • Table structure
  • Links
  • Images, charts and graphs

Title in the document properties

Documents must have a title added in the properties. As this title appears in the document properties rather than its content, the Accessibility Checker doesn't flag it up. 

To add a title in the document properties in Word:

  1. Select ‘File’ from the top left corner.
  2. Select ‘Info’.
  3. Go to ‘Add a title’ which is on the right-hand side underneath the heading ‘Properties’.
  4. Type the document title.

Headings

The Accessibility Checker can identify if a document doesn't have headings. It can't check if the headings structure is correct. 

You should use proper heading styles and an appropriate heading structure throughout your document. This means using a hierarchy of headings such as Heading 1, Heading 2, Heading 3. This creates a clear structure which helps screen reader users navigate the document.

View how to add proper heading styles in Word.

Table structure

You will need to check manually if you are using tables correctly in the document.

Tables should be used for data and not to help with page or document layouts.

Avoid split or merged cells and blank rows or columns, as this makes navigation by screen readers and keyboards difficult.

View:

Links

Links should always be distinct and descriptive.

Don't use "here" or "click here" links. Each link must convey clear and accurate information about where it goes to.

Find out more about:

Images, charts and graphs

You must add alternative text (alt text) to images as well as simple charts and graphs. Alt text must provide concise description of the visual content (up to 150 characters). This is to help people with visual impairments access information conveyed by the visual content.

Never use an image instead of text. 

Learn more about:

Complex charts and graphs

Complex charts and graphs need to be described in an alternative way, such as text description or simple table.

Alt text can't be used to describe complex charts and graphs, as it must be concise.

Convert to PDF without losing accessibility

Depending on how you convert your document to PDF, you might lose accessibility features so you must do it correctly. 

Tags and bookmarks

Tags are hidden elements that provide information about the document structure such as headings, lists or alternative text. It's important that your document is formatted properly before converting it. 

Bookmarks don't exist in Word documents but are necessary for PDFs with more than 9 pages. They are based on headings and usually appear as a side panel with links to specific areas of the document, so help with navigation.

How to add bookmarks and preserve tags

After properly formatting your Word document and checking accessibility, you need to take extra steps when converting to PDF. So bookmarks are added and tags are preserved.

Never print to PDF as this will make the document inaccessible.

To convert a Word document to PDF:

  1. Select 'File' from the top left corner.
  2. Select 'Export'.
  3. Under the 'Create a PDF/XPS Document'.
    • If you see the 'Investigate Accessibility' button this means the document has accessibility issues, select  the button, fix flagged up issues, save the document and repeat from step 1
    • If there is no 'Investigate Accessibility' button, select the 'Create PDF/XPS' button
  4. In the pop up window select "Options...".
  5. In the Options window, select "Create bookmarks using headings" and "Document structure tags for accessibility".
  6. Select the "OK" button and publish the PDF.

Publishing changes

If you've followed this guidance, your document will be accessible and can be published on the website. Find out who can request content changes.