How to Create Accessible Word Documents for NEO A&M College

♿ How to Create Accessible Word Documents for NEO A&M College
A step-by-step guide for creating ADA/Section 508-compliant Microsoft Word documents using built-in accessibility tools, ensuring your content is usable by everyone.
📌 Before You Begin
  • Microsoft Word is installed (part of Microsoft 365, available to all NEO A&M staff and faculty)
  • You are signed in with your NEO A&M College account (username@neo.edu)
  • You have a document you are creating or editing
  • Estimated time: 15–30 minutes depending on document length

🏷️ Section 1 — Use Heading Styles for Structure⏱ ~3–5 min  |  Microsoft Word (all versions)

Screen readers use heading styles to navigate documents. Using proper headings — instead of just making text bold or large — is one of the most important accessibility steps.

  1. Click on the text you want to make a heading (e.g., a section title).
  2. In the Home tab, look at the Styles group on the ribbon.
  3. Click Heading 1 for your main document title, Heading 2 for major sections, and Heading 3 for sub-sections.
  4. Apply heading styles in logical order — do not skip levels (e.g., do not jump from Heading 1 directly to Heading 3).
💡 Tip: You can customize heading appearance by right-clicking a style in the ribbon and selecting Modify — this keeps accessibility intact while matching NEO branding.
⚠️ Note: Never use bold or large text alone to simulate a heading. Screen readers cannot detect visual-only formatting — only proper Heading styles create true document structure.

🖼️ Section 2 — Add Alt Text to Images⏱ ~2–3 min per image  |  Microsoft Word (all versions)

Alt text describes images for users who cannot see them. Every meaningful image needs alt text.

  1. Right-click on an image in your document.
  2. Select Edit Alt Text... from the menu. A panel will open on the right.
  3. Type a clear, concise description of what the image shows (e.g., "Bar chart showing Fall 2025 enrollment by department").
  4. If the image is purely decorative, check Mark as decorative instead of writing alt text.
  5. Close the panel and repeat for all images in the document.
💡 Tip: Keep alt text under 125 characters. Focus on the purpose of the image — e.g., "NEO A&M College logo" is better than "Blue and gold circular image."
⚠️ Note: Do not rely on Word's auto-generated alt text — it is often inaccurate. Always write your own.

📊 Section 3 — Create Accessible Tables⏱ ~3–5 min  |  Microsoft Word (all versions)

Tables should be used for data, not layout. Accessible tables have clearly defined header rows so screen readers can interpret data correctly.

  1. Insert a table via the Insert tab → Table.
  2. Click inside your table, then click the Table Design tab in the ribbon.
  3. Check the Header Row box in the Table Style Options group.
  4. Type your column headers in the first row (e.g., Name, Department, Extension).
  5. Right-click the header row → Table Properties → Row tab → check Repeat as header row at the top of each page.
💡 Tip: Keep tables simple — avoid merged cells or nested tables, as these are difficult for screen readers to interpret.
⚠️ Note: Never use a table just to visually arrange text or images on a page. Use tables only for actual data.

🔗 Section 4 — Use Descriptive Hyperlink Text⏱ ~1–2 min  |  Microsoft Word (all versions)

Screen readers read hyperlink text aloud. Links that say "click here" or show a raw URL are not meaningful out of context.

  1. Highlight descriptive text for your link (e.g., NEO A&M College IT Help Desk).
  2. Press Ctrl + K (or go to Insert → Link) to open the Insert Hyperlink dialog.
  3. Paste or type the URL in the Address field.
  4. Confirm the Text to display field shows your descriptive text, then click OK.
💡 Tip: Good link text describes the destination — e.g., "View the NEO A&M College Student Handbook" instead of "Click here" or a raw URL.

🎨 Section 5 — Choose Accessible Fonts and Colors⏱ ~2–3 min  |  Microsoft Word (all versions)

Text must have sufficient color contrast and be readable without relying on color alone to convey meaning.

  1. Use a minimum font size of 12pt for body text. Use sans-serif fonts such as Calibri, Arial, or Aptos.
  2. Ensure sufficient contrast — dark text on a white or light background is best. Avoid light gray text on white.
  3. Never use color alone to convey information — always pair color with a label or symbol.
  4. Avoid using all-caps for large blocks of text — it is harder to read for users with dyslexia.
💡 Tip: Check color contrast at webaim.org/resources/contrastchecker — aim for a ratio of at least 4.5:1 for normal text.
⚠️ Note: Approximately 1 in 12 men and 1 in 200 women have some form of color vision deficiency. Never use color as the only way to communicate important information.

✅ Section 6 — Run the Accessibility Checker⏱ ~2–5 min  |  Microsoft Word (all versions)

Microsoft Word has a built-in Accessibility Checker that scans your document and flags errors, warnings, and tips.

  1. Click the Review tab in the ribbon.
  2. Click Check Accessibility in the Accessibility group. A panel will open on the right.
  3. Review the list of Errors (must fix), Warnings (should fix), and Tips (consider fixing).
  4. Click any issue in the list — Word will jump to that element and show Recommended Actions.
  5. Work through all errors and warnings, then re-run the checker to confirm they are resolved.
💡 Tip: Enable Keep accessibility checker running while I work in the checker panel — this adds a live indicator in the Word status bar so you catch issues as you type.
⚠️ Note: Passing the Accessibility Checker does not guarantee full ADA compliance — it catches common issues but cannot check everything. Always review your document manually as well.

🚪 Need Help?
If you need assistance creating accessible documents or have questions about ADA/Section 508 compliance, contact the NEO A&M College IT Help Desk:
  • 📞 Phone: (918) 540-6099
  • 📧 Email: neosuport@neo.edu
  • 🚶 Walk-in: IT Department, Library Administration, 2nd Floor, Room 216
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