Enhancing accessibility of Word documents

This video provides an overview of enhancing the accessibility of Word documents. It covers 10 themes with 31 tips in total. The 10 themes include: Text formatting, Document structure, Spacing, Tables, Use of colour, Use of graphics, Hyperlinks, Inclusive content, Accessibility check, and File sharing.

This video is one in the IDEALeaders Self-Learning Series on the Co-Creation of Virtual Learning Accessibility. It is one of the deliverables of the Project entitled “Promoting accessibility of virtual teaching and learning through a train-the-trainer approach” funded by the UGC Special Grant for Strategic Development of Virtual Teaching and Learning in 2021-2023.

English captions are available.

Timestamps of the chapters:

• 00:00 Introduction
• 01:32 Text formatting
• 07:04 Document structure
• 15:05 Spacing
• 18:53 Tables
• 27:57 Use of colour
• 31:57 Use of graphics
• 37:38 Hyperlinks
• 40:45 Inclusive content
• 42:11 Accessibility check
• 43:21 File sharing
• 46:26 Disclaimer

Suggested citation:

Ma, G. Y. K., Cheung, M. H. K., Choi, C., & Yeung, P. P. S. (2023). Enhancing accessibility of Word documents. [Video]. IDEALeaders Self-learning Series: Co-creation of virtual learning accessibility. HKU Data Repository. https://doi.org/10.25442/hku.22993034

Virtual Learning Accessibility Toolkit: PDF version and Website version

References:

• Microsoft Word - Creating Accessible Documents. WebAIM.
• Create accessible Word documents. Microsoft.
• Make your Word documents accessible to people with disabilities. Microsoft.
• Accessibility tools for Word. Microsoft.
• Make your content accessible to everyone. Microsoft.
• Word Accessibility. California State University, Northridge.
• Make your document or presentation more accessible. Google Docs.
• Accessibility for Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, & Drawings. Google Docs.
• Understanding Styles in Microsoft Word. By Charles Kenyon.

Points to note:

• This video is intended to serve as a general guide for creating accessible digital materials and virtual learning environment. The recommended practices in this video are not exhaustive or the best solutions for each situation. Teaching and learning practices might vary across academic disciplines, as well as individual preferences and needs. The recommended practices need to be fit and applied to various disciplinary contexts and authentic practices.
• Please be aware that fulfilling all the practices suggested by this video would not guarantee “full accessibility”. Use your own best judgment. Always be aware of and respect the diverse access needs of different individuals.
• This video does not contain any business promotion elements.
• Software, programmes, and operating systems are constantly and rapidly developing along with changing accessibility functions. Statements in this video about the functions of any software, programmes, and operating systems may no longer represent their current status.
• It is possible that the hyperlinks of the cited resources in this video might be edited or removed by the corresponding contributors after the publication of this video.
• The recommended practices in this video are basically about accessibility to people with disabilities. However, the practices are central to good teaching and learning practices and will benefit all users regardless of disability status.