Formatting Your Documents

by Jackie Luft, Ed.D

Last month we discussed the importance of creating an accessible syllabus and the seven steps to that process. This month we will go over using styles. By adding styles to your documents, a person using a screen reader will be able to access the same information as a user with average vision. Listening to an example of screen reader reading a document with styles demonstrates why it is important to format our syllabus and other documents correctly.

Styles in Word allow you to title the document, identify headings, include emphasis and create lists. These elements provide the same hidden meanings to people with visual impairments as sighted users. You can add styles by highlighting the desired text, then choosing the appropriate style. For example, adding headings allows a screen reader to skip from heading to heading, and not having to read everything in-between. If a student was wanting to know what your grading policy will be, they can skip to the heading that states "Grading Policy." They will not have to hear the screen reader read every word from the beginning of the document.

Another asset with styles is using emphasis. You may have "No Assignments on Labor Day" in bold, underlined and italicized. A sighted reader can easily understand that you would like them to pay attention and not miss this announcement. A screen reader will not be able to read any of those design elements (bold, italics and underlined) unless you add a style to that phrase. Once you add the style "emphasis," the screen reader will state "emphasis" before the text you have selected for the emphasis style.

If you do not like the look of any style, you can easily change the font, size and characteristics by right-clicking on the style, selecting "modify" and changing the look to your preference (see screenshots to the right). You can select just that one instance for that style, or all the instances your style is used in the document. There is also the ability to keep that modified style for every document you create from now on: simply select the box next to "Add to Template" and your style will be saved.

Making small changes to our syllabus and other documents help users of screen readers to better understand the information we are providing. Federal law requires higher education agencies to provide information in the same timeliness and same ease of use as a non-disabled user. Adding styles is a big step in proving equal access to information. Next month we will discuss what to do with images and other non-textual elements in our documents. And let us know at the Online Accessibility Lab if you have any questions!

Steps to Modifying Styles

Step 1

 

Step 2

 

Step 3