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  • National Disability Authority
  1. Home
  2. Communications & Digital
  3. Web and Mobile Accessibility
  4. Web Accessibility Techniques
  5. Content Provider's Introduction and Index
  6. Create accessible MS Word documents
  7. Check your work is accessible

Check your work is accessible

Even when following guidance it is easy to miss something important, like Alt text on an image or a heading before a section of content. Use the built-in accessibility checker in Word to make sure you have addressed everything.

Web Accessibility Techniques

  • Design accessible digital content - introduction and index
  • Content Provider's Introduction and Index

    • Write accessible text
    • Create accessible web pages
    • Create accessible MS Word documents
      • Use styles
      • Specify headings
      • Specify table headers and titles
      • Name and title files in a helpful way
      • Provide Alt text for each image
      • Specify the language of the content
      • Check your work is accessible

    • Create accessible MS PowerPoint documents
    • Create Accessible PDF's
    • Always test your content with users who have access needs
  • Developer's Introduction and Index

Techniques

Use the built-in accessibility checker in Word

  • Under the “Tools” menu, choose “Check Accessibility”;
  • Expand any results that appear in the Accessibility panel to find out where in the file the issue is, why you should fix it, and the steps you need to take to do so.
The "Accessibility" pane with one warning - "Hard-to-read text contrast". The warning has been expanded to show the area that has an issue, and the issue has been selected. Below the issues there are two paragraphs of text, titled "Why Fix?" and "Steps To Fix".
Figure 1

Further reading

  • Make your Word documents accessible to people with disabilities
  • Office Accessibility Center - Resources for people with disabilities
  • Improve accessibility with the Accessibility Checker
  • About Universal Design
  • Definition and Overview of Universal Design (UD)
  • History of Universal Design
  • Benefits and Drivers
  • Policy and Legislation
  • Standards
  • Universal Design of Products and Services
  • Universal Design Approach
  • Awards
  • The 7 Principles
  • News & Events
  • Overview of Built Environment
  • eLearning Module - Buildings for Everyone: Central Bank of Ireland
  • Building for Everyone
  • Housing
  • Early Learning and Care Settings
  • Residential Long Term Care Settings for Older People
  • Walkability Auditing
  • Shared Space
  • Shared Educational Campuses
  • Universal Design Guidelines for Changing Places Toilets
  • Built Environment CPD
  • Overview of Communications & Digital
  • Web and Mobile Accessibility
  • ICT Research and Guidelines (Archived content)
  • Customer Communications Toolkit for Services to the Public - A Universal Design Approach
  • European Accessibility Act
  • Overview of Education
  • Primary Level Education
  • Secondary Level Education
  • Third Level Education
  • Continuous Professional Development
  • Privacy
  • Copyrights
  • Disclaimer
  • Cookie Policy
  • Accessibility Statement
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The National Disability Authority

The National Disability Authority (NDA) is the independent statutory body that provides information and advice to Government on policy and practice relevant to the lives of persons with disabilities. The NDA assists in the co-ordination of disability policy, and also promotes Universal Design through the Centre for Excellence in Universal Design.

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