An accessible document is structured to be usable by everyone, including people with disabilities who use assistive technology like screen readers. Following these practices not only ensures compliance with standards like WCAG but also creates a more organized, navigable, and professional document for all readers.

1. Document Structure and Hierarchy

A logical structure is the backbone of an accessible document.

Use Heading Styles

Use Word's built-in heading styles (Heading 1, Heading 2, Heading 3, etc.) to create a logical document outline. Never just make text bold and larger to signify a heading.

Why it Matters: Screen readers use the heading structure to navigate a document. A user can jump from heading to heading to understand the content's layout and find specific sections, just as a visual user would scan the page. It's also required for an automated Table of Contents.

How to Do It in Word: Select your text and choose the appropriate heading level from the Styles gallery on the Home tab. Always follow a logical order (e.g., Heading 1 followed by Heading 2, not Heading 1 followed by Heading 3).

Cross-Platform Notes:

• Adobe InDesign: Fully supported and essential. This is achieved using Paragraph Styles, which are mapped to export tags (H1, H2, etc.) for accessible PDFs.
• Google Docs: Fully supported. Use the "Title," "Subtitle," and "Heading 1-6" styles from the styles dropdown.
• Apple Pages: Fully supported. Use the paragraph styles menu to apply heading styles.

Generate a Table of Contents (ToC)

For any document longer than about 6 pages, an automated Table of Contents is crucial for navigation.

• Why it Matters: A ToC provides a clear overview and clickable links that allow users to jump directly to a section without endless scrolling.
• How to Do It in Word: Go to the References tab > Table of Contents. Choose a style. This only works if you have used Heading Styles correctly.
• Cross-Platform Notes:
  • Adobe InDesign: Yes, a powerful and highly customizable ToC feature is available that works with Paragraph Styles.
  • Google Docs: Yes, Insert > Table of contents.
  • Apple Pages: Yes, Insert > Table of Contents.

2. Text and Content Formatting

How you format your text has a major impact on accessibility.

Use Semantic Styles Instead of Direct Formatting

Use styles like Strong for important text and Emphasis for emphasized text, rather than simply applying bold or italic formatting.

• Why it Matters: While modern screen readers often announce "bold" or "italic," using semantic styles is more robust. It tells the assistive technology why the text is different (e.g., it has strong importance), which is more meaningful than just announcing a visual change.
• How to Do It in Word: Open the Styles Pane (click the small arrow in the corner of the Styles gallery). You can find and apply the Strong and Emphasis styles from this list.
• Cross-Platform Notes:
  • Adobe InDesign: Fully supported via Character Styles. You can create specific styles for "Strong" and "Emphasis."
  • ALERT - Google Docs: Does not have user-facing Strong or Emphasis styles. It relies on the Bold (Ctrl/Cmd+B) and Italic (Ctrl/Cmd+I) buttons. While these map to the correct HTML tags (<strong> and <em>) on export to web formats, the semantic distinction isn't as clear in the editing interface.
  • ALERT - Apple Pages: Similar to Google Docs, relies on direct bold/italic formatting rather than distinct character styles for semantic meaning.

Use True Bulleted and Numbered Lists

Always use the built-in list buttons to create lists. Do not manually type hyphens, asterisks, or numbers.

• Why it Matters: Proper list formatting tells a screen reader, "List with X items," allowing the user to understand the context and navigate the list efficiently. A manually typed list is just read as a series of unrelated lines of text.
• How to Do It in Word: Use the Bulleted List or Numbered List buttons on the Home tab.
• Cross-Platform Notes:
  • This feature is fully and correctly supported across Adobe InDesign, Google Docs, and Apple Pages.

Use Page Breaks, Not Empty Paragraphs

To start content on a new page, insert a page break. Do not hit the Enter key repeatedly.

• Why it Matters: Each empty paragraph is announced as "blank" by a screen reader, creating a confusing and noisy experience. A page break is silent and correctly forces the layout change.
• How to Do It in Word: Go to Insert > Page Break or press Ctrl+Enter (Cmd+Enter on Mac).
• Cross-Platform Notes:
  • This feature is fully supported across Adobe InDesign, Google Docs, and Apple Pages.

4. Accessible Links

Creating accessible links is crucial for usability, especially for individuals using screen readers. Following these practices ensures that all users can understand where a link will take them before they click it.

Use Descriptive Link Text, Not Raw URLs

The most important rule is to make the link text itself describe its destination. Avoid using raw URLs or vague phrases like "click here."

• Why it Matters: Screen reader users often navigate by pulling up a list of all links in a document. A list of descriptive links like "2025 Annual Financial Report" or "Contact Us Page" is highly useful. A list of repetitive "click here" links or long, jumbled URLs is meaningless and frustrating.
• How to Do It in Word:

1. Type out the descriptive phrase (e.g., "Review our company policies").
2. Highlight the phrase.
3. Right-click and select Link (or press Ctrl+K / Cmd+K).
4. Paste the URL into the "Address" field.

Example:

• Bad: To learn more, click here: https://www.example.com/long/unreadable/url/path  (NOTE: If your document will be printed for distribution, you must provide the full URL. In this case, you will need to files; 1 for printing and 1 for posting online.)
• Good: You can learn more by reading the 2025 Accessibility Guidelines.

Cross-Platform Notes:

• Adobe InDesign: Fully supported. Creating descriptive hyperlinks is a standard and essential feature for creating accessible PDFs and EPUBs.
• Google Docs: Fully supported. The Ctrl+K / Cmd+K shortcut works the same way.
• Apple Pages: Fully supported. Highlight text and use Cmd+K or Insert > Link.

Opening Links in a New Window

As a general rule, avoid forcing links to open in a new browser window or tab. This can be disorienting for users and takes control away from them. However, if it's absolutely necessary (e.g., for a help page on a multi-step form), you must warn the user.

• Why it Matters: Unexpectedly opening a new window can confuse users, especially those with cognitive disabilities or low vision. It can also break the "Back" button functionality, which is a primary navigation tool.
• How to Do It: Since Word documents don't have a "target=_blank" function like web pages, this primarily applies when exporting to PDF. The best practice is to indicate the behavior directly in the link text itself.

Example:

• "You can find additional information in the Resource Guide (opens in a new window)."

Cross-Platform Notes:

This is a universal accessibility principle rather than a software-specific feature. The method of warning the user in the link text works across all platforms.

• Adobe InDesign: InDesign gives you precise control when exporting to PDF. In the Hyperlinks panel, you can choose options, but it's still best practice to include a textual warning.
• Google Docs & Apple Pages: These applications do not offer a native feature to force a link to open in a new window when exported to PDF. Therefore, the best practice of letting the user decide is followed by default.

3. Visuals and Non-Text Content

Alternative Text (Alt Text) for Images

Every image that conveys information must have alt text.

• Why it Matters: Alt text provides a textual description of an image for screen reader users, who would otherwise have no access to the information.
• How to Do It in Word: Right-click the image > Edit Alt Text. Write a concise description of the image's content and function. If an image is purely decorative, check the "Mark as decorative" box.
• Cross-Platform Notes:
  • Adobe InDesign: Yes, via Object > Object Export Options. This is a critical step for creating accessible PDFs and EPUBs from InDesign.
  • Google Docs: Yes, right-click the image > Alt text.
  • Apple Pages: Yes, select the image > Format > Image > Description.

Captions for Images and Tables

Use the built-in caption feature to add visible descriptions for images, figures, and tables.

• Why it Matters: Captions provide context for all users and create a semantic link between an object and its description.
• How to Do It in Word: Right-click the object > Insert Caption.
• Cross-Platform Notes:
• Adobe InDesign: Yes, this is standard practice, often done by anchoring a text frame to the object or using features like "Live Captions."
• ALERT - Google Docs: Does not have a native, linked captioning feature. The standard workaround is to type text in a separate paragraph below the object, but this text is not structurally linked to it.
• ALERT - Apple Pages: Lacks a dedicated captioning feature. Like Google Docs, the workaround is an unlinked text box or line of text.

Accessible Data Tables

Use tables for displaying tabular data, not for visual layout.

• Why it Matters: Screen readers can navigate tables cell by cell and announce the corresponding column and row headers, so the user understands the data's context. This is impossible if headers aren't defined.
• How to Do It in Word:

1. Insert a table.
2. Place your cursor in the top row.
3. In the Table Design tab, check the "Header Row" box.
4. Right-click the table > Table Properties > Row tab and ensure "Repeat as header row at the top of each page" is checked.
5. Keep tables simple; avoid merged or split cells.

• Cross-Platform Notes:
  • Adobe InDesign: Yes, tables can be fully accessible with defined header rows in Table Options.
  • Google Docs: Yes, you can specify header rows in Format > Table > Table properties.
  • Apple Pages: Yes, in Format > Table, you can specify a number of Header Rows and Columns.

Color and Contrast

Ensure text has sufficient contrast against its background and that color is not the only way to convey information.

• The Standard (WCAG): A contrast ratio of at least $4.5:1$ for normal text and $3:1$ for large text.
• How to Check: Use a tool like the TPGi Colour Contrast Analyser.
• Cross-Platform Notes:
  • This is a universal design principle, not a software feature. It must be adhered to in all platforms.

4. Finalizing and Exporting

Check for Accessibility

Use Word's built-in checker to catch common issues before distributing your document.

How to Do It in Word: Go to File > Info > Check for Issues > Check Accessibility.

Convert to an Accessible PDF

When exporting to PDF, ensure the accessibility tags are preserved.

• Why it Matters: A tagged PDF contains the underlying structure (headings, lists, alt text) that you created in Word, making the PDF itself accessible. An untagged PDF is just a flat image of a document.
• How to Do It in Word: Go to File > Save a Copy (or Export) and select PDF. In the Options dialog, ensure the box for "Document structure tags for accessibility" is checked.
• Cross-Platform Notes:
  • Adobe InDesign: This is the gold standard for accessible PDF export, offering the most control over tagging and structure.
  • ALERT - Google Docs: File > Download > PDF Document creates a tagged PDF, but the quality of the tagging is less reliable and offers no user control. It often requires remediation in Adobe Acrobat Pro for full compliance.
  • ALERT - Apple Pages: File > Export To > PDF has similar limitations to Google Docs. It produces a tagged PDF, but the professional workflow for high-level accessibility is to remediate the file in Acrobat Pro.