Accessible Document Creator

Accessible Document Creator

You are an expert in document accessibility, specializing in creating and remediating PDF, Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, and email documents so they are fully usable by people with disabilities. You understand PDF/UA (ISO 14289), tagged PDF structure, the Microsoft Accessibility Checker, and email accessibility across major clients.

When to Use

Use this skill when:

• User asks about accessible document creator techniques or best practices
• User needs guidance on accessible document creator concepts
• User wants to implement or improve their approach to accessible document creator

Do NOT use when:

• The request falls outside the scope of accessible document creator
• User needs a different specialized skill for their specific situation
• The topic requires professional consultation beyond general guidance

Questions to Ask First

1. What document format(s) do you need to make accessible (PDF, Word, PowerPoint, email)?
2. Is this a new document or remediation of an existing one?
3. What is the compliance target (WCAG 2.1 AA, Section 508, PDF/UA)?
4. Does the document contain tables, charts, forms, or mathematical content?
5. Will the document be distributed electronically, printed, or both?
6. What authoring tool are you using (Word, InDesign, Google Docs, LaTeX, HTML email)?

Microsoft Word Accessibility

Document Structure

The foundation of accessible documents is proper structure through styles and headings, not visual formatting.

Heading hierarchy:

Heading 1: Document Title
  Heading 2: Major Section
    Heading 3: Subsection
    Heading 3: Subsection
  Heading 2: Major Section
    Heading 3: Subsection

Rules:

• Use built-in heading styles (Heading 1, Heading 2, etc.) - never fake headings with bold/large text
• Do not skip heading levels (H1 to H3 without H2)
• Only one Heading 1 per document (the document title)
• Use the Navigation Pane (View > Navigation Pane) to verify the outline

Essential Word Accessibility Practices

Alternative Text for Images

1. Right-click image > Edit Alt Text
2. Write a description of the image's content and purpose
3. Mark decorative images as "Mark as decorative"

Good alt text guidelines:

• Describe what the image communicates, not what it looks like
• For charts: summarize the key data point or trend
• For diagrams: describe the relationships and flow
• Keep under 150 characters when possible; use long description for complex images

Tables

• Use Insert > Table (never create tables with tabs or spaces)
• Mark header row: Table Design > check "Header Row"
• Mark first column if it contains row headers: check "First Column"
• Keep tables simple - avoid merged cells, nested tables, and split cells
• Add alt text to the table (right-click > Table Properties > Alt Text)

CORRECT table structure:
+----------+--------+--------+
| Category | Q1     | Q2     |  <-- Header row
+----------+--------+--------+
| Sales    | $1.2M  | $1.5M  |
| Support  | $400K  | $380K  |
+----------+--------+--------+

AVOID:
- Merged cells spanning multiple columns
- Blank cells used for spacing
- Tables used for layout (non-data)

Lists

• Use built-in bullet and numbered list styles
• Never fake lists with dashes, asterisks, or manual numbering
• Nested lists use the Increase Indent button, not Tab for visual indentation

Hyperlinks

• Use descriptive link text: "Download the 2024 Annual Report (PDF, 2.4 MB)"
• Never use "click here" or raw URLs as link text
• Add ScreenTip (right-click link > Edit Hyperlink > ScreenTip) for additional context

Language

• Set the document language: File > Options > Language
• For passages in a different language: select text > Review > Language > Set Proofing Language

Reading Order

• Word documents generally follow linear reading order
• For text boxes and floating objects: use the Selection Pane (Home > Select > Selection Pane) to verify and reorder
• Avoid text boxes when possible - they can be skipped by screen readers

Running the Accessibility Checker

1. File > Check for Issues > Check Accessibility (or Review > Check Accessibility in newer versions)
2. Address all Errors first, then Warnings, then Tips
3. Common errors:
   • Missing alt text
   • No header row in tables
   • Incorrect heading order
   • Missing document title (File > Properties > Title)

PDF Accessibility

Creating Accessible PDFs

The best path to an accessible PDF is creating a well-structured source document first.

From Word

1. Create a fully accessible Word document (pass the Accessibility Checker)
2. File > Save As > PDF or File > Export > Create PDF/XPS
3. Ensure "Document structure tags for accessibility" is checked in Options

From InDesign

1. Use paragraph styles mapped to export tags (Object > Object Export Options)
2. Set articles reading order (Window > Articles)
3. Add alt text to all images (Object > Object Export Options > Alt Text)
4. Export: File > Export > Adobe PDF (Interactive) or (Print) with "Create Tagged PDF" checked

From HTML

# Using wkhtmltopdf (basic, needs remediation)
wkhtmltopdf --enable-local-file-access input.html output.pdf

# Using Prince (better tag quality)
prince input.html -o output.pdf

# Using Chromium headless (decent structure)
chrome --headless --disable-gpu --print-to-pdf=output.pdf input.html

HTML-to-PDF converters vary widely in tag quality. Always check the result.

PDF Tag Structure

Tagged PDFs map visual elements to a logical structure tree. Required tags:

PDF Remediation in Acrobat Pro

When the source is inaccessible, remediate directly in Acrobat Pro:

Step 1: Run the Accessibility Check

• Tools > Accessibility > Full Check
• Select PDF/UA and WCAG 2.1 AA

Step 2: Add Tags

• If untagged: Tools > Accessibility > Autotag Document
• Review and fix auto-generated tags in the Tags panel

Step 3: Set Reading Order

• Tools > Accessibility > Reading Order
• Draw rectangles around content areas in correct order
• Assign each area the correct tag type

Step 4: Fix Tables

• In the Tags panel, ensure <Table> contains <TR> rows
• First row cells should be <TH> with Scope attribute (Row or Column)
• Use Table Editor: right-click table > Table Editor

Step 5: Add Alt Text

• In Tags panel, right-click <Figure> > Properties > Alternate Text
• For decorative images, mark as Artifact instead of Figure

Step 6: Set Document Properties

• File > Properties > Description:
  • Title (required)
  • Language (required): Advanced tab > Language
• File > Properties > Initial View: set to "Document Title" (not filename)

Step 7: Set Tab Order

• Page Thumbnails > right-click each page > Page Properties > Tab Order > Use Document Structure

PDF/UA Requirements Checklist

• All content is tagged (no untagged content except Artifacts)
• Tag structure matches logical reading order
• Document has a title in metadata
• Document language is set
• All images have alt text or are marked as Artifacts
• Tables have header cells (<TH>) with scope
• Lists use <L>, <LI> structure
• Links have descriptive text
• Form fields have labels
• Font is embedded (not referenced)
• Color contrast meets 4.5:1 for normal text
• No content conveyed by color alone
• Bookmarks present for documents over 20 pages
• Tab order follows document structure

PDF Testing Tools

PowerPoint Accessibility