You may already use headings and sub-headings, but are you creating them correctly? Most text-based applications include a Style Menu [ Figure 1] that allows you to select heading levels such as Heading 1, Heading 2, Heading 3, etc.

Figure 1: Word Styles Menu

When you apply heading styles to your text, you not only help all users understand how the content of your document is organized into sections, but you also activate a screen-reader feature that allows visually-disabled users to use a keystroke (H) to navigate from header to header and content section to content section.

Proper Document Hierarchy

Use a heading or sub-heading each time the content of your document changes. Think of headings as an outline of your document content. Heading styles should be used in descending order of importance.

Example of proper document hierarchy:

Heading 1 Style

• Heading 2 Style

  • Heading 3 Style

  • Heading 3 Style

• Heading 2 Style

  • Heading 3 Style

  • Heading 3 Style

Use only one Heading 1 Style for each document. Assign Heading 2 Styles to each section and Heading 3 Styles to each sub-section.

Watch: Web Headings for Screen Readers.

List Styles

Use the list styles available in every text editor [Figure 2]. Unordered lists or bullet lists help everyone understand how information is grouped by a common theme. Ordered lists use alphanumeric characters to indicate importance or steps in a process. Using software-supported lists helps screen readers to describe to visually-impaired users how the information is grouped and organized.

Break long passages of text into shorter paragraphs of five sentences or less. Paragraphs help students avoid eye fatigue, especially when reading online using small digital displays like smart phones. Think about the white space between paragraphs as opportunities for students to breathe and think quickly about what they just read. Help them “breathe” at a comfortable rate.

The most legible fonts for digital displays are typically sans-serif — which are traditionally composed of the simplest geometric shapes. Serif fonts often have contrasting thick and thin strokes as well as tiny “serifs” or hooks which can be hard to see on low resolution computer screens and cell phone displays

Common Sans-Serif Fonts

For Word, PowerPoint, and other documents meant to be read on-screen, use one of the following common sans-serif fonts:

• Verdana: The easiest to read on-screen with large lower-case letters.

• Arial: Similar to Verdana, but a little more compressed.

• Trebuchet: Has a little more design flair than Verdana or Arial. A bit smaller than Verdana or Arial. Use a slightly larger size.

Common Serif Fonts

There is no rule that says you cannot use a serif font. Some are easier to read on-screen than others. One of the best common serif fonts is Georgia, which was designed specifically for display on computer screens.

For Word, PowerPoint, and PDF documents meant to be read on-screen, ten-point type is considered the appropriate starting point for your smallest font size. For Heading levels (H1, H2, H3…), the higher the level in the hierarchy, the larger the font.

Examples of Heading Sizes:

• Heading 1: 24 points

• Heading 2: 18 points

• Heading 3: 14 points

• Text: 10 to 12 points

Reminder: For Web (HTML) content, it may be best to use the default styles set by the LMS administrators.

Tables are typically filled with information grouped by columns or rows, or sometimes both

By default, screen readers read data tables in linear order, left to right and top to bottom. But what if the data should be read by column? By creating headers for each column, visually-impaired users can change the reading order to suit their preferences. For example, users could change the reading order to (1, 4, 7), (2, 5, 8), or (3,6,9).

Microsoft and PowerPoint have limited, but still useful, features for assigning headers to data cells at the top of each column. The primary shortcoming is the inability of Word and PowerPoint to set the first cell of each row as a header. However, because table data is read row by row and left to right, students will be able to sufficiently understand how information is organized by rows.

• With a table selected, under the Table Design tab, check [ ] Header Row

• Right-click on the table and choose Table Properties. If you check [ ] Allow row to break across pages, also check [ ] Repeat as header row at the top of each page, [Figure 4]. When tables break across two pages, it is very helpful to have the header row at the top of each table section.

• Don’t forget to create labels for the data cells at the top of each column. Labels should describe the types of content in the column. You may also change the visual presentation of the header cells to help all users recognize that the labels are not part of the data set

Alternative Text

Microsoft Word and PowerPoint suggest creating alternative text for tables. Use Table Properties > Alt Text and enter a summary of how data is organized in the Description field. Alternative text is really only necessary if the table structure is quite complex – in which case you may want to see if you can simplify the table structure first.

Captions

Some accessibility checkers for Web (HTML) pages will recommend table captions.

Alternative Text (ALT Text) is best used for simple images requiring descriptions no longer than one sentence – maybe two – since it only needs to provide information pertinent to what learners need to know. This can change depending on context.

For example, if you illustrate a written description of a historical event using an image such as “Washington Crossing the Delaware “ by Emanuel Leutze [Figure 1], users with visual impairments only need to know what the image represents, “General George Washington crosses the Delaware River”. In this context, the type of image (painting), name of artist, or year are not necessary because the information is not needed by learners for any purpose in the course – unless you wish to provide the appropriate attribution.

Figure 1: Washington Crossing the Delaware, painting by Emanuel Leutze, 1851.

However, if you specifically chose this painting [Figure 1] to illustrate the conditions under which Washington crossed the Delaware River, you might provide more descriptive Alternative Text such as, “General George Washington and the Continental Army struggling against wind and ice to cross the Delaware River, December 25, 1976”.

Alert! Figures and image captions help all users understand how text relates to image, but image captions do not replace alternative text.

Tips for Writing Effective Alternate Text

Effective alternative text should:

• Be accurate and equivalent in presenting the same content and function of the image.

• Be succinct. Content and function (if present) should be described as succinctly as is appropriate – typically no more than a few words.

• Not be redundant or provide the same information presented in context with the image.

• Not include phrases such as “image of…” or “graphic of…” since screen readers will announce the presence of an image.

-- Tips for writing effective alternative text provided by WebAIM.org.

Alternative Text for Images in Word and PowerPoint Documents

Follow these instructions for adding Alternative Text:

• Place an image in a Word document.

• Right-click on the image and choose Format Picture.

• Select Size & Properties tab in the Format Picture menu.

• Enter the Alternative Text in the Description field

• The Title field is not used for equivalent text.

There's good reason for the saying, “an image is worth a thousand words! “ Some types of images such as charts, graphs, and maps may require much Longer Descriptions than one or two sentences because of the amount and complexity of the information they convey visually.

Long Descriptions are typically provided in the same context the image is published – on the same page. To write effective Long Descriptions, limit yourself to the pertinent information by asking yourself, “What do students need to know? Do they need to know just the names of the parts, or do they need to know how the eye is constructed? “

Note: If you do not wish to make Long Descriptions of images available to all users, create alternate documents with full descriptions of complex images in advance of your course and release them selectively as needed.