What Is Accessibility Formatting?
- Dana Delaney
- Aug 8
- 6 min read
A document can be well written and still be inaccessible. Missing headings, poorly structured PDFs, and unreadable presentations can prevent employees, customers, and members of the public from accessing important information.
Accessibility formatting is the process of designing digital documents so people with disabilities can read, navigate, and understand them. This includes viewers who use screen readers, keyboard navigation, magnification software, or voice controls. Accessible formatting does not change how a document looks to most readers. It changes how the document works for everyone.
Many organizations treat accessibility as a compliance checkbox. It is more useful to think of it as a documentation standard. Accessible documents are structured, consistent, and easier to use. That benefits every reader, not just those using assistive technology.
Why Accessibility Formatting Matters
There are several reasons organizations invest in accessible formatting.
Legal compliance. Many organizations are required to meet accessibility standards. This includes federal agencies, state government offices, higher education institutions, and many nonprofits that receive federal funding. Government contractors often must meet these standards as well. Section 508 and the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) are the two standards referenced most often. This article does not attempt to explain either standard in full. It focuses on practical formatting steps that support compliance.
Better usability for everyone. Accessible documents help more than the readers they were designed for. Clear structure helps people using mobile devices. It helps older readers and people with temporary injuries. It helps anyone reading in a noisy or distracting environment. Accessible documents are also easier to search.
Improved professionalism and efficiency. Documents built with accessibility in mind tend to be more consistent and better organized. Accessibility is not a separate task added at the end. It is part of good documentation practice. Accessible documents are also often easier to update, reuse, and maintain, since their consistent structure makes it simpler to find and revise specific sections.
Operational risk. Ignoring accessibility has practical consequences beyond compliance. Poor accessibility can delay contract deliverables when documents fail a review. It can create training barriers for employees who rely on assistive technology. It can also lead to public complaints and additional remediation work.
Which Documents Should Be Accessible?
Accessibility formatting applies to most documents an organization produces and shares. Common examples include:
Word documents
PDF files
PowerPoint presentations
Excel spreadsheets
Training manuals
Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)
Work instructions
Policy manuals
Reports
Forms
Any document shared internally or with the public should be reviewed with accessibility in mind.
Common Accessibility Features
Most accessibility issues come down to a small set of formatting practices. The table below outlines the most common features and why each one matters.
Feature | Why It Matters |
|---|---|
Heading styles | Allows screen readers to navigate the document |
Alt text | Describes images for readers who cannot see them |
Meaningful hyperlinks | Gives readers context instead of vague link text |
Proper reading order | Ensures content is read in a logical sequence |
Correctly created lists | Improves navigation for assistive technology |
Table headers | Makes tables understandable when read aloud |
Adequate color contrast | Helps readers with low vision |
Descriptive document titles | Makes documents easier to identify |
Accessible fonts | Improves readability for more readers |
Sufficient font size | Reduces strain and improves readability |
Accessibility Formatting for Microsoft Word
Word documents should use built-in heading styles rather than manually bolded or resized text. Built-in styles allow screen readers to identify document structure. Lists should be created using Word's list tools, not manually typed dashes or numbers. Tables should include header rows. Images need alt text that describes their purpose. Word's built-in Accessibility Checker can catch many common issues before a document is shared.
Avoid using blank spaces or empty paragraphs to control layout. Avoid text boxes unless they are necessary, since screen readers may skip their content entirely.
Accessibility Formatting for PDF Files
PDFs are one of the most common sources of accessibility problems. A PDF's accessibility depends entirely on how it was created. A document exported correctly from an accessible Word file will usually retain much of that structure. Many organizations assume that saving a Word document as a PDF automatically creates an accessible PDF. While an accessible Word document provides a strong foundation, the exported PDF should still be checked to verify that tags, reading order, bookmarks, and other accessibility features carried over correctly. A PDF created by scanning a paper document will not retain that structure at all.
Accessible PDFs are tagged, meaning the underlying structure identifies headings, lists, and reading order. Text should be searchable, not an image of text. Reading order should match the visual layout of the page. Bookmarks help readers navigate longer documents. Images need alt text, and form fields need labels.
Scanning a paper document into a PDF does not make it accessible. Scanned documents typically need optical character recognition (OCR) and additional formatting work before they meet accessibility standards.
Accessibility Formatting for PowerPoint Presentations
Presentations are especially important for higher education and training use cases. Each slide should have a unique, descriptive title. Reading order should be checked, since PowerPoint does not always read content in the order it appears visually. Images need alt text. Color contrast between text and background should be sufficient. Hyperlinks should describe their destination rather than reading "click here." Any video content should include captions.
Presenter notes are useful, but they are not a substitute for accessible slide content. Screen readers do not always access notes the way they access the slide itself.
PowerPoint includes the same built-in Accessibility Checker found in Word, accessed from the Review tab. Running it before sharing a presentation catches most common issues.
Accessibility Formatting for Excel
Spreadsheets are often overlooked in accessibility planning. Column and row headers should be labeled clearly. Merged cells should be avoided where possible, since they can confuse screen readers. Worksheet tabs should have meaningful names instead of default labels like "Sheet1." Data should follow a logical, consistent structure from top to bottom.
Excel also includes the built-in Accessibility Checker, accessed the same way as in Word and PowerPoint.
A Note on Google Workspace
Unlike Microsoft Office applications, Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides do not currently include a built-in accessibility checker. Many organizations instead use third-party tools, such as Grackle, installed through the Google Workspace Marketplace, to check for the same kinds of issues covered in this guide. These are not Google's own tools, and availability may depend on an organization's Google Workspace license or admin settings.
Common Accessibility Mistakes
A few mistakes account for most accessibility problems:
Using color alone to convey meaning
Sharing image-only PDFs with no underlying text
Skipping heading styles
Using fonts that are too small
Using low color contrast
Sharing scanned documents without OCR
Leaving tables without headers
Using vague link text like "click here"
Including decorative graphics without alt text
Most of these issues are easy to fix once they are identified. The challenge is usually awareness, not difficulty.
Accessibility Is Easier When Planned Early
Retrofitting an inaccessible document takes more time than building it correctly from the start. Adding heading styles, alt text, and proper structure during the drafting process is faster than reformatting a finished document later. Organizations that build accessibility into their documentation workflow tend to spend less time correcting problems after the fact.
Older documents often require accessibility remediation before they can be redistributed or posted publicly. This is common when an organization revives an older SOP, training manual, or report for a new audience.
Accessibility Formatting Is Part of Good Documentation
Accessibility formatting is not a separate discipline from documentation. It supports the same goals as technical writing, process documentation, SOPs, work instructions, and knowledge transfer. A document that is accessible is usually also clearer, better organized, and easier to maintain.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is accessibility formatting? Accessibility formatting is the practice of structuring documents so people using assistive technology can read and navigate them.
Why are accessible documents important? They support legal compliance, improve usability for all readers, and reflect stronger documentation practices overall.
What makes a PDF accessible? An accessible PDF is tagged, has searchable text, follows a logical reading order, and includes alt text and labeled form fields.
How do screen readers use headings? Screen readers use heading styles to let users jump between sections instead of reading a document line by line.
What is alt text? Alt text is a written description of an image that screen readers read aloud in place of the image.
Is accessibility formatting required by law? Many organizations, including federal agencies, higher education institutions, and some nonprofits, must meet accessibility standards such as Section 508 and WCAG.
How do I check if a Word document is accessible? Microsoft Word includes a built-in Accessibility Checker that identifies common issues before a document is shared.
What is the difference between ADA, Section 508, and WCAG? These are related but distinct standards. This article does not attempt to explain the legal differences between them. For specifics, see ADA.gov, Section508.gov, and the W3C's WCAG guidelines.
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