Creating accessible documents ensures that all Hawkeyes can fully engage with our content. Small changes—like using high-contrast text or including alternative text for images—can make a big difference. Explore the resources below to learn how to create accessible documents.

5 things that help make documents accessible

Whether you're sharing a syllabus, memo, or event flyer, these five steps will help make your documents usable by all: 

  1. Use heading styles: Follow a logical heading order (Heading 1, Heading 2, etc.) to organize content. This helps assistive technology navigate easily and makes scanning easier.

  2. Provide descriptive alt text for any images: Alt text describes images for users who can’t see them. Keep alt text short and meaningful.

  1. Use descriptive links: Instead of "Click here," use meaningful text like "Read the accessibility guide." 

  2. Check color contrast: Use tools like WebAIM’s Contrast Checker to make sure that colors in your document have enough contrast (e.g., dark text on a light background).

  1. Run the accessibility checker: Word, PowerPoint, and Adobe Acrobat have built-in tools to spot and fix issues. View these quick videos on how to use these tools. 

Resources by document type

General document information

Different document formats pose different accessibility challenges and opportunities. Articles in this collection will showcase tips and techniques  accessibility across a spectrum of document formats, tools, and technologies. 

Adobe Acrobat Pro (PDF)

Adobe Acrobat Pro lets you create PDF documents from a variety of sources. PDFs are easy to distribute, and remain faithful to the design and layout of the original.

Microsoft Excel

Microsoft Excel is the most widely used spreadsheet application in the world, used for accounting, data management, scheduling, and numerous other financial and data-centered tasks. Users should consider these tips when working with Microsoft Excel.

Microsoft PowerPoint

Microsoft PowerPoint is one of the most popular presentation tools in use today. PowerPoint lets you create engaging presentations and interactive materials for print, digital sharing, and in-person presentation.

Microsoft Word

Microsoft Word is one of the most popular applications in the world, widely used to create worksheets, articles, syllabi, and other documents. Here are a few tips and tricks to help you provide more accessible Microsoft Word documents.

Quick video resources

Learn to create accessible content in minutes

Quick video resources

Excel–Creating spreadsheets

Learn how to set up accessible Excel spreadsheets—think structured layout, clear labels, and formatting that supports readability and assistive technologies.

Outlook–Creating email

Discover quick tips to compose accessible emails with proper formatting, readable fonts, and thoughtful visual contrasts.

PDF–Creating PDFs

Get the essentials for building accessible PDFs, such as tagging, navigation structures, and clean formatting for improved usability.

PowerPoint–Creating presentations

Learn how to design presentations that are accessible from the start, using clear slide structure, high contrast, and alt text for visuals.

Word–Creating documents

Understand how to create accessible Word documents by applying styles, headings, and formatting that enhance navigation and readability.

In-depth video resources

Take a deeper dive into digital accessibility best practices

In-depth video resources

PDF accessibility–In-depth tips for PDFs

Deepen your PDF accessibility skills with expert tips on tagging, structure, and navigation enhancements for full usability.

PowerPoint accessibility–In-depth tips for presentations

Explore advanced strategies for making presentations accessible, including slide structure, visual clarity, and assistive labels.

Word accessibility–In-depth tips for documents

Learn advanced techniques to optimize Word documents for accessibility—focusing on headings, styles, and screen reader compatibility.