Using Styles in Microsoft Word

Using Styles and Formatting in a Word document helps make it more accessible if it is to be distributed via the web, intranet or email.  In Word 2007 you can find the Styles task pane when you click on the Home tab.

In earlier versions, the Styles and Formatting Toolbar may be placed under the menu bar, or you can access the Styles and Formatting task pane by going to Format in the menu bar and then to Styles and Formatting.

Basic styles

There are four style types in Word.  Knowing about them will help you understand what you are looking at in the task pane, what your options are for creating new styles and what impact a style will have on the text in your document.

Paragraph styles

Paragraph styles include not just font type and size, but also formatting for a whoel paragraph’s text position and spacing.  A paragraph style can be applied to one or more paragraphs.

A paragraph style’s formatting will be applied to all the text within the end paragraph mark of where your pointer is positioned.

Character styles

These are applied at character level – to block of words and letters – rather than the paragraph level.  An example would be an "emphasis" styles that applies, say, both an underline and italic type.

SAIF: Creating Accessible Documents

Meta information or properties for documents

Meta information is information about the document

For example, meta information contains information about waht the document is called, when it was created, who created it and in which department.  Information such as the title, and author can be made visible to other users, but does not have to be.  Even if you can’t read the information in the document it still exists and can be interpreted and displayed by other computers and assistive technology.

Carrying out searches

Meta information can include a description of your document and keywords you would use to identify it.  This information is used by search engines to categorise documents.  Page ranking for a search will depend on how the Meta information (title, content, alternative text to images) you have entered correlates with search information.  Therefore, adding good clear Meta information about your document increases its chances of being found (accessed) by all users.

• Some search engines show the Meta title and description of the document as the post for the seach result.
• A well chosen Meta title and description will make it easier for users to decide if your document is the right one or not in a search result.

Inserting Meta Tags

In most software programs you will find a Document Properties box where you can enter Meta information.

In Microsoft Word 2007, use the Office button a the very top left, then click on Prepare, then Properties.

Inserting Meta information – Good Practice

It is good practice to include Meta information in all documents published on the internet.  This will increase the accessibility and usability of the document.  During searches the document description will allow users to decide quickly and easily if it is the document they need.

Basic Meta informatin to provide should include:

• The Title (this can be the same as the title in the document itself).  A Meta title shoudl not be more than 65 characters long, otherwise it can throw up an error in accessibility checks.
• The Author
• Keywords (no more than 25 keywords and relevant to the document)
• A Description (a well written description can make the difference between someone opening the document or not.  Usually  no moe than 25 words are displayed when a search has been carried out).

SAIF: Creating Accessible Documents

Alternative text for images

Providing an alternative text for an image is helpful for people using assistive technology.  For example, a screen reader will read out the alt text to the user.  This is especially important if the image is conveying information not included in the text.

When a document is changed into another format, for example a PDF file, or incorporated into a webpage, the alt text will also be transferred and ensure better accessibility.

The text should be an alternative to the image.

Images with text

With any images that consist of text, the alt text shoudl be just the text as it is or if it is an acronym or abbreviation, spelled out.  For example, this can be a logo or a brand name.

Photos and illustrations

For photos and illustrations, be imaginative and try to write what the photo is trying to convey.  Write "a boy is eating a large hamburger dripping in sauce" if the image displays that.  Writign suitable alt attributes for photographs can be tricky, but be imaginative.

Graphs and charts

Images as graphs and charts display information.  Try to summarise any trends and developments in the alt text.  For example, "the sales rates rose from 5% in January to 7% in March".

Decorative and spacing images

Images that are purely for the visual layout of a document shoudl not be read by assistive technology.  Therefore these alt texts should be left with a null attibute ”, so that a text screenreader will ignore the image.

Applying alt text

Right click on the image or graphic, select format picture and click on the alt text tab.  In the alt text box, type in your description of the image.