How to make Word documents accessible

Layout and reading order

Make sure your document is easy to read, with a clear layout and intuitive reading order. 

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Page orientation

Create Word documents in portrait orientation where possible. This is because:

  • portrait documents have shorter line lengths - this makes them easier to read 
  • about 67% of people visit our websites on mobile - portrait is easier for how people normally hold their phones or need to zoom in

Use landscape orientation only if you have a good reason. For example, to layout an image or table that would be hard to view or navigate in portrait.

Avoid mixing portrait and landscape orientations in the same Word document. It can make documents harder to navigate and understand, especially for those using mobile devices and assistive technologies. 

Text formatting

Design your text to be as easy to read as possible for the most people.

Do:

  • make all text horizontal (right to left) and left-aligned
  • use a common font like Arial, Verdana, Calibri or Helvetica 
  • format text to no smaller than size 12 (size 14 for best readability)
  • use good colour contrast
  • if you use colour coding for meaning, also provide text labels for people with poor colour vision
  • format all headings using our headings advice.

Do not use:

  • overly decorative fonts like Comic Sans or Brush Script
  • fonts with tight spacing like Impact or Arial narrow
  • italics or block capitals - some people find them hard to read
  • underlining (unless it's a link)

Margins

Good consistent margins help readers focus on your message instead of getting frustrated by a poorly formatted page that's hard to read.

If text is too close to the document edges, it could also be cut off if printed.

Use wide and consistent margins across your document, usually 1 inch (the default margins in Word). 

Columns

You can use columns in your Word document if you format them correctly.

Only add columns using the columns insertion tool. Go to 'Layout' menu, then 'Page Setup' and 'Columns'.

Do not layout text using hidden tables, text boxes or the spacebar or tab key. This makes text difficult for screen reader users to use and understand.

Headers and footers

Document headers and footers can help people better navigate and understand your document. They typically include information like a title, author, creation date and page number.

Header and footer content is not accessible for everyone. Since they are not part of the main document's structure, they are:

  • not automatically read out by assistive technologies, unless users specifically request it 
  • visually hidden in some viewing modes - users might need to change the settings to get them to appear

If you decide to include a header or footer in your Word document, you must:

  • add it using the 'Header and Footer' tool in the 'Insert' menu 
  • keep the header or footer content consistent
  • add alternative text to any informative images, like brand logos
  • mark any decorative images as 'decorative'
  • repeat important information in the main page text (apart from page numbers)
  • make sure the page numbers match the the actual document - for example, mark the third page of your document page 3.

Do not use roman numerals as page numbers - most people find them hard to read and understand.

Watermarks

A watermark is an image that appears behind the main text of the document. It is usually a light colour or transparent. People usually use watermarks to mark documents as a draft or confidential.

We recommend you avoid using watermarks because they can make content difficult to see. Instead, state that the document is a draft or confidential in the page text at the beginning of your document.

If you still want to use a watermark, you must make sure it:

Footnotes and endnotes

If you use footnotes or endnotes in your Word document, format them correctly.

Only add footnotes or endnotes to your document using the 'Insert Footnote' and 'Insert Endnote' tools. They are in the 'References' menu in the 'Footnotes' section. 

Don't layout footnotes or endnotes in any other way. This can make the information in your document difficult for screen reader users to access and understand.

When adding links to your footnotes or endnotes, make sure you follow our links advice.