How to make Word documents accessible

Layout and reading order

Use a clear, consistent layout and reading order so people can read and navigate your document easily.

On this page

Page orientation

Choose portrait orientation whenever possible. This is because:

  • shorter line lengths make documents easier to read
  • portrait works better for how people hold and read on phones

Use landscape orientation only if necessary, for example, to display a wide table or image.

Do not mix portrait and landscape in the same document. This can confuse users, especially those using assistive technologies or auto-rotation on mobile devices.

Text formatting

Design text to be easy to read.

Do:

  • keep all text horizontal (left to right) and left-aligned.
  • use a common font such as Arial, Verdana, Calibri, or Helvetica.
  • use a font size of 12 or larger (14 recommended for best readability).
  • ensure good colour contrast
  • if using colour to convey meaning, also provide text labels
  • format headings using our headings guidance for Word documents

Do not use:

  • overly decorative fonts such as Comic Sans or Brush Script
  • narrow or condensed fonts like Arial Narrow or Impact
  • italics, block capitals or underlining (unless it’s a link)

Margins

Consistent margins help readers focus on your content and prevent text from being cut off.

Do: 

  • use the same margins throughout the document
  • generally use Word's default margins of 2.54 cm (1 inch).

Columns

Use columns only if they are formatted correctly. Columns can be hard for screen readers to follow if not formatted properly.

Add columns using Word’s Columns tool. Go to Layout, then Page Setup, then choose Columns.

Do not simulate columns using spaces, tabs, or hidden tables. This makes content difficult to follow for screen reader users.

Headers and footers

Headers and footers typically include information like a title, author, creation date and page number. They can help people navigate a document, but are:

  • not automatically read by assistive technologies
  • visually hidden in some viewing modes (users might need to change the settings to get them to appear)

Do:

  • add them using the toolbar (Insert, then Header/Footer)
  • keep content consistent across all pages
  • add alternative text for informative images, such as logos
  • mark decorative images as decorative
  • repeat important information in the main text (except for page numbers)
  • use normal page numbering (avoid Roman numerals)

Watermarks

Watermarks appear behind text, usually indicating draft or confidential status.

Do not use watermarks that make content difficult to see. Watermarks may also be ignored or misread by screen readers.

State “Draft” or “Confidential” in the main page text instead.

If a watermark is necessary, 

Footnotes and endnotes

Use Word’s built-in tools to add footnotes and endnotes.

Do: 

  • insert footnotes or endnotes using References, then Insert Footnote/Insert Endnote.
  • if including links, follow the links guidance.

Do not format footnotes or endnotes manually. This can make them inaccessible to screen reader users.

Accessibility standards and resources

Following this guidance helps more people access council content and supports meeting UK accessibility regulations, including PSBAR 2018.

If system or format limits stop you from following this guidance, contact the Communications and Marketing team before publishing.