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How can I make documents accessible?
When creating digital documents, there are a few basic issues to keep in mind in order to ensure your content is accessible. These issues are the same regardless of whether your document is in HTML, Word, PDF, or another document format. Use the questions below to guide you for learning about accessibility in digital documents.
Questions and Resources
Questions
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Resource Links
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| Do headings form an outline of the page content? |
For details, see our Headings page. |
| Are lists used to identify all content that can be described as a list of something? |
For details, see our Lists page. |
| Do form fields within web pages and documents have appropriately coded labels and prompts, and do they provide helpful, accessible error and verification messages? |
For details, see our Forms page. |
| Do images have alternative text? |
For details, see our Images page.
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| Are tables used solely for presenting rows and columns of data (not for layout), and are the column and row headers identified? |
For details, see our Tables page. |
| Is the tab order and read order logical and intuitive? |
For details, see our Tab and Read Order page.
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| Have you avoided using visual characteristics to communicate information (e.g., “click the circle on the right” or “required fields are in red”)? |
For details, see our Visual Characteristics page. |
| Does the interface have sufficient contrast between text color and background color? |
For details, see our Color Contrast page. |
| Are links and buttons used appropriately and labeled correctly? |
For details, see our Links page.
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| Does the document have a title that describes its topic or purpose? |
For details, see our Titles page.
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| Are mechanisms in place that allow users to bypass blocks of content (e.g., bookmarks in a PDF)? |
For details, see our Navigation page.
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| Has the language of the document (or individual parts of a multilingual document) been defined? |
For details, see our Language page. |
Additional Resources
The following pages focus on issues that are unique to document accessibility: