Web accessibility refers to web content that is accessible to everyone, regardless of their physical or mental abilities, technology, native language, etc. Together, we can ensure that our website content is accessible, accurate, and understandable.

The Title II regulations of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal regulation that mandates specific digital accessibility requirements for state and local government organizations, including public higher education institutions like UA Little Rock. Title II emphasizes the need for web and digital content to be accessible and ensures that people with disabilities can participate fully in all aspects of their lives, including education.

While the new university website was developed with accessibility at the forefront, we must pay attention to the documents and pdfs that have been uploaded to our site, as these must also be accessible. This means your document must be created to be accessible before you upload it to your site.

Using Microsoft Word

Make Your Word Documents Accessible

Microsoft has provided a helpful guide for how to make your Word document accessible. Please review this before creating a Word document.

Some key points for Word:

Here is a helpful video about checking the accessibility of your Word document.

Using Google Docs

Google Docs unfortunately lacks some key accessibility functions. While it is a great tool for many purposes, it has less support for creating accessible content. For this reason, we recommend using Word to create accessible documents.

If you do need to use Google Docs to create content, be mindful of its limitations and recommendations. Google provides limited guidance online.

Some key points for Docs:

  • Use proper headings: Headings help organize your content and allow screen reader users to jump between sections efficiently.
    • Go to the Styles drop-down menu (usually set to “Normal text”).
    • Choose a heading level (e.g., Heading 1 for the title, Heading 2, Heading 3, etc.)
  • Avoid the use of decorative images: A “decorative” image is one that does not have a function; does not present important content; is used for non-informative purposes. Docs does not allow you to mark an image as “decorative” so this must be avoided.
  • Use Alt Text (Title vs. Description): Google Docs offers two different fields when you enter alt text – one called “Title” and one called “Description”. Only enter alternative text in the Description field rather than the Title field.
  • Use meaningful hyperlink text: Avoid using “Click Here.” Instead use the title of the destination page, such as “Learn more about the branding guide.”
  • Avoid using tables: Creating tables in Google Docs is not recommended because there is no way to tag row and column headers in a table. If you must use a table, use Microsoft Word.
  • Avoid using Google Docs to PDF Conversion: Saving a PDF directly from Docs creates an untagged PDF, which is inaccessible.
    • To create an accessible PDF file from Google Docs: Create the document in Google Docs and make it as accessible as possible; Save as a Word File by selecting File > Download > Microsoft Word (.docx); Open up the document in Word and make additional accessibility edits if needed; Save the Word document as an accessible PDF.

Additional Resources