Accessible Documents (Microsoft Word & Google Docs)

Titles, subtitles, and section headings give readers–including those using assistive technologies–a way to quickly understand and move through your document. Without them, documents read as one single section.

Use Word’s built-inTitleandSubtitlestyles for the document’s main title elements. For the rest of your sections, apply the built-inHeadingstyles and write clear, descriptive headings that signal what each part of the document covers. This helps screen reader users grasp the document’s layout and jump between sections easily. Avoid manually enlarging or bolding text to simulate headings.

Arrange your headings in a logical sequence without skipping levels (e.g., Heading 1 → Heading 2 → Heading 3). Break your content into manageable sections so that each heading introduces only a small portion of text.

Using Word’s built-in bulleted and numbered lists createsreal list structurethat screen readers and other assistive technologies can understand. When you manually create a list using tabs, hyphens, or symbols, it maylooklike a list visually, but assistive tools will read it as one long block of text with no separation. Built-in lists give each item its own structure, making it easier for students to navigate, skim, and understand the relationship between items.

Alternative text (alt text) provides a brief description of a visual (including photos, shapes, charts, and embedded objects, etc.) and is essential for users relying on screen readers.It should describe the visual's content or function, or indicate if the image is decorative. Screen readers will read this description aloud, allowing non-visual users to access the same information. If the content or function of a photo or image is correctly described in the adjacent text or paragraphs, the alternative text can be nulled. Avoid relying on images that contain important text. If text must appear inside an image, make sure that same text also appears in the body of the document.

To add an alt-text to a visual, right-click the visual, select View Alt Text, and enter a brief description in the field provided.

Using Google Gemini to Generate Alt Text

Writing effective alt text—especially for figures, charts, graphs, and equations—can be time-consuming. Google Gemini streamline this process by generating a strong first draft for you to review.

Important: To protect sensitive data, always sign in with your UC Berkeley (CalNet) account to use campus-licensed AI tools. This ensures your content is not used to train external models.

Step-by-Step Workflow

1. Open Gemini: Sign in to your bConnected suite. Select the Google Apps grid (upper-right) and launch Gemini. 
2. Capture the Image: In your document (Acrobat, Word, or PowerPoint), use a screen-capture tool (Mac: Shift-Command-4; Windows: Win+Shift+S) to copy the image to your clipboard. 
3. Generate Alt Text: Paste the image into the Gemini prompt area and type: "Provide concise alt text for this image". Press Enter.
4. Review and Transfer: Verify the output for accuracy and instructional relevance. Click the Copy response icon and paste the text into the alt text field of your application.

Ensure hyperlinks clearly describe their destination. Use clear, descriptive link text instead of phrases like “click here” or "Go to this page" or full URLs. For example, use “Course Syllabus” to make links easier to understand and navigate, especially for users of screen readers. The exception is email addresses; these should be typed out (e.g., rtl-admin@berkeley.edu(link sends e-mail)), as screen readers may not recognize linked text as an email address.

Use tables only for presenting data, not for visual layout.  Don't use a table if there is only one column. Instead, consider using a list. In general, avoid using tables whenever possible. Often, information can be communicated more effectively through short paragraphs, headings, or clearly labeled sections. Tables can be challenging for students who rely on Magnifier or who read on small screens, because fixed-width columns can shrink text and require horizontal scrolling. If a table is necessary, follow these guidelines to keep it accessible:

• Screen readers interpret tables row by row, from left to right, so place information in a logical, left-to-right order that makes sense when read aloud.
• Use row and column headers to help screen readers identify the structure. 
• Avoid merging cells or using fixed-width elements; instead, use percentage-based widths.

To create a table, use Insert > Table, then set Header Row using Table Tools > Layout > Repeat Header Rows.

Use sans-serif fonts like Arial, Verdana, or Tahoma. Use a font size between 12 and 14 points for body text, and 16 points or larger for headings and titles. ​​Avoid using ALL CAPS and excessive italics. For headings, consider adding bold as well. 

Color contrast refers to the difference between two colors, typically the text color and the background color. A higher contrast makes text easier to read, especially for people with low vision. It’s measured using a contrast ratio. For example, black text on a white background has a very high contrast ratio. Analyzing color contrast is conducted using free tools such as the Colour Contrast Analyser by TPGi(link is external). Watch the Colour Contrast Analyser Video Tutorial(link is external) to learn more about digitally measuring color contrast ratios. 

• Use more than just color to show meaning. For example, if you highlight something in red, also add an asterisk or label to explain why it’s important.
• Don’t rely solely on red and green. Many people with color blindness can’t distinguish between them. Try using patterns, symbols, or text labels in addition to color.
• Make sure the text is readable against the background. Regular text should have a color contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1. Large text (18pt or 14pt bold) only needs a 3:1 ratio.

• Hyperlinks must be clear too. If a link is only identified by color, it requires a contrast ratio of 4.5:1 against the background. If the link isn't underlined, it must also have a 3:1 contrast ratio with the surrounding text (so users can tell it's a link).

Word includes a built-in Accessibility Checker that scans your document for common accessibility issues and helps you address them. It’s a good idea to run this tool as one of your last steps to ensure you didn’t overlook anything while editing.

Depending on your version of Word, the checker may appear as an“Accessibility Checker”button or under theReview tab as“Check Accessibility.”When you open it, Word will list issues it has identified, explain why each one may create difficulty for users with disabilities, and offer suggestions for how to correct them.

In many versions of Word, the checker also monitors your document as you work. If it detects an accessibility problem, you’ll see a notification in the status bar.

Google Docs supports tables, butit has far fewer accessibility features than Word, which means instructors have to be more careful to ensure tables are usable for students with disabilities. There's No built-in way to mark header rows/columns in Google Docs: In Word, you can explicitly define table headers. In Google Docs, screen readers oftencan’t reliably trackrow and column headers. Because of this, thebest solutionis to usevery simple table structures:

•  Use the first row as the header row (many screen readers willinferheader information if The first row contains clear, descriptive labels and The remaining cells follow predictable patterns. )

• No merged cells

• No split cells

• No nested tables

• Regular grid structure

For anything beyond a simple grid, replace the table with structured text.For example, instead of a 3×3 table comparing concepts, write:

Concept A:…
Concept B:…
Concept C:…

Grackle is the accessibility checker Google never built. It's an add-on (Grackle Docs / Slides / Sheets) that scans your file and flags common issues, such as missing or out-of-order headings, improper lists, missing alt text, vague link text, unsupported or unlabeled table headers/structure, basic color/contrast problems, etc. It also provides step-by-step guidance to resolve each issue and. Learn more about Grackle on Berkeley's Digital Accessibility Program (DAP) website(link is external). To use Grackle Docs follow the next steps: 

• Go toExtensions → Add-ons → Get add-ons → search “Grackle Docs.”

• Install and open viaExtensions → Grackle Docs → Launch.

• Let it scan your document for:

  • Missing headings

  • Poor contrast

  • Table issues

  • Missing alt text

  • Reading order issues