Basics of Document Accessibility

Content published on the public-facing website, MVConnect, Canvas, or otherwise delivered electronically to students or members of the public must meet certain web accessibility criteria. Faculty and staff who create content should follow these steps to start from a place of accessibility, rather than try to remediate issues on the backend.

Best practice is to publish content in the original format in which it was created (i.e., publish a file created in Microsoft Word as a .docx file). For this reason, these steps are written with Microsoft Word desktop in mind, but the principles apply across the Microsoft product suite. If you must export the file to a PDF for publication, additional steps may be needed, as noted in Step 5.

Step 1: Set Document Properties & Metadata

• Document Title: Set a human-readable Title in File Properties (e.g., "Fiscal Year 2026 Annual Report" instead of “FY26_annualreport_v2_final.pdf”)

Step 2: Content Structure & Headings

• Logical Heading Hierarchy: Organize content using true heading styles (Heading 1, Heading 2, Heading 3).
  • The title of your document (likely to be the same in Step 1) should be set as Heading 1.
  • Subsequent styles should be based on the information hierarchy (i.e., topics and subtopics). Do not skip levels (e.g., jumping from H1 directly to H3).
  • Do not just make text large and bold; use heading styles.
• Paragraph Styles: Content paragraphs should be Normal.
• Lists: Format all lists using native bullet or number list tools (Home → Paragraph), not manual hyphens or numbers.
• Table of Contents: For long documents (10+ pages), add page numbers and create a Table of Contents under References → Table of Contents. Your Heading styles will automatically populate a Table of Contents.
• Formatting:
  • Do not use tables for formatting. For formatting, use Columns (Layout → Page Setup → Columns)
  • Use page breaks and/or paragraph spaces (Home → Paragraph → Spacing) to increase space before or after a paragraph for formatting. Avoid using the Enter (return) or Tab keys for spacing so that a screen reader does not read empty spaces. Turn on Paragraph marks to check for any empty spaces.

Step 3: Images & Visuals

• Alternative Text (Alt Text): Every image, graph, diagram, or logo that conveys information must have a clear visual description added. Describe relevant content, not how the image looks. Keep it short (125-150 characters) and use sentence case and punctuation. Never start with "image of" or "picture of." If the image is a screenshot that has been modified to communicate information (e.g., drawn boxes or circles, or highlights), the alt text should include that. For example, alt text for a screenshot of the homepage demonstrating what to click to apply might be: “The bright green ‘Apply’ button highlighted on the Moraine Valley Community College homepage menu.” Review best practices for authoring meaningful alt text.[1]
• Decorative Graphics: Mark purely decorative images (lines, background shapes) as Decorative or Artifacts so screen readers ignore them.
• No Text in Images: Do not embed important text inside an image (e.g., flyer graphics). Put the text directly into the document.
• QR Codes: QR codes should be used for printed media or accompanied by an embedded URL.
• College Logo: Use “Moraine Valley Community College logo.” Alt text for logos or other images in your email signature can only be added in Outlook Classic, not Outlook 365.

Step 4: Tables, Links, & Color

• Tables: Tables should be used only to present tabular information. All data tables must have a designated Header Row (and Header Column, if applicable) marked. Avoid split or merged cells.
• Descriptive Links: Embed URLs behind meaningful text that describes the destination. "View the 2026 Academic Calendar" instead of "Click Here" or the raw URL. Ensure that email addresses are also links with “mailto:”. If you also plan to print the document, add a footnote with the full URL. See example under Step 3, Alternative Text.
• Color Contrast: Text must meet a minimum contrast ratio against the background color. Use WebAIM[2] or another tool to check color contrast. Be mindful of common red-green color blindness.
• Color Independence: Do not use color as the only way to convey meaning (e.g., "Required fields are in red.”)

Step 5: Exporting, Testing, and Publishing

• Publish in Original File Format: If needed, you can protect the document to prevent editing: File à Info à Protect Document à Restrict Editing à Start Enforcement by setting a password. Consider saving two versions of the file (one editable original and one protected) in case you lose the password.
• Export as Tagged PDF: If exporting your file to PDF, use File à Save as Adobe PDF or Acrobat à Create PDF. Verify "Document structure tags for accessibility" is checked. Never use print to PDF.
  • Document Language: Set the primary language to English (or en-US) in File Properties Advanced.
  • Initial View: Set the document to display the Document Title (not the File Name) in the window title bar.
• Run Accessibility Checker: In Word, run the accessibility checker under Review à Check Accessibility. If exported to PDF, check for accessibility in Adobe using the “prepare for accessibility” tool and/or PAC (PDF Accessibility Checker).[3] Neither Microsoft nor Adobe’s accessibility checkers automatically check against the entirety of the WCAG standards. Manual review or advanced tools are likely required.
• Fix Errors at the Source: If errors are found, fix them in the original file and re-export.
• Name Your File for Web Publishing: Save the file using lowercase letters and hyphens to separate words. Avoid spaces or special characters to ensure URL and SEO performance.
• Web Text Considerations for Web Managers: The web text should include the file type and size in parentheses. For example: FY27 Budget (PDF, 72KB). If the file downloads, include that in the linked text. For example, Download FY27 Budget (Docx, 50KB)

Other PDF Considerations

• Real Text (No Scanned Documents): The PDF must contain selectable text. If you scanned a physical paper document, run Optical Character Recognition (OCR) first.

Need help?

• Faculty who need assistance to make their courses accessible should seek support from the Center for Teaching and Learning.[4]
• Staff who need training in Microsoft or other college-supported software should seek support from employee development by contacting Dr. Deidre Walker.[5]
• Faculty and staff who need a marketing or professional piece or content for mass distribution should submit a Marketing Request Form on MVConnect[6] (log-in required).