Documents and Forms

Before creating and sharing digital documents and forms, it is essential and required by law that these materials are designed to be fully accessible. This means that our digital content must adhere to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and the best way to meet this standard is by following the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 Level AA.

This page provides quick, actionable best practices for creating communications and marketing content. Please also refer to our Digital Accessibility Best Practice guidance.

Microsoft Word

Best practice: Utilize the built-in Microsoft Accessibility Checker as you develop to catch and fix issues in real-time, as well as for a final check before sharing your document.

Document Structure & Formatting

  • Check templates for accessibility features using the accessibility checker, even ones marked as accessible-ready.
  • Use heading styles (h1 through h6) rather than just formatting text to appear larger/bolder.
  • Format lists using bullets and/or numbered styles. Avoid pseudo lists.
  • Use standard sans-serif fonts like Verdana, Calibri, and Arial to maximize readability.
  • Use line spacing that is 1.5 times.
  • Add a Title to document properties metadata (different from the file name).

Visuals, Links & Tables

  • Add alt text to all graphics, except those marked as decorative.
  • Ensure there is sufficient color contrast between foreground and background, especially with text.
  • Embed hyperlinks in descriptive, purposeful text. Avoid generic text like “click here.”
  • Use table headers.
  • Avoid layout tables. Ensure that tables show relationships between data.
  • Avoid complex tables with merged and nested cells.

A note on mathematical content

  • If you need to provide a downloadable document, Microsoft Word is highly recommended over a PDF. Equations created natively in Word are stored as OMML (Office Math Markup Language), which encodes both the visual presentation and semantic meaning of the math.

More Word Resources

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Excel

Best practice: Utilize the built-in Microsoft Accessibility Checker as you develop to catch and fix issues in real-time, as well as for a final check before sharing your document.

Structure & Layout

  • Name all worksheets descriptively.
  • Use cell A1 as the title of the spreadsheet.
  • Remove blank rows and columns.
  • Avoid hiding rows and columns.
  • Adjust text wrapping and column width to improve the readability of all cell data.
  • Link to other sheets to assist keyboard-only users.
  • Alert users with text where frozen panes are active.

Data Formatting & Visuals

  • Data formatted as tables needs descriptive headers. Name the table.
  • Empty cells should include the text “no data.”
  • Use chart titles and labels.
  • Add alt text for images, charts, and tables.
  • Avoid using all caps and strikethrough text because they are not perceivable to some assistive technology users.
  • Use alt text or contextual notes in cells where color is the only way to convey meaning (e.g., conditional formatting).

More Excel Resources

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PowerPoint

Best practice: Utilize the built-in Microsoft Accessibility Checker as you develop to catch and fix issues in real-time, as well as for a final check before sharing your document.

Slide Structure

  • Choose built-in slide layouts. Text boxes you manually add to layouts will not appear in the Outline View for screen readers.
  • Use the Slide Master to modify slide layouts globally.
  • Give each slide a unique title, even if it’s a continuation of the previous slide.
  • Verify reading order using the Reading Order pane (arrange objects from top to bottom). Note: they are from bottom to top in the Selection pane.
  • Take care to not overcrowd your slide with information.

Visuals & Media

  • Use 24pt-28pt minimum text formatting.
  • Add alt text to all graphics, except mark decorative graphics as decorative.
  • Ensure links are descriptive.
  • Include table headers for any data tables.
  • Make sure embedded videos include captions. Use VTT format in PowerPoint.

More PowerPoint Resources

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Google Documents

When creating documents, presentations, sheets, and more using Google Workspace, it is essential to plan for accessibility so your content is readable by everyone.

Formatting & Structure

Images, Links & Media

More Google Resources

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Adobe Acrobat PDF

All digital content distributed by Rice University must be accessible to individuals with disabilities. While PDFs can still be useful, publishing your content as a webpage or in the original software format they were created in can yield more accessible content than creating or fixing a PDF document.

Stop and Ask: Does this need to be a PDF?

Before you save a document as a PDF, ask yourself: Is the primary goal of this document to be printed on physical paper? Are there posting requirements based on some external criterion like a grant submission? If the answer is "No," we recommend one of the alternatives below.

1. Convert to a Web Page (Highly Recommended)

Add your information directly to your department's website or as a native Canvas page instead of uploading a PDF file. HTML web pages natively adapt to screen readers, mobile phones, and screen magnifiers.

  • Best option for: Syllabi, policies, informational guides, frequently updated content, and content accessed on mobile devices.

2. Share as an Accessible Document via the source document

If users need to download the file, options like native Microsoft Word or Google Docs are much easier to make accessible compared to PDFs.

  • Best option for: Text-heavy documents, working drafts, and documents users may want to print.

3. Use Web-Based Forms

PDF forms are notoriously difficult for assistive technologies to read and navigate. Never use a fillable PDF to collect information.

  • Best option for: Applications, surveys, and registrations.
  • What to use: Convert your PDF forms to accessible, web-based platforms like Qualtrics, Microsoft Forms, or Google Forms.

If You Must Use a PDF (Print-Ready Documents Only)

If your document is specifically designed for physical printing (like a campus flyer) and you must distribute it digitally as a PDF, you are required to make it accessible. Creating an accessible PDF requires intentional work. Please follow these mandatory steps:

  1. Start with an Accessible Source: Always build accessibility into your original Word, Google Doc, InDesign, or other native file.
  2. Never "Print to PDF": Exporting by choosing "Print > PDF" strips away all structural tags and ruins the document's accessibility. Always use "Save As > PDF" or "Export > Create PDF" to preserve the document's tags.
  3. Run the Accessibility Checker: Open your file in Adobe Acrobat Pro and run the Accessibility Checker tool. Reach out to the Digital Accessibility team with any questions.
  4. Prepare for Manual Remediation: No automated checker can catch everything. You must manually verify the reading order, check the structural tags, ensure all images have appropriate alternative text or be marked as decorative, and format tables correctly.
  5. Re-Run the Accessibility Checker: Double check the results of your manual edits before publishing.

More PDF Resources

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Canva

Best practice: Accessibility in Canva is a two-step process! You must assess your design using Canva's built-in checker, and then verify the structural tags after downloading it as a PDF or PowerPoint.

Canva is a popular design tool for creating electronic documents, presentations, and social graphics. While Canva has introduced accessibility tools within its system, designs downloaded as PDFs or PPTs often do not meet accessibility standards automatically.

Canva Accessibility Features

  • Alerts to add alt text to images, graphics, and icons.
  • Color contrast checks on all elements of your project.
  • Simple reading order and heading tagging for PDFs.

Designing for Accessiblity in Canva

Canva’s built-in Accessibility Checker is located under File > Accessibility > Check Design Accessibility. It reviews typography size, contrast, and the presence of alternative text.

  • Keep designs simple to ensure that Canva may export the proper accessibility tags to assist with screen readers and more.
  • Headings should follow a sequential, logical order.
  • Use the ‘Position’ tool to arrange layers logically. The content you want screen readers to read first should be the bottom layer in the panel.

Reviewing Downloaded Files

Expect to use additional software to make Canva content fully accessible.

  • Always double-check your exported color contrast using free tools like WebAIM's Contrast Checker, the WCAG Color Contrast Checker, or the TPGi Color Contrast Analyzer for advanced features.
  • You will likely need to fix reading order and structural tagging issues manually in Adobe Acrobat Pro or Microsoft PowerPoint before sharing the final documents. You can alternatively create the document directly in PowerPoint.
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Forms

Best practice: Whenever possible, provide online forms in HTML format rather than PDF. HTML forms are more accessible and easier to update and edit than PDF forms.

Tools for Creating Forms

Rice has form tool options available to the community through Google Forms, Microsoft Forms, and Qualtrics that, with some attention, can create accessible options. Look for the Google Forms within your Google Workspace and Microsoft Forms within 365. The OIE department can provide access to Qualtrics. Please confirm if there is a unit cost associated with using Qualtrics.

Creating Forms in HTML Editors

If you decide to create your forms in HTML, be aware that there are certain requirements to make them usable and accessible.

Techniques for Forms and Labels in HTML

More Resources for Forms

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