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When creating documents, there are many opportunities to creatively structure and style the overall layout of your content. While these choices can enhance visual design, it is important to consider how they impact accessibility. The following are general accessibility best practices that can be applied across different software platforms to help ensure your content is easy to navigate, read, and understand for all users—regardless of ability.
Apply Appropriate Line Spacing
Use 1.15 – 1.5 line spacing to improve readability. Avoid single spacing (1.0), which can feel crowded, and double spacing (2.0), which can make content harder to follow for some users.
Justify Text Left
Line justification refers to how text is aligned on a page (left, right, or fully justified). Left justified text is the easiest to read, as it follows the English reading pattern—left to right, top to bottom. Left justification aligns text along the left side of the page, creating a consistent starting point for each line, with a ragged right edge. Right justification is the inverse of this. Right justified text can be more difficult for users with dyslexia or other reading disorders to follow from line to line. Most importantly, never full justify text. It aligns text along both the left and right margins, often creating uneven spacing between words and characters, which can make content more difficult to read.
Apply Headings to Organize Content
Headings are used to divide information into meaningful and digestible chunks. These “chunks” help users navigate the document more easily, especially when using assistive technology.
- Use Heading 1 level for a document’s title. Ideally, there is only one Heading 1 per document.
- Use Heading 2 level for each main topic.
- Use Heading levels 3 – 6 for all other sub-headings and sub-subheadings. Heading levels 7 -9 should not be used, as they do not translate to HTML formatting.
Resources
Apply Styles to Ordered and Unordered Lists
Avoid manually creating lists using numbers, symbols, or tabs. Apply pre-set list styles for both bulleted and numbered lists so assistive technology can recognize and navigate them correctly.
Use Pre-Set Option for Columns
Do not create columns manually. Use the built-in column tool to ensure content is read in the correct order—top to bottom, left to right. Manually created columns may cause screen readers to read across the page from left to right, spanning columns, which can create confusion for users.
Do Not Place Vital Information in Headers or Footers
Assistive technology does not automatically read information included in headers and footers. If important information is placed in these areas, ensure you duplicate this information in the main body of the document.
Note: In PowerPoint, headers and footers are read as part of the slide body. However, this information is typically not essential. To prevent headers and footers from being announced on every slide, add them to the
Slide Master. This keeps them visible on each slide without repeating the content for screen reader users.
Use the Pre-Set Button for Inserting Footnotes and Endnotes
Manually created footnotes and endnotes will not be accessible to screen reader users. Use the built-in insertion tool so that they are recognized and announced by screen readers. Users may not be able to jump directly to the footnote or endnote, but they will be aware that it is present and can navigate to it if needed.
Note: In PowerPoint, footnotes are part of the slide body and can be easily accessed by screen reader users.
Resources
Avoid Superscripts and Subscripts
Screen readers generally ignore superscript and subscript formatting, reading it as regular text. For example, e=mc2 will be read as “E equals M C two,” which can create confusion.
Exceptions:
- Superscripts may still be used for common number formats. For example, 1st and 1st will be read as “first” regardless of how they are styled.
- In mathematical contexts, superscripts and subscripts may be necessary when using equation or math tools. Screen reader interpretation will vary depending on the software.
Insert Page Numbers Using Built-in Tools
Use the built-in page number feature to insert page numbers. These provide structural context for users who read or edit documents. Because page numbers are often placed in headers or footers, some screen readers may not be able to access these elements. However, screen reader users typically navigate by links and headings rather than page numbers, so the absence of page numbers does not inherently inhibit screen reader users from accessing content.
Ensure Adequate Color Contrast Between Text and Background
Color contrast is the difference in brightness between colors in the foreground and background. Use sufficient color contrast to make text readable for all users.
Avoid Watermarks
Watermarks are often used to convey meaning (e.g., Draft or Final), but this meaning is often overlooked by screen reader users. Watermarks are attached as an image to the background layer, but they are not easily accessible to assistive technology users. If users do manage to navigate to the background layer, alternative text is not available, so the information cannot be conveyed.
Avoid Background Patterns and Images
Background images and patterns (including watermarks) can interfere with text readability. They may also make it more difficult to maintain sufficient color contrast, especially when using gradients or textured backgrounds.
Software Specific Styling Considerations
Some accessibility considerations vary depending on the software being used. The following guidance highlights best practices specific to PowerPoint.
PowerPoint
Select accessible themes
PowerPoint’s built-in themes serve as templates for presentations. They help create a cohesive design across slides through consistent color schemes, fonts, and effects. They also have embedded semantic structure defined for headings, lists, and paragraph text.
Use pre-set slide layouts
PowerPoint’s preset slide layouts are designed with structure and reading order optimized for screen readers. Using these layouts reduces the need to manually design slides and helps minimize accessibility issues.
Limit animations and effects
Animations and effects can be distracting for individuals of all abilities. Moreover, animations and effects may cause confusion and issues in navigation for screen reader users. Screen readers are constantly having to refresh to keep up with the animations and effects, which can extend the time needed to attain information on a slide.