508 Compliance 

- Word Documents

In this introductory guide, we will discuss making a Microsoft Word 

document 508 accessible for all individuals to be able to read 

and understand. The trainings are made by the General Services 

Administration regarding the accessibility requirements for information 

and communcation technology (ICT) covered by Section 508 of the 

Rehabilitation Act and Section 255 of the Communications Act. 

“The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) Office of Governmentwide Policy (OGP) is tasked under this law to provide technical 

assistance to help Federal agencies comply with these requirement, 

and ensure that covered ICT is accessible to, and usable by, individuals 

with disabilities.” 

This guide is an overview of the “How to Make an Accessible Document 

in Microsoft Word” trainings.

• Introduction and Background

• Save as a Word Document with a Descriptive 

Filename

• Use Styles to Create Headings

• Use Built-In Features to Create Lists

• Use Built-In Features to Organize Content

• Use Built-In Features to Create Layout and 

Data Tables

• Identify Distinct Languages

• Create Unambiguous Names for Links

• Duplicate Vital Information in Headers, 

Footers and Watermarks

• Create Accessible Images and Other Objects

• Create Accessible Textboxes

• Use Color and Other Sensory Characteristics 

Plus Text to Convey Meaning

• Create the Required Color Contrast

• Create Accessible Embedded Files

Table of Contents

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Introduction and Background

• Individuals with disabilities must have access to the same information as those without disabilities

• Discussed below are the minimum steps to make an electronic Microsoft Word document 508 

compliant

• In this guide/training you will learn how to:

• Author Accessibly

• Check Your Work

• Identify Inaccessible Content

• Identify Accessible Content

Download the guide

Save as a Word Document with a Descriptive Filename

• A descriptive filename is one that identifies the 

document or the purpose

• It is required as it helps individuals

• Locate

• Open

• Switch between documents easier

• Files must be saved in docx format

• File> Save As> Word Document

• Ensure that the saved filename is descriptive and 

identifies the document or the purpose of the 

document

• Use underscores between words

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Use Styles to Create Headings

• Headings

• Break-up content

• Make finding information easier

• Assistive technology cannot infer meaning from formatting 

characteristics alone

• Bolded

• Underlined

• Author Accessibly

• Use the styles (H1, H2, H3, etc.)

•There are some available to you to choose from

•Use a separate style for each heading level

• Check Your Work

• View> Navigation Pane> Check that all headings are there and 

match the outline

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Use the Styles

View Navigation Pane

Check Your Work
Use Built-In Features to Create Lists

• Lists can help

• Break-up information

• Simplify information

• Assistive technology cannot infer meaning from visual formatting alone

• Home> Bullets, numbering, etc. feature

• Check Your Work

• Place cursor at the end of the list and select one> Make sure bullets/numbering are highlighted above

• Shift + F1

•Look under Bullets and Numbering

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Use Bullets, Numbering, etc. Feature

Check Your Work
Use Built-In Features to Organize Content

• Columns are used to break-up information and organize content within a document

• Assistive technology devices cannot present information in the correct reading order if only ‘tabs’ or 

spaces are used to create the appearance of columns

• Read top to bottom and left to right 

• Use the columns feature

• Page layout section

• Type text> Highlight> Select number of columns desired

• Check Your Work

• Shift +F1

• Columns is under “Section”

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Check Your Work
Use Built-In Features to Create Layout and Data Tables

• Layout Tables - accessible friendly 

• Table using cells to layout or format images or text

• Does not require row or column headers

• Use built-in table features > Left to right and top to bottom

• Steps:

•Ensure you have a reading order that matches the visual layout

•Ensure the table is placed ‘in-line with text’ so AT can access

• Insert> Table> Format rows and columns> fill with content

• Check Your Work

•Cursor in 1st cell and tab through the table to check reading order

•Right click> Check properties> In-line with text

• Simple Data Tables - accessible friendly

• Need information from the row and/or column header to understand data in the cell

• Do not have merged or split cells

• Steps:

•Insert or create table in Word

•Keep the data table simple - do not merge or split headings, rows/columns

•Identify the header row

•Ensure the table is placed ‘in-line with text’ so AT can access

• Insert> Table> Insert Table> enter row and column numbers> Add data

•Headers first> Select row> Layout> Repeat Header Rows

• Check Your Work

•Click on table (make sure not a picture)

•Verify it is simple - has header row and no merged/split cells (view gridlines)

•Identify header row> Click in header row> shift +F1> Make sure repeat as header row 

is there

•Ensure the table is placed ‘in-line with text’

• Complex Data Tables - not accessible in Word

• Need information from the row and/or column header to understand data in the cell

• Have multilevel heading and/or merged cells

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Identify Distinct Languages

• You do not have to set a language for proper names, technical terms, or foregin words that have 

become a part of the common English language usage.

• Select text in different language> Review> Language> Set Proofing Language> Select language> OK

• Check Your Work

• Click in other language text

• Review Tab

• Language

• Set Proofing Language

• Verify correct language is selected

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Check Your Work
Create Unambiguous Names for Links

• Link names should describe their - destination, function, or purpose

• “Click Here” does not work for assistive technology as it will not be able to convey information that 

distinguished one link from another

• 2 ways to create

• Ensure the destination, purpose, or function of each link is described in surrounding text

• Create a hyperlink using the descriptive text

•Type text> Insert Tab> Select Hyperlink> paste URL in appropriate field

• Place in this document> Select appropriate line from box

• Email address> Type in email address in appropriate field

• Check Your Work

• Very the link(s) can be determined within the text and/or has an name that describes the destination, 

function, or purpose

Inserting Links

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Duplicate Vital Information in Headers, Footers and 

Watermarks

• Screen readers do not automatically 

read information contained in the 

headers, footers, and watermarks of Word 

documents

• If vital information such as; response date, 

security levels, distribution instructions, 

etc. - this information must be duplicated 

at or near the start of the main content 

area

• Check Your Work

• Check for vital information in the header, 

footer, and watermarks

• Make sure information is duplicated in a 

secondary location

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Create Accessible Images and Other Objects

• AT cannot infer meaning from images or other graphical objects such as

• Pictures, images of text, images of tables, shapes, icons with hyperlinks, graphs, charts, etc.

•Make accessible> Place in-line with text and add descriptive text

• Text description of information conveyed through the image or picture

• Add descriptive text

• Add alt text

• Use captions

• Include information in surrounding text or appendix

•Text should describe the purpose and/or function of meaningful objects, if image or object is 

decorative or not meaningful you should use a space, or “ “, if the object is an image of text then the 

alt text much match the text verbatim

• Place in-line with text

• Click on image or object> Page Layout Tab> Position> In-line with text

• Add Alt Text

• Right click on image or object> Select format picture/object/chart> click on ‘layout and properties’ 

icon> Select ‘Alt Text’> add information in description (keep brief 250 characters or less)

• Check Your Work

• Verify all images/objects are ‘in-line with text’ and descriptive text is present as alt text or as a caption, 

description or appendix

• Use the Accessibility checker

Use the Accessibility Checker

Place In-Line with Text

Add Alt Text

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Create Accessible Textboxes

• AT cannot access information in text boxes unless they are placed ‘in-line with text’ - text boxes must be 

in-line

• Select text box> Page Layout> Position> choose in line with text

• Check Your Work

• Run accessibility checker

Use Color and Other Sensory Characteristics Plus Text to 

Convey Meaning

• Sensory characteristics include: size, shape, position, etc.

• Include text to duplicate the meaning of color or sensory characteristic(s)

• Check Your Work

• Use a layout table that includes color and text to convey information

•Individuals who cannot see the colored boxes would not be able to determine the status of the 

projects without the words included

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Use the Accessibility Checker
Create the Required Color Contrast

• A high level of contrast allows people to see and use your content more easily

• Standard size text should have a contrast ratio of greater than or equal to 4.5:1

• Large size text (at least 14 point and bolded or 18 point and regular weight must have a contrast

greater than or equal to 3:1

• Create content with text or images of text that use color or shading with sufficient color contrast

• Check Your Work

• Use the ‘colour contrast analyser’ to ensure content has correct color contrast ratio

•Available for download at https://paciellogroup.com/resources/contrastanalyser

• Use application> place crosshair on the text for the foreground> do same for the background color

•Displays a fail or pass

Create Accessible Embedded Files

• If you embed an audio-only, video-only, or multimedia file into your document you must provide

additional information so that individuals with disabilities have comparable access to that information

• Audio-only

• Include an accurate and complete transcript in the word document

• Video-only

• Include an accurate and complete text description in the word document

• Multimedia file

• Provide accurate and complete synchronized captions and audio description

• Check Your Work

• Activate the audio-only, video-only, or multimedia file - while it is playing, compare the corresponding

transcript, description or synchronized captions and audio description to ensure it is accurate and

complete

This project was supported in part by grant number 90PPNU0002 from the U.S. Administration for Community Living, Department of Health and Human 

Services, Washington, D.C. 20201. Grantees undertaking projects with government sponsorship are encouraged to express freely their findings and 

con-clusions. Points of view or opinions do not, therefore, necessarily represent official ACL policy.

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