Here are some tips to make Microsoft Office files (Word, PowerPoint and Excel) uploaded to the Web more accessible.
Make sure your audience has ready access to Micrsoft Office packages. Although these are readily available at Penn State, they may not be available outside of Penn State; another option like PDF or pure HTML may be better in these situations.
SECTION 508 - When a web page requires that an applet, plug-in or other application be present on the client system to interpret page content, the page must provide a link to a plug-in or applet that complies with § 1194.21(a) through (l).
A plug-in from the University of Illinois may allow you to install wizards on the Windows platform which allow you to add alternative text for each image more easily. See details on that page for installation and usage instructions.
Note: .NET 1.1 must be installed on your system
Use the built in Header style tags (e.g. Header 1, Header 2, Header 3) in Word as you would H1,H2,H3 tags in an HTML file. These headers may be preserved and interpreted in screen readers when files are converted to PDF or other formats. The Format » Style menu allows users to adjust the appearence of these tags in a Word file.
Provide labels and captions for all images and charts.
In some HTML editors like Dreamweaver 2004, Header styles are converted to H tags when the text from Word is copied and pasted into Dreamweaver.
Note: Avoid "Paste as Formatted" in Dreamweaver, since it will copy extra style tags.
Avoid using the "Save as Web file" option to convert Word and Excel files to HTML. Even in filtered mode, the code tends to be very clunky and may be inaccessible depending on how the original file was formatted (see inaccessible example below). It's better to convert the file into a PDF or cut and paste raw text into an HTML editor and reformat the content more accessibly.
Here is a sample of what codes are generated by the Save as Web file option in Microsoft Word.
This is unformatted text.
Font was fixed to 12 point, Times New Roman
This is a sample of unformatted normal text.
Note: Some text editors such as Global Writer export HTML with less embedded formatting.
Styles use fixed font sizes, not relative font sizes. Zoom will be disabled in Internet Explorer.
Will probably fix the font to Times New Roman which is designed for print, not for computer monitors.
Style sheets are embedded and are time consuming to remove manually.
Word HTML allows designers to specify for unusual fonts or symbols which may not be available on all computers.
If Smart Quotes are turned on, then they will be converted to a Unicode numeric character or left intact. Older browsers may not be able to decipher these symbols.
Always add labels to images and include extended text descriptions for graphics and charts as needed. Audio and video files should include captions or transcripts.
If you use the Chart Wizard, make sure the color formatting is accessible. See details below in the Excel section.
Screen readers vary in their ability to read PowerPoint files, so when in doubt, convert them to HTML and review the code for accessibility. Using the full version of PowerPoint instead of a PowerPoint reader plug-in will enhance accessibility. Microsoft Office for Windows with PowerPoint is available at an academic discount from the Penn State Computer Store.
If you convert PowerPoint to HTML from Office XP, you can add Alternative text to images before publishing it to HTML. To add the alternative text do the following:
If you convert PowerPoint files to an HTML file on a Macintosh, then you will need to manually insert the ALT text for all images. PowerPoint files are published in its own folder and could be edited by an HTML editor such as Dreamweaver or FrontPage.
A plug-in from the University of Illinois may allow you to install wizards on the Windows platform which allow you to add alternative text for each image more easily. See details on that page for installation and usage instructions.
Avoid converting files from Excel to HTML since inaccessible tagging may be added. See the Word HTML for a discussion of similar issues. It may be better to upload the Excel file itself or convert it into a tab delimited or comma delimited file.
Make sure headers and rows are labelled as in a data table.
Site Menu:
Home Page/Main Menu
| Section 508 Guidelines
| Quick Checklist
| Details by Tag
| Links
| I.T.S. Seminar Page
| Sitemap
©1999-2006 Pennsylvania State University.
This Web page is hosted by (by Teaching and Learning with Technology, a unit of Information Technology Services. Please contact the Webmaster if you have any questions.