An article from JISC TechDis explaining how to use the Styles and Formatting toolbar from Microsoft to make documents more accessible

Ball, Simon

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www.escalate.ac.uk3ESCalate Newsletter Issue 7 ? Spring 2007For example, possibly the mostimportant small change you canmake to your practice is to utilisethe Styles and Formatting Toolbarwhen using Microsoft® Word tocreate appropriate headings andstructure your document. Performing these tasks brings anumber of inclusion benefits toyour documentation:1. The Document Map: Word hasan inbuilt navigation system thatcan enable users to navigate along document that has beenappropriately styled.2. Table of Contents: If a documenthas been created using the stylesand headings options as notedabove an automatic table ofcontents can be created.Table of Contents:Don’t be scared: TechDis - Making documents more accessible!TechDis provides advice and guidance on technology and disability to promote an accessible and inclusive experiencefor students and staff. TechDis is a JISC-funded advisory service. For more information go to www.techdis.ac.ukIn each edition of the ESCalate newsletter from now on, TechDis will be providing practical advice on how to improvean aspect of your practice to benefit all learners. When writing a document highlightthe text required for the heading orsub-heading and select theappropriate heading style (from theformatting menu) for the locationand level within the document.Ensure the Styles and FormattingToolbar is shown(View>Toolbars>Formatting).From the 'Style' box in theformatting menu you can choosean appropriate heading and stylefor the structure of a document.You can then amend the look andfeel of each type of heading,changing all examples of eachtype in one easy task:From the menu selectFormat>Styles and Formatting.This will open the styles andformatting menu on the right ofyour screen.Select the heading you wish toamend from the list, for example'Heading 1' or 'Heading 2', andclick the 'Select All' button.By clicking 'Select All' all headingsin the document with that style willbe amended in one step. Once theappropriate heading has beenselected use the Format Toolbar,or the Format>Font dialogue box,to amend the style to oneappropriate for the document.Clicking the Document Map willallow the user to expand andcontract headings or jump to therelevant section of a largedocument. It is also navigable byScreen Reading software.From the menu selectView>Document Map. A dynamicnavigation menu will appear on theleft of the screen.To update the table of contentsright click anywhere within thecontents section and select'Update Field' from the menu list. Adialogue box will be displayedproviding two options. Dependingon what amendments you havemade to the document chooseeither 'Update page numbers only'or 'Update entire table'.The Document MapMove the cursor to the place in thedocument where you wish theTable of Contents to be inserted.Navigate toInsert>Reference>Index andTables and select the 'Table ofContents’ tab. Using the dialoguebox displayed you can amend thelook of the contents section.Depending on the number ofheadings and sub headings usedwithin a document you canincrease or decrease the numberof levels shown by changing the'Show levels' option.If the document is to be madeavailable electronically you canchoose to have the contentsdisplayed as hyperlinks by tickingthe 'Use hyperlinks instead ofpage numbers' option. This willonly appear when the document isviewed in Web View.Once the appropriate options havebeen chosen select 'OK'. A table ofcontents will be inserted into thedocument. The font style, spacingand colour can be amended in thenormal manner.The table of contents has beeninserted as a field, and as suchcan be automatically updated. Thiscan be useful if additional pages orheadings have been inserted intoa document as the update willincorporate any changes toheadings and page numbers.More hints and tips on makingelectronic documents can be foundin two downloadable TechDispublications:TechDis Accessibility Essentials 1:Making Electronic DocumentsMore ReadableTechDis Accessibility Essentials 2:Writing Accessible ElectronicDocuments with Microsoft® Word

Don’t be scared: JISC TechDis - Making documents more accessible!

ALT Open Access Repository

www.escalate.ac.uk3ESCalate Newsletter Issue 7 Spring 2007For example, possibly the mostimportant small change you canmake to your practice is to utilisethe Styles and Formatting Toolbarwhen using Microsoft® Word tocreate appropriate headings andstructure your document. Performing these tasks brings anumber of inclusion benefits toyour documentation:1. The Document Map: Word hasan inbuilt navigation system thatcan enable users to navigate along document that has beenappropriately styled.2. Table of Contents: If a documenthas been created using the stylesand headings options as notedabove an automatic table ofcontents can be created.Table of Contents:Don’t be scared: TechDis - Making documents more accessible!TechDis provides advice and guidance on technology and disability to promote an accessible and inclusive experiencefor students and staff. TechDis is a JISC-funded advisory service. For more information go to www.techdis.ac.ukIn each edition of the ESCalate newsletter from now on, TechDis will be providing practical advice on how to improvean aspect of your practice to benefit all learners. When writing a document highlightthe text required for the heading orsub-heading and select theappropriate heading style (from theformatting menu) for the locationand level within the document.Ensure the Styles and FormattingToolbar is shown(View>Toolbars>Formatting).From the 'Style' box in theformatting menu you can choosean appropriate heading and stylefor the structure of a document.You can then amend the look andfeel of each type of heading,changing all examples of eachtype in one easy task:From the menu selectFormat>Styles and Formatting.This will open the styles andformatting menu on the right ofyour screen.Select the heading you wish toamend from the list, for example'Heading 1' or 'Heading 2', andclick the 'Select All' button.By clicking 'Select All' all headingsin the document with that style willbe amended in one step. Once theappropriate heading has beenselected use the Format Toolbar,or the Format>Font dialogue box,to amend the style to oneappropriate for the document.Clicking the Document Map willallow the user to expand andcontract headings or jump to therelevant section of a largedocument. It is also navigable byScreen Reading software.From the menu selectView>Document Map. A dynamicnavigation menu will appear on theleft of the screen.To update the table of contentsright click anywhere within thecontents section and select'Update Field' from the menu list. Adialogue box will be displayedproviding two options. Dependingon what amendments you havemade to the document chooseeither 'Update page numbers only'or 'Update entire table'.The Document MapMove the cursor to the place in thedocument where you wish theTable of Contents to be inserted.Navigate toInsert>Reference>Index andTables and select the 'Table ofContents’ tab. Using the dialoguebox displayed you can amend thelook of the contents section.Depending on the number ofheadings and sub headings usedwithin a document you canincrease or decrease the numberof levels shown by changing the'Show levels' option.If the document is to be madeavailable electronically you canchoose to have the contentsdisplayed as hyperlinks by tickingthe 'Use hyperlinks instead ofpage numbers' option. This willonly appear when the document isviewed in Web View.Once the appropriate options havebeen chosen select 'OK'. A table ofcontents will be inserted into thedocument. The font style, spacingand colour can be amended in thenormal manner.The table of contents has beeninserted as a field, and as suchcan be automatically updated. Thiscan be useful if additional pages orheadings have been inserted intoa document as the update willincorporate any changes toheadings and page numbers.More hints and tips on makingelectronic documents can be foundin two downloadable TechDispublications:TechDis Accessibility Essentials 1:Making Electronic DocumentsMore ReadableTechDis Accessibility Essentials 2:Writing Accessible ElectronicDocuments with Microsoft® Word

https://repository.alt.ac.uk/2125/1/Don%27t_be_scared.pdf

Don’t be scared: JISC TechDis - Making documents more accessible!

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