Documents and availability

When you need to mark up your document to increase accessibility, it is easiest to start in Word before saving your document as a PDF file.

In Word, you have a number of options to make your document more accessible to people with disabilities. The options are briefly described here. (You can find more detailed instructions in Microsoft's guide to making Word documents accessible):

• Write alternative text on images and visual elements
  If you've inserted a visual element into your document, make sure the image has descriptive alt text (alt text). Visual content includes images, SmartArt graphics, shapes, diagrams, embedded objects, handwriting, and videos. It is also possible in Word to specify if a visual element has a purely decorative function.
• Add link text and screen tips
  People using screen readers sometimes scan a list of links. It is therefore important that links clearly and accurately indicate where they lead. 'Click here' does not say anything about the destination of the link, so use the full title of the landing page instead. Alternatively, you can add a screen tip that appears when the cursor is hovered over text or images that contain a link.
• Avoid using color as the sole conveyer of information
  It is, for example, inappropriate to mark links with a green color, as it will be difficult for a colorblind person to see. Use underlined text for links instead.
• Use sufficient contrast for text and background colors
  Ensure high contrast between text and background in your document, so more people can see and use the content.
• Use the built-in headings and styles
  By using Word's built-in formatting tools, you make it easier for screen readers to read your document, and you enable users who can't operate a mouse to move through the document with the tab key. Use the heading formats in a logical hierarchical order: Heading 1, Heading 2 and then Heading 3. It is NOT enough to mark headings with e.g. bold and/or italics.
• Use bullet points
  Always mark your bullet points with Word's built-in bullet points or numbered lists.
• Use simple tables
  Use only tables with a simple structure. They can be easily navigated by screen readers. Avoid using complex tables with nested, merged or split cells, as they cannot be read correctly by a screen reader. Empty cells in a table can also make someone with a screen reader think there is nothing more in the table.
  Only use tables to display data. NEVER use tables for content - for example as a way to layout your page and control where on the page the text should be.
  Screen readers use header information to identify rows and columns, so it may be a good idea to add table headers.
• Enter correct language
  At the bottom of a Word document, you can see which language is specified as the language of the document. If your document is in Danish, "Danish" must be written in the field, and if it is in English, "English" must be written in the field. Specify the correct language by clicking on the field at the bottom and select from the language list: If there is text on the image that is important for understanding, this text must also be in the document.

Read Microsoft's guide to making Word documents accessible to people with disabilities

If you do not have access to your source file (e.g. a Word document), it is also possible to make annotations that promote accessibility directly in the PDF file. It requires that you have Adobe Acrobat Pro installed on your computer.

Read about the options for working with accessibility in Adobe Acrobat

There are various tools to check if your document is available:

• The programs in the Office suite have an accessibility checker, which can check documents or spreadsheets for accessibility problems and suggest solutions.
  Read more about Accessibility control for Microsoft Office
  (Please note that you will find the Accessibility Checker under File > Info)
  
  
• Adobe Acrobat Pro DC also has a built-in accessibility feature. With it, you can scan a PDF for the most common errors and have the opportunity to fix them. However, the function does not meet all the requirements laid down in the law.
  See Adobe's accessibility feature for guidance
  
  
• The program PDF Accessibility Checker (PAC 3) can check whether a pdf file meets the most important requirements for accessibility in the WCAG 2.1 standard.
  Download PAC 3