Accessible Word (implementation guide)

6.1. Anchored objects

Inserted graphics and text fields are anchored in the appropriate place.

What is meant by this?

Anchoring in Word means that graphics and text fields are placed in a fixed position in the document. This means that they remain in the intended position and do not move, even if changes are made to the text flow or additional content is inserted.

In Microsoft Word, "inset text boxes" are a type of element that can be inserted into a document to organise and highlight text and other elements. A text box is a limited area in the document into which text or other content, such as images or tables, can be inserted.

Why is it important?

Correct anchoring of text fields and graphics in the Word document is important to ensure consistent and accessible readability of the document. If elements are not anchored in the right place, this can lead to distortions or ambiguities in the perception of the document when using screen readers and speech output.

For example, a non-anchored image and its alternative text can be read aloud by screen readers in the wrong place, leaving text and image relationships unclear. To avoid this, all text fields and graphics in the document must be anchored correctly.

How can I implement/check it?

There are different procedures for anchoring text fields and graphics on Mac and Windows operating systems:

For Mac:

1. Right-click on the text field or graphic that you want to anchor or alternatively click on the "Menu" tab and then on the "Layout" item and the "Position" sub-item.
2. Select the "Size and position..." option in the context menu.
3. Then select "Anchor" under "Position".
4. Select the "Fixed position on the page" option under "Options".
5. If the option is greyed out, you must first select a suitable text wrap, such as "Rectangle", "Outline" or "Top and bottom".
6. Click on "OK" to save the changes.

For Windows:

1. Click on the text field or the graphic that you want to anchor.
2. Click on the "Format" tab at the top of the menu bar.
3. In the "Arrange" area, you will find the "Text wrap" button. Click on it.
4. If the "Fix position on page" field is greyed out or does not have a tick, this means that the text field or graphic has not yet been anchored.
5. Click on the "Position" button and select one of the "With text wrap" options.

To ensure that text fields and graphics are correctly anchored, you can switch to "Draft view" mode in Word and check whether the position of the elements changes when the text flow changes or when additional content is inserted in the document.