Accessible Word (implementation guide)
The implementation aid Word barrier-free serves as support for the Word barrier-free checklist. The order of the aspects and the structure according to categories are the same.
Each aspect is divided into three sections in the implementation guide:
Under the heading "What is meant by this? " you will find a detailed description of the aspect to be ticked off. The section "Why is it important?" describes which barriers you are removing with the respective aspect and for which groups of people this is essential. Finally, under the heading "How can I implement/check this?" you will find detailed instructions on how to implement or check the respective aspect.
3. Text
3.8. Inserting columns
Columns are not inserted via tabs, but via the "Layout" menu. The space between the columns is large enough to visually separate them from each other.
What is meant by this?
When using columns in Microsoft Word, it is advisable to use Word's ready-made column templates. These can be inserted via the "Layout" menu and ensure a consistent presentation of the document.
In Microsoft Word, columns are a way of dividing the text in a document into several vertical sections. This makes it possible, for example, to organise long texts more clearly by dividing them into several columns. The columns can be the same size or have different widths, and different numbers of columns can be created as required, although not too many columns should be used for the sake of clarity.
If several columns are used in a document, sufficient space should be left between these columns so that they stand out visually from one another and are easier for recipients to recognise. The space between columns should always be at least 6 mm.
Why is it important?
If columns in Microsoft Word are not created using the layout tool, but by manually inserting tabs or spaces, this can lead to problems with screen readers and speech output reading and interpreting the content. It is therefore important to use Word's layout tools to create columns to ensure that the document is accessible and barrier-free.
If the space between the columns is not large enough, this can affect the legibility of the document, as the text appears to overlap for some readers and therefore becomes illegible. For recipients with visual impairments or other limitations, such as dyslexia, it can be difficult to perceive the text spacing between closely spaced columns. In addition, if the text spacing is too narrow, the letters may merge for the recipients or words may be displayed incompletely.
A suitable column width or the use of spacing between the columns can therefore increase readability so that all recipients can read the document without restrictions.
How can I implement/check it?
To check columns, there are different procedures for Mac and Windows operating systems:
For Mac:
- Click on "Start" in the menu bar at the top.
- Then click on the "Show/hide formatting characters" button with the "¶" symbol. This will make all paragraph formatting visible in the document.
- Now take a look at the columns in your document. There should be no arrow symbols "->" between the columns, as these arrows represent tabs.
- Alternatively, you can also check whether you can select the texts column by column. For columns that were created using tabs, you can only select the text line by line.
For Windows:
- Click on "Start" in the menu bar at the top.
- In the "Paragraph" area, click on the "Display all" button with the "¶" symbol. This makes all paragraph formatting in the document visible.
- Now take a look at the columns in your document. There should be no arrow symbols "->" between the columns, as these arrows represent tabs.
- Alternatively, you can also check whether you can select the texts column by column. For columns that were created using tabs, you can only select the text line by line.
To ensure that the space between the columns is large enough, you can adjust the column settings in Word. Here you can define the column spacing and ensure that it is large enough to separate the columns. To adjust the column settings in Word, proceed as follows:
- Select the text you want to format in columns or position the cursor where you want to start the columns.
- Click on the "Layout" tab in the menu bar at the top of the Word window.
- Click on the "Columns" button, which is located in the "Page setup" group.
- Select the desired number of columns and the width and spacing (min. 6 mm) between the columns.
- Click on "OK" to apply the changes.
If you want to customise the column settings for the entire document, select the "Columns" option in the "Layout" menu under "Page setup". Enter the desired number of columns, the width and the spacing and click on "OK". The settings are now applied to the entire document.