{"id":2487,"date":"2023-02-09T19:49:49","date_gmt":"2023-02-10T00:49:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/accessibilityhandbook\/?post_type=chapter&#038;p=2487"},"modified":"2026-05-01T13:39:30","modified_gmt":"2026-05-01T17:39:30","slug":"word-accessibility-3","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/accessibilityhandbook\/chapter\/word-accessibility-3\/","title":{"raw":"Alt text, Images, and Links","rendered":"Alt text, Images, and Links"},"content":{"raw":"Include text alternatives for visual elements such as images and use hyperlinks in place of bare URLs.\r\n\r\n<strong>On this page:<\/strong>\r\n<ul class=\"navbar\">\r\n \t<li class=\"navitem\"><a href=\"#alt\">Text Equivalents<\/a><\/li>\r\n \t<li class=\"navitem\"><a href=\"#videos\">Captions and Transcripts<\/a><\/li>\r\n \t<li class=\"navitem\"><a href=\"#links\">Hyperlink Text<\/a><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<h2><a id=\"alt\"><\/a>Text Equivalents<\/h2>\r\nAs discussed in the <a href=\"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/accessibilityhandbook\/chapter\/alternative-text\/\">alternative text chapter<\/a> of this guide, visual information needs a text equivalent. In Word, the text equivalent of visual information can be included in:\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>Text adjacent to an image. Presenting text with visuals that reinforce and support one another is a great practice and ensures everyone can access the information.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Figure captions.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>The [pb_glossary id=\"1161\"]alt text field[\/pb_glossary] of a graphic.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<h3><a id=\"figure\"><\/a>Figure caption<\/h3>\r\nIf equivalent information is not presented in text adjacent to a graphic, add a figure caption. Figure captions are accessible to all readers of a document.\r\n\r\nTo add a figure caption to an image:\r\n<div class=\"customrow\">\r\n<div class=\"customcolumn\">Right-click on the image select <strong>Insert Caption...\r\n<img class=\"alignnone wp-image-8376 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/accessibilityhandbook\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1155\/2023\/02\/Word-Caption1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"486\" height=\"683\" \/> <\/strong><\/div>\r\n<div class=\"customcolumn\">Type a caption and set options. Click <strong>Ok<\/strong>.\r\n<strong><img class=\"alignnone wp-image-8375 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/accessibilityhandbook\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1155\/2023\/02\/Word-Caption2.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"241\" \/> <\/strong><\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div class=\"clearfix\"><\/div>\r\n<strong><img class=\"wp-image-8374 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/accessibilityhandbook\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1155\/2023\/02\/Word-Caption3.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"306\" height=\"442\" \/><\/strong>The figure caption will appear below the image. In the <strong>Alt Text<\/strong> pane for the image, check <strong>Mark as Decorative.\u00a0<\/strong>Read more about how to <a href=\"https:\/\/support.microsoft.com\/en-us\/office\/insert-a-caption-for-a-picture-bb74994c-7f8b-457c-be85-92233177a356\">insert a caption for a picture<\/a> from Microsoft support.\r\n<div class=\"clearfix\"><\/div>\r\n<h3><a id=\"alttext\"><\/a>Alt Text<\/h3>\r\nIn instances where a figure caption is not preferred, use the alt text field to add a description of the information present in a graphic. The alt text field is only read by [pb_glossary id=\"1303\"]screen reader software[\/pb_glossary] to provide visual information in accessible format.\r\n\r\n<img class=\"alignright wp-image-6121\" src=\"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/accessibilityhandbook\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1155\/2023\/02\/Screenshot-2024-02-05-at-12.09.21.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"399\" height=\"410\" \/>To add alt text in Office programs:\r\n<ol>\r\n \t<li><strong>Right click<\/strong> on an image and select <strong>View Alt Text\u2026<\/strong><\/li>\r\n \t<li>Enter a description in the dialogue box.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>If a graphic is purely decorative, check <strong>Mark as Decorative.<\/strong><\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\nTo add alt text in Office online programs:\r\n<ol>\r\n \t<li>Select the image<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Navigate to the <strong>Picture<\/strong> tab<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Select <strong>Alt Text <\/strong>and enter your description in the <strong>Description<\/strong> field.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>If the image is purely decorative, leave the <b>Description <\/b>field blank.<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\nThe Office <strong>Accessibility Checker<\/strong> will flag images that do not have alternative text. In the Accessibility pane, <strong>Missing object description<\/strong> will appear as an error.\u00a0Do not rely on the automatically generated alt text, it is rarely useful.\r\n\r\nAdd alternative text to simple charts but also include [pb_glossary id=\"2026\"]table[\/pb_glossary] data for complex charts and data sets. Best practice is to include table data adjacent to the chart, but <a href=\"https:\/\/support.microsoft.com\/en-us\/office\/add-hyperlinks-to-a-location-within-the-same-document-1f24fc4f-7ccd-4c5f-87e1-9ddefb672e0e\">linking to the data elsewhere in the document<\/a> is also an effective method. The alt text field does not support links, but a link can be added to a figure caption. Ensure the link text explains the destination.\r\n<h4>Grouped Shapes<\/h4>\r\nA group of shapes, such as the stars in the demonstration below, must be grouped to provide meaningful alt text. To group images in Word:\r\n<ol>\r\n \t<li>Select the first object.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Hold\u00a0<strong>Control\u00a0<\/strong>(<strong>Command<\/strong> on macOS) and click on the remaining objects.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>On the <strong>S<\/strong><strong>hape Format <\/strong>tab select\u00a0<strong>Group &gt; Group.<\/strong><\/li>\r\n \t<li>Add Alt Text to the grouped shape.<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_8394\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"1831\"]<img class=\"size-full wp-image-8394\" src=\"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/accessibilityhandbook\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1155\/2023\/02\/GroupImagesinWord-GIF.gif\" alt=\"\" width=\"1831\" height=\"1200\" \/> Animation demonstrating how to group shapes in Word[\/caption]\r\n\r\nRead more about how to <a href=\"https:\/\/support.microsoft.com\/en-us\/office\/group-or-ungroup-shapes-pictures-or-other-objects-a7374c35-20fe-4e0a-9637-7de7d844724b#:~:text=Press%20and%20hold%20CTRL%20while,to%20enable%20the%20Group%20button.\">group or ungroup shapes, pictures, or other objects.<\/a>\r\n\r\nReview this Pressbooks' <a href=\"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/accessibilityhandbook\/chapter\/alternative-text\/\">alternative text chapter<\/a> and read <a class=\"Hyperlink SCXW153793639 BCX2\" href=\"https:\/\/support.microsoft.com\/en-us\/office\/add-alternative-text-to-a-shape-picture-chart-smartart-graphic-or-other-object-44989b2a-903c-4d9a-b742-6a75b451c669#PickTab=Windows\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" data-cke-saved-href=\"https:\/\/support.microsoft.com\/en-us\/office\/make-your-word-documents-accessible-to-people-with-disabilities-d9bf3683-87ac-47ea-b91a-78dcacb3c66d?ui=en-us&amp;rs=en-us&amp;ad=us#bkmk_altvisualso365_mac\">Microsoft guides for adding alt text to images, SmartArt, shapes, and charts<\/a> and how to <a href=\"https:\/\/support.microsoft.com\/en-us\/office\/make-your-word-documents-accessible-to-people-with-disabilities-d9bf3683-87ac-47ea-b91a-78dcacb3c66d?ui=en-us&amp;rs=en-us&amp;ad=us\">make Word documents accessible<\/a>.\r\n<h3>Graphs and Charts<\/h3>\r\nDo not include photos of charts or graphs, insert them properly via <strong>Insert<\/strong> tab &gt; <strong>Chart<\/strong> dropdown.\r\n\r\nA concise and meaningful title or caption helps all readers. Add alt text to graphs and charts\u00a0but also include [pb_glossary id=\"2026\"]table[\/pb_glossary] data for complex charts and data sets. Best practice is to include table data adjacent to the chart, but <a href=\"https:\/\/support.microsoft.com\/en-us\/office\/add-hyperlinks-to-a-location-within-the-same-document-1f24fc4f-7ccd-4c5f-87e1-9ddefb672e0e\">linking to the data elsewhere in the document<\/a> is also an effective method. Ensure the link text explains the destination.\r\n\r\nDo not rely on colour alone to distinguish data. Use symbols or different line styles. Include a legend.\r\n\r\nApply data and axis labels by selecting your graph or chart and navigating to <strong>Chart Design<\/strong> tab and selecting <strong>Add Chart Element<\/strong> dropdown.\r\n\r\nProvide alternative formats, such as a table of data plotted via chart\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200bFor a chart or graph, provide data in table form beside the element. If size and spacing is a concern, place the data in another sheet and provide a link near the floating element.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<div class=\"textbox shaded\">\r\n\r\nVisuals must use <strong>In line with text<\/strong>\u00a0wrapping style to be accessible. Click on your image and choose\u00a0<strong>Picture<\/strong>\u00a0tab or the\u00a0<strong>Layout Options<\/strong>\u00a0button and choose\u00a0<strong>In line with text<\/strong>.\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/support.microsoft.com\/en-us\/office\/wrap-text-around-a-picture-in-word-bdbbe1fe-c089-4b5c-b85c-43997da64a12#ID0EAAAABAAA=Windows\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Microsoft offers detailed instructions on text wrapping<\/a>.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<h2><a id=\"videos\"><\/a>Videos and Audio Recordings<\/h2>\r\nEnsure embedded media has text equivalents. Videos must have [pb_glossary id=\"1164\"]closed captions[\/pb_glossary] and audio must have a [pb_glossary id=\"1884\"]transcript[\/pb_glossary].\r\n<h2><a id=\"links\"><\/a>Hyperlinks<\/h2>\r\nWhen linking to a website, document or other part of a document, use <a href=\"https:\/\/support.microsoft.com\/en-us\/office\/video-create-accessible-links-in-word-28305cc8-3be2-417c-a313-dc22082d1ee0\">meaningful hyperlink text<\/a>. Linked text should be descriptive, concise, unique and visually distinct.\u00a0Do not use bare URLs. To learn more about writing link text, consult the <a href=\"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/accessibilityhandbook\/chapter\/accessible-links\/\">accessible links chapter<\/a> of this guide.\r\n\r\nUse Word's default styling of blue, underlined text for links.\r\n\r\nTo add a link in Word:\r\n<ol>\r\n \t<li>Select the text you want to link<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Right-click and select <strong>Hyperlink<\/strong>\u00a0or press <strong>Control <\/strong>(<strong>Command <\/strong>on macOS) and\u00a0<strong>k<\/strong><\/li>\r\n \t<li>Verify the <strong>Text to Display<\/strong>\u00a0text<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Paste the destination URL in the <strong>Address<\/strong>\u00a0box<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\nYou may have existing documents that contain bare URLs. To update existing, bare URLS to accessible links:\r\n<ol>\r\n \t<li>Right-click on the bare URL<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Select<strong> Edit Hyperlink\u2026<\/strong><\/li>\r\n \t<li>In the <strong>Text to display<\/strong> field, type a brief description of link destination.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Click <strong>Ok<\/strong>.<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<div class=\"textbox textbox--disclaimer\">\r\n\r\nWord's Accessibility Assistant may flag excessively long URLs with \"Unclear hyperlink text.\" In the Accessibility Assistant, enter descriptive text in the \"Input the hyperlink text\" field. This will replace the URL in the document with your descriptive text automatically.<br>\r\n&nbsp;\r\nHowever, do not rely on this tool alone as it does not flag all bare URLs.\r\n<\/div>\r\nRead more about <a href=\"https:\/\/support.office.com\/en-us\/article\/create-or-edit-a-hyperlink-5d8c0804-f998-4143-86b1-1199735e07bf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">hyperlink text in Word.<\/a>","rendered":"<p>Include text alternatives for visual elements such as images and use hyperlinks in place of bare URLs.<\/p>\n<p><strong>On this page:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul class=\"navbar\">\n<li class=\"navitem\"><a href=\"#alt\">Text Equivalents<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"navitem\"><a href=\"#videos\">Captions and Transcripts<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"navitem\"><a href=\"#links\">Hyperlink Text<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><a id=\"alt\"><\/a>Text Equivalents<\/h2>\n<p>As discussed in the <a href=\"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/accessibilityhandbook\/chapter\/alternative-text\/\">alternative text chapter<\/a> of this guide, visual information needs a text equivalent. In Word, the text equivalent of visual information can be included in:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Text adjacent to an image. Presenting text with visuals that reinforce and support one another is a great practice and ensures everyone can access the information.<\/li>\n<li>Figure captions.<\/li>\n<li>The <a class=\"glossary-term\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-describedby=\"definition\" href=\"#term_2487_1161\">alt text field<\/a> of a graphic.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><a id=\"figure\"><\/a>Figure caption<\/h3>\n<p>If equivalent information is not presented in text adjacent to a graphic, add a figure caption. Figure captions are accessible to all readers of a document.<\/p>\n<p>To add a figure caption to an image:<\/p>\n<div class=\"customrow\">\n<div class=\"customcolumn\">Right-click on the image select <strong>Insert Caption&#8230;<br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-8376 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/accessibilityhandbook\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1155\/2023\/02\/Word-Caption1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"486\" height=\"683\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/accessibilityhandbook\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1155\/2023\/02\/Word-Caption1.png 486w, https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/accessibilityhandbook\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1155\/2023\/02\/Word-Caption1-213x300.png 213w, https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/accessibilityhandbook\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1155\/2023\/02\/Word-Caption1-65x91.png 65w, https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/accessibilityhandbook\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1155\/2023\/02\/Word-Caption1-225x316.png 225w, https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/accessibilityhandbook\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1155\/2023\/02\/Word-Caption1-350x492.png 350w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 486px) 100vw, 486px\" \/> <\/strong><\/div>\n<div class=\"customcolumn\">Type a caption and set options. Click <strong>Ok<\/strong>.<br \/>\n<strong><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-8375 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/accessibilityhandbook\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1155\/2023\/02\/Word-Caption2.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"241\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/accessibilityhandbook\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1155\/2023\/02\/Word-Caption2.png 300w, https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/accessibilityhandbook\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1155\/2023\/02\/Word-Caption2-65x52.png 65w, https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/accessibilityhandbook\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1155\/2023\/02\/Word-Caption2-225x181.png 225w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/> <\/strong><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"clearfix\"><\/div>\n<p><strong><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-8374 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/accessibilityhandbook\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1155\/2023\/02\/Word-Caption3.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"306\" height=\"442\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/accessibilityhandbook\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1155\/2023\/02\/Word-Caption3.png 474w, https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/accessibilityhandbook\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1155\/2023\/02\/Word-Caption3-208x300.png 208w, https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/accessibilityhandbook\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1155\/2023\/02\/Word-Caption3-65x94.png 65w, https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/accessibilityhandbook\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1155\/2023\/02\/Word-Caption3-225x325.png 225w, https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/accessibilityhandbook\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1155\/2023\/02\/Word-Caption3-350x505.png 350w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 306px) 100vw, 306px\" \/><\/strong>The figure caption will appear below the image. In the <strong>Alt Text<\/strong> pane for the image, check <strong>Mark as Decorative.\u00a0<\/strong>Read more about how to <a href=\"https:\/\/support.microsoft.com\/en-us\/office\/insert-a-caption-for-a-picture-bb74994c-7f8b-457c-be85-92233177a356\">insert a caption for a picture<\/a> from Microsoft support.<\/p>\n<div class=\"clearfix\"><\/div>\n<h3><a id=\"alttext\"><\/a>Alt Text<\/h3>\n<p>In instances where a figure caption is not preferred, use the alt text field to add a description of the information present in a graphic. The alt text field is only read by <a class=\"glossary-term\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-describedby=\"definition\" href=\"#term_2487_1303\">screen reader software<\/a> to provide visual information in accessible format.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright wp-image-6121\" src=\"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/accessibilityhandbook\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1155\/2023\/02\/Screenshot-2024-02-05-at-12.09.21.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"399\" height=\"410\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/accessibilityhandbook\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1155\/2023\/02\/Screenshot-2024-02-05-at-12.09.21.png 588w, https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/accessibilityhandbook\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1155\/2023\/02\/Screenshot-2024-02-05-at-12.09.21-292x300.png 292w, https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/accessibilityhandbook\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1155\/2023\/02\/Screenshot-2024-02-05-at-12.09.21-65x67.png 65w, https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/accessibilityhandbook\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1155\/2023\/02\/Screenshot-2024-02-05-at-12.09.21-225x231.png 225w, https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/accessibilityhandbook\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1155\/2023\/02\/Screenshot-2024-02-05-at-12.09.21-350x360.png 350w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 399px) 100vw, 399px\" \/>To add alt text in Office programs:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Right click<\/strong> on an image and select <strong>View Alt Text\u2026<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>Enter a description in the dialogue box.<\/li>\n<li>If a graphic is purely decorative, check <strong>Mark as Decorative.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>To add alt text in Office online programs:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Select the image<\/li>\n<li>Navigate to the <strong>Picture<\/strong> tab<\/li>\n<li>Select <strong>Alt Text <\/strong>and enter your description in the <strong>Description<\/strong> field.<\/li>\n<li>If the image is purely decorative, leave the <b>Description <\/b>field blank.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>The Office <strong>Accessibility Checker<\/strong> will flag images that do not have alternative text. In the Accessibility pane, <strong>Missing object description<\/strong> will appear as an error.\u00a0Do not rely on the automatically generated alt text, it is rarely useful.<\/p>\n<p>Add alternative text to simple charts but also include <a class=\"glossary-term\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-describedby=\"definition\" href=\"#term_2487_2026\">table<\/a> data for complex charts and data sets. Best practice is to include table data adjacent to the chart, but <a href=\"https:\/\/support.microsoft.com\/en-us\/office\/add-hyperlinks-to-a-location-within-the-same-document-1f24fc4f-7ccd-4c5f-87e1-9ddefb672e0e\">linking to the data elsewhere in the document<\/a> is also an effective method. The alt text field does not support links, but a link can be added to a figure caption. Ensure the link text explains the destination.<\/p>\n<h4>Grouped Shapes<\/h4>\n<p>A group of shapes, such as the stars in the demonstration below, must be grouped to provide meaningful alt text. To group images in Word:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Select the first object.<\/li>\n<li>Hold\u00a0<strong>Control\u00a0<\/strong>(<strong>Command<\/strong> on macOS) and click on the remaining objects.<\/li>\n<li>On the <strong>S<\/strong><strong>hape Format <\/strong>tab select\u00a0<strong>Group &gt; Group.<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>Add Alt Text to the grouped shape.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<figure id=\"attachment_8394\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-8394\" style=\"width: 1831px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-8394\" src=\"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/accessibilityhandbook\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1155\/2023\/02\/GroupImagesinWord-GIF.gif\" alt=\"\" width=\"1831\" height=\"1200\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-8394\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Animation demonstrating how to group shapes in Word<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Read more about how to <a href=\"https:\/\/support.microsoft.com\/en-us\/office\/group-or-ungroup-shapes-pictures-or-other-objects-a7374c35-20fe-4e0a-9637-7de7d844724b#:~:text=Press%20and%20hold%20CTRL%20while,to%20enable%20the%20Group%20button.\">group or ungroup shapes, pictures, or other objects.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Review this Pressbooks&#8217; <a href=\"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/accessibilityhandbook\/chapter\/alternative-text\/\">alternative text chapter<\/a> and read <a class=\"Hyperlink SCXW153793639 BCX2\" href=\"https:\/\/support.microsoft.com\/en-us\/office\/add-alternative-text-to-a-shape-picture-chart-smartart-graphic-or-other-object-44989b2a-903c-4d9a-b742-6a75b451c669#PickTab=Windows\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" data-cke-saved-href=\"https:\/\/support.microsoft.com\/en-us\/office\/make-your-word-documents-accessible-to-people-with-disabilities-d9bf3683-87ac-47ea-b91a-78dcacb3c66d?ui=en-us&amp;rs=en-us&amp;ad=us#bkmk_altvisualso365_mac\">Microsoft guides for adding alt text to images, SmartArt, shapes, and charts<\/a> and how to <a href=\"https:\/\/support.microsoft.com\/en-us\/office\/make-your-word-documents-accessible-to-people-with-disabilities-d9bf3683-87ac-47ea-b91a-78dcacb3c66d?ui=en-us&amp;rs=en-us&amp;ad=us\">make Word documents accessible<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h3>Graphs and Charts<\/h3>\n<p>Do not include photos of charts or graphs, insert them properly via <strong>Insert<\/strong> tab &gt; <strong>Chart<\/strong> dropdown.<\/p>\n<p>A concise and meaningful title or caption helps all readers. Add alt text to graphs and charts\u00a0but also include <a class=\"glossary-term\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-describedby=\"definition\" href=\"#term_2487_2026\">table<\/a> data for complex charts and data sets. Best practice is to include table data adjacent to the chart, but <a href=\"https:\/\/support.microsoft.com\/en-us\/office\/add-hyperlinks-to-a-location-within-the-same-document-1f24fc4f-7ccd-4c5f-87e1-9ddefb672e0e\">linking to the data elsewhere in the document<\/a> is also an effective method. Ensure the link text explains the destination.<\/p>\n<p>Do not rely on colour alone to distinguish data. Use symbols or different line styles. Include a legend.<\/p>\n<p>Apply data and axis labels by selecting your graph or chart and navigating to <strong>Chart Design<\/strong> tab and selecting <strong>Add Chart Element<\/strong> dropdown.<\/p>\n<p>Provide alternative formats, such as a table of data plotted via chart<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200bFor a chart or graph, provide data in table form beside the element. If size and spacing is a concern, place the data in another sheet and provide a link near the floating element.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"textbox shaded\">\n<p>Visuals must use <strong>In line with text<\/strong>\u00a0wrapping style to be accessible. Click on your image and choose\u00a0<strong>Picture<\/strong>\u00a0tab or the\u00a0<strong>Layout Options<\/strong>\u00a0button and choose\u00a0<strong>In line with text<\/strong>.\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/support.microsoft.com\/en-us\/office\/wrap-text-around-a-picture-in-word-bdbbe1fe-c089-4b5c-b85c-43997da64a12#ID0EAAAABAAA=Windows\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Microsoft offers detailed instructions on text wrapping<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h2><a id=\"videos\"><\/a>Videos and Audio Recordings<\/h2>\n<p>Ensure embedded media has text equivalents. Videos must have <a class=\"glossary-term\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-describedby=\"definition\" href=\"#term_2487_1164\">closed captions<\/a> and audio must have a <a class=\"glossary-term\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-describedby=\"definition\" href=\"#term_2487_1884\">transcript<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2><a id=\"links\"><\/a>Hyperlinks<\/h2>\n<p>When linking to a website, document or other part of a document, use <a href=\"https:\/\/support.microsoft.com\/en-us\/office\/video-create-accessible-links-in-word-28305cc8-3be2-417c-a313-dc22082d1ee0\">meaningful hyperlink text<\/a>. Linked text should be descriptive, concise, unique and visually distinct.\u00a0Do not use bare URLs. To learn more about writing link text, consult the <a href=\"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/accessibilityhandbook\/chapter\/accessible-links\/\">accessible links chapter<\/a> of this guide.<\/p>\n<p>Use Word&#8217;s default styling of blue, underlined text for links.<\/p>\n<p>To add a link in Word:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Select the text you want to link<\/li>\n<li>Right-click and select <strong>Hyperlink<\/strong>\u00a0or press <strong>Control <\/strong>(<strong>Command <\/strong>on macOS) and\u00a0<strong>k<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>Verify the <strong>Text to Display<\/strong>\u00a0text<\/li>\n<li>Paste the destination URL in the <strong>Address<\/strong>\u00a0box<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>You may have existing documents that contain bare URLs. To update existing, bare URLS to accessible links:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Right-click on the bare URL<\/li>\n<li>Select<strong> Edit Hyperlink\u2026<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>In the <strong>Text to display<\/strong> field, type a brief description of link destination.<\/li>\n<li>Click <strong>Ok<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<div class=\"textbox textbox--disclaimer\">\n<p>Word&#8217;s Accessibility Assistant may flag excessively long URLs with &#8220;Unclear hyperlink text.&#8221; In the Accessibility Assistant, enter descriptive text in the &#8220;Input the hyperlink text&#8221; field. This will replace the URL in the document with your descriptive text automatically.<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\nHowever, do not rely on this tool alone as it does not flag all bare URLs.\n<\/div>\n<p>Read more about <a href=\"https:\/\/support.office.com\/en-us\/article\/create-or-edit-a-hyperlink-5d8c0804-f998-4143-86b1-1199735e07bf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">hyperlink text in Word.<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"glossary\"><span class=\"screen-reader-text\" id=\"definition\">definition<\/span><template id=\"term_2487_1161\"><div class=\"glossary__definition\" role=\"dialog\" data-id=\"term_2487_1161\"><div tabindex=\"-1\"><p>Alternative text is a text equivalent of graphics in a document or webpage. Alternative text is coded to be hidden visually, but read to a screen reader user.<\/p>\n<\/div><button><span aria-hidden=\"true\">&times;<\/span><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Close definition<\/span><\/button><\/div><\/template><template id=\"term_2487_1303\"><div class=\"glossary__definition\" role=\"dialog\" data-id=\"term_2487_1303\"><div tabindex=\"-1\"><p>Assistive technology software that reads content aloud and helps blind and low vision users navigate and interact with their computers.<\/p>\n<\/div><button><span aria-hidden=\"true\">&times;<\/span><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Close definition<\/span><\/button><\/div><\/template><template id=\"term_2487_2026\"><div class=\"glossary__definition\" role=\"dialog\" data-id=\"term_2487_2026\"><div tabindex=\"-1\"><p>Information presented in a grid format of rows and columns, generally to show a relationship between sets of data<\/p>\n<\/div><button><span aria-hidden=\"true\">&times;<\/span><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Close definition<\/span><\/button><\/div><\/template><template id=\"term_2487_1164\"><div class=\"glossary__definition\" role=\"dialog\" data-id=\"term_2487_1164\"><div tabindex=\"-1\"><p>A text equivalent of audio content in a video, displayed synchronously. Closed captions are toggled on or off by viewers, as opposed to open captions that are burned into the video and always displayed.<\/p>\n<\/div><button><span aria-hidden=\"true\">&times;<\/span><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Close definition<\/span><\/button><\/div><\/template><template id=\"term_2487_1884\"><div class=\"glossary__definition\" role=\"dialog\" data-id=\"term_2487_1884\"><div tabindex=\"-1\"><p>Transcription is the process of converting audio into written text. A transcript is a written record of all audio in media. Captions are synced to the content.<\/p>\n<\/div><button><span aria-hidden=\"true\">&times;<\/span><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Close definition<\/span><\/button><\/div><\/template><\/div>","protected":false},"author":1655,"menu_order":4,"template":"","meta":{"pb_show_title":"on","pb_short_title":"","pb_subtitle":"","pb_authors":[],"pb_section_license":""},"chapter-type":[48],"contributor":[],"license":[],"class_list":["post-2487","chapter","type-chapter","status-publish","hentry","chapter-type-numberless"],"part":2480,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/accessibilityhandbook\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/2487","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/accessibilityhandbook\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/accessibilityhandbook\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/chapter"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/accessibilityhandbook\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1655"}],"version-history":[{"count":25,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/accessibilityhandbook\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/2487\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10552,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/accessibilityhandbook\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/2487\/revisions\/10552"}],"part":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/accessibilityhandbook\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/parts\/2480"}],"metadata":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/accessibilityhandbook\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/2487\/metadata\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/accessibilityhandbook\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2487"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"chapter-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/accessibilityhandbook\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapter-type?post=2487"},{"taxonomy":"contributor","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/accessibilityhandbook\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/contributor?post=2487"},{"taxonomy":"license","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/accessibilityhandbook\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/license?post=2487"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}