{"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":"2025-12-08T18:07:14","modified_gmt":"2025-12-08T23:07:14","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\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<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":10063,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/accessibilityhandbook\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/2487\/revisions\/10063"}],"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}]}}