Accessibility
The law on Accessibility to Digital Public Service
To make your texts accessible even to people with disabilities, it is important that the PDFs we upload in DiVA are adapted for accessibility. The law on Accessibility to Digital Public Service has been in force since 1 January 2019 and stands for the importance of PDFs being readable with the help of electronic reading tools, when needed.
Note. At present, we can not make theses available with certainty due to shortcomings in the software. If you still want us to try to do it, follow the instructions below and we will do our best to help you. Also let us know this when you submit your files to us.
Using the thesis template is a good start. Below we link to some other important things you need to do.
- Specify the title, author and identify the document language
- Use layout settings for all layout
- Give images alternative texts
- Use the Table tools for tables and to tag table headers
- Check accessibility in Word
Specify the title, author, and identify the document language
Fill in the title and author
To comply with the new Accessibility Act, you need to fill in title and author in your document.
PC (Word 2016 and 2019)
Click on File, select Info in the row on the left menu. Select Properties/Advanced settings (to the right on the screen). Fill in title and author.
Mac (Word 2016 and 2019)
Click File, select Properties (at the bottom of the drop-down menu), and select Summary. Fill in Title and Author.
Identify document language
In order for screen readers to read the document with the correct language emphasis, the language must be specified in the document. In Word, you can check "Identify language automatically", which means that it is automatically correct.
To set the document language in Word (Both Mac and PC)
Go to the Review tab, Click on Language. Specify Editing Language.
Format and layout settings
To comply with the new Accessibility Act, it is important that you use style sheets for all text in the document.
We recommend that you use the thesis template, which you find here: https://libguides-en.ub.uu.se/thesis/template
You find the formats by following the instructions below.
PC
Under the Start tab. Click the small arrow in the lower right corner of the Format window.
Mac
Under the Start tab. Click Format Window, top right.
Check if the document has blank rows by clicking on the symbol Show/hide formatting (¶) under the Start tab. If you have blank rows, delete them.
After for example captions, tables and quotes or if you want space between two paragraphs use the Standard med luft or Normal (space) instead of Enter.
Use page breaks (länk till våra filmer https://libguides.ub.uu.se/avhandling/word_online) to begin a new page.
PC
Mac
Give images alternative texts
It is always essential to give images with an important content alternative texts for those who are unable to see the image. This text must describe the image concisely, aim for a maximum of 125 characters.
It is a good idea to mention in the text if the image is a photograph or an illustration. Finish with a full stop. This will give an appropriate pause for those who will get the text read aloud by a screen reader.
PC Word 2016
Right-click on the image. Choose Format Picture from the window that shows up.
Choose the symbol for Layout and Properties. (Markera med ring runt symbolen.) Then select Alternative text.
Here you can place your alternative text under Description.
PC Word 2019
Right-click on the image. Choose Edit Alternative text from the window that shows up.
A window then shows up where you can place your alternative text.
If you don't have the option Edit Alternative text in the window that shows up choose instead Picture.
Select the tab Alternative text. Here you can place your alternative text.
Mac Word 2016
Right-click on the image. Choose Format Picture from the window that shows up.
Choose the symbol for Layout and Properties. Then select Alternative text. Here you can place your alternative text.
Mac Word 2019
Right-click on the image. Edit Alternative text from the window that shows up.
You can place your alternative text in the window that appears.
How to tag pictures as decorative
Images that you have classified as decorative should be tagged as such. They will then be tagged as artifacts and won’t appear in the tag structure and will be ignored by screen readers. Unfortunately, this is not possible to do in Word version 2016 or older. In newer versions of Word, you do this in the alternative text pane where there is a box you can select to Mark as decorative. You right-click on the image and choose Edit Alt Text....
Use the Table tools
Try to keep the table simple with only one level of row and column headings. If the table is complex, consider splitting it into several smaller tables.
Use a table format with good readability that clearly delimits rows and columns with e.g. lines or colors. Format the table headings with bold or a larger font size.
Identify the table headings
PC: Select the table and select the Design tab, Table Design (it only appears if you select the table).
Mac: Select the table and select the Table Design tab (it only appears if you select the table).
- If the table has both column headings and row headings, tick Heading and First column.
- If the table has only column headings, tick Heading line.
- If the table has only row headings, tick First column.
- If the table has column headings and extends over several pages, select the title bar, right-click and go to Table properties, select the rows tab and tick Repeat as title bar at the top of each page and click Divide row over page break.
Enter table names and alternative text in the table properties
Right-click on the table, select Table properties and the option Alt Text.
- Describe the table relatively briefly. Aim for a maximum of 125 characters. Feel free to write what type of table it is. How detailed you should be depends on how important the table is.
- Focus mainly on those who cannot see the table.
- Finish with a full stop. It provides a pleasant break for those who get it read by screen readers.
Check accessibility in Word
You can check your document with the Word accessibility check. What you need to keep track of are Tables, Pictures and Blank rows.
For Windows (Word 2016 and 2019)
Click the File tab. Select Info from the menu and then Inspect Documents. Under Check for Issues there is an option called Check Accessability. Click on the button and a view will open on the right side of the document where warnings and errors in the document are displayed.