Building Accessible Documents

Learning Objectives

Decide when a downloadable document is the right format for the audience and purpose.
Create accessible Word and Google documents using real structure rather than visual formatting alone.
Apply accessible headings, lists, links, image descriptions, and table structure.
Use an accessibility checker or approved add-on together with a brief manual review.

Overview

Web content is often the easiest format to maintain and use, but downloadable documents still serve important purposes—including printable syllabi, worksheets, templates, forms, and guides.

In this unit, you will focus on building accessible Word and Google documents from the start. The same practices that support accessible Canvas pages also strengthen documents: meaningful structure, descriptive links, purposeful images, clear tables, and readable formatting.

How to Use This Unit

Explore the Unit 3 readings, examples, and software-specific guidance.
Use the quick checks to test your understanding of key concepts.
Optionally create or revise a short Word or Google document using the practices in this unit.

This module was built on the foundation of Creating Accessible Course Content by CVC-OEI, licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Development of this course was funded by a grant from the California Community Colleges’ Chancellor’s Office. This content has been updated, reformatted, and remixed by Adelle Roe as part of the 2025–2026 sabbatical project.