To write a more accessible document, make its structure and meaning clear to readers using different ways to read or navigate it. Start with a descriptive title, organize content under real heading styles, write direct instructions and meaningful link text, and provide suitable alternatives for informative visuals and media. Accessible writing is not a separate layer of decoration: the words, document structure, and format work together.
Build a navigable structure
Give the document a title that says what it contains. Divide longer material into sections with concise headings that describe each section’s purpose. Apply the document’s built-in heading styles in a logical hierarchy; making text large or bold by hand may show a visual change without identifying that text as a heading to assistive technology. Properly tagged headings can also help readers scan and navigate. [1]
For example, a volunteer guide could use the title “River Cleanup Volunteer Guide,” followed by headings such as “Before you arrive,” “Check in,” and “Sort collected waste.” That outline gives a reader clues about the contents before reading each paragraph. Avoid jumping between heading levels just to get a preferred font size; adjust the style’s appearance while keeping the structure meaningful.
Make the language easy to act on
Use words and sentence shapes that suit the audience and task. Put the main action where readers can find it, explain unfamiliar terms, and keep instructions specific. Plain-language guidance emphasizes writing for a particular audience and testing whether people understand the content. [2] This does not mean every document must sound casual or use the same level of detail; a technical audience may need technical terms, but the terms should still be explained when readers may not know them.
Compare these example instructions: “Upon completion of the registration process, participants are requested to proceed to the designated collection location.” A clearer version might say, “After you register, pick up your kit at the check-in table.” If “kit” or “check-in” could be unfamiliar, name what the kit contains or where the table will be. Write steps in the order the reader needs to do them.
Give links and visuals a clear purpose
Write link text that identifies its destination or action. A reader who encounters links apart from surrounding prose should still be able to tell what each one offers. “Read more” and “click here” do not provide much information by themselves; “Download the river cleanup safety checklist” does. [1] Make sure the visible link wording matches the actual destination, and avoid using a URL as the only clue unless the address itself is useful.
For each image, ask whether it communicates information or performs a function. If it does, provide alternative text that conveys the relevant information or function; if it is purely decorative, it may not need alternative text. [1] A map that marks the accessible entrance needs an alternative that conveys that location or points readers to an equivalent route description. A decorative divider does not need a verbal inventory of its appearance. The purpose in context determines the wording.
Support audio and video
When a document includes audio-only material, provide a transcript. For audio and video, captions should include speech and meaningful sounds; a video transcript may also need descriptions of important visual information. [1] A transcript can make spoken content available in text, while captions help readers follow speech and relevant sounds during playback. They serve related but distinct reading situations.
Imagine a training clip showing how to sort recycling. If the narrator says “put paper in the blue bin” while silently pointing to a bin, speech captions alone may leave the visual instruction unclear. A transcript or description can explain which bin the demonstrator indicates. This is an example of how to think through the content; the exact alternative depends on what viewers need to understand.
Check the actual file
Before sharing, inspect the document’s reading order, heading structure, link labels, image alternatives, and any tables or lists. Confirm that instructions spell out required information, such as an accepted date format, rather than expecting readers to infer it. [1] If you export to another format, inspect that version too: structure or spacing may not carry across as expected.
A useful next step is to ask a reader unfamiliar with the document to find one specific item, such as where to check in or what to bring. Watch where they look and what they ask. That small test can show whether a heading, instruction, or link needs revision. It does not substitute for using accessibility features, but it helps you evaluate whether the content communicates its intended action.
