Overview
Reminder
All Self-Serve Courses are cumulative and in order. Do not start this section if you have not completed the preceding Self Serve Courses or attended training provided by EIR Accessibility.
In this Section
Requirements for Short Documents
Text-only documents under two pages require:
- A Document Title
- A visible title marked as Heading 1
(If Headings are needed, see Long Documents.) - Paragraphs marked as Normal
Make Short Documents Accessible
Set the Document Title
Steps for Mac
- Go to File.
- Choose Properties.
- Select the Summary tab.
- Type in the Title field.
Steps for Windows
- Go to File.
- Choose Info.
- Type the Title in the Title field.
Mark the Visible Title as Heading 1
- Apply Heading 1 to the title.
- Mouse over the title to highlight it.
- Click on Heading 1 in the Styles Pane to apply.
Apply Normal to Paragraphs
- Mouse over the body paragraphs to highlight them.
- Click on Normal in the Styles Pane to apply.
Use Templates for Short Documents
- The plain template is for short documents under 2 pages.
- The template includes example text and instructions. (Delete the text when ready.)
Access the plain template in SharePoint.
- Remember to set Arial as your default font or the template will not work properly.
- Watch the video tutorials to learn how to use the template.
- Do not copy from one document and paste directly into the template. See FAQ for an explanation.
Video Tutorials for Word Templates
Reformat a document using a template
Word Templates FAQ
Why must Word documents be accessible?
- The Texas Administrative Code states that documents on higher education websites must be accessible.
- IT-PR-04 Web Standards Procedure states that only PDFs may be uploaded to UTA websites.
- IT-PR-05 states that it is the responsibility of each UTA employee to comply with this procedure.
Why use these templates?
- They follow UTA brand standards.
- They will produce accessible PDFs when used properly.
- They will reduce time and effort needed to create accessible Word documents.
Why must I set Arial as my default font?
The template will not work properly unless you set Arial as your default font and you’ll have inconsistent formatting.
Can we start with a new document (File > New)?
No. A new document does not have the correct formatting provided in the template:
- H1: 20 pt Arial with 12pts after; UTA Blue
- H2: 18 pt Arial with 10pts after; UTA Blue
- H3: 16 pt Arial with 8pts after; UTA Blue
- H4: 14 pt Arial with 6pts after; UTA Blue
- H5: 12 pt Arial with 4 pts after; UTA Blue
- H6: 12 pt Arial italics with 4pts after; UTA Blue
- Body (Normal): 10, 11, or 12 pt Arial; black
If a new document is used, you will have to start over and restructure your document using the template.
Can I copy text from a document with different formatting and paste it directly into the template?
No. Users are strongly cautioned against doing this.
Text copied from one Word document with different formatting and pasted into the template will CORRUPT the Styles. This causes glitches and inconsistent formatting, and it is not worthwhile to try and fix.
You’ll likely end up having to rebuild the document a third time with a blank template because it’s very time-consuming and difficult to fix corrupted Styles, if not impossible.
Do this instead:
- Copy the text from the original document and paste it into NotePad (Windows) or TextEdit (Mac.).
- Convert the text to Plain Text (text without any formatting.)
- Copy the Plain Text and paste it into the template.
- Redo the formatting using the Styles built into the template.
This method is demonstrated in the video tutorial “Reformat a Document Using A Templates“.
Can I practice using these templates?
Yes. We have practice documents on this page (and detailed video tutorials are included!)