{"id":9857,"date":"2025-08-20T08:37:00","date_gmt":"2025-08-20T12:37:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.swarthmore.edu\/its\/?p=9857"},"modified":"2025-08-19T14:58:13","modified_gmt":"2025-08-19T18:58:13","slug":"introducing-an-accessible-syllabus-template","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.swarthmore.edu\/its\/2025\/08\/20\/introducing-an-accessible-syllabus-template\/","title":{"rendered":"Styling in Word: Introducing an accessible syllabus template"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>The<a href=\"https:\/\/www.swarthmore.edu\/teaching-learning-commons\"> Teaching and Learning Commons (TLC)<\/a> and the<a href=\"https:\/\/www.swarthmore.edu\/accessibility\"> Accessibility at Swarthmore<\/a> teams have joined forces to bring you a customizable syllabus template for Fall 2025. Members of the Swarthmore community can download the <a href=\"https:\/\/drive.google.com\/drive\/folders\/1wfGgdPfyXFyBWrYlcCEIMSNfR199fBd9?usp=drive_link\">accessible syllabus template<\/a> from Google Drive as a Word document. In addition to offering a time-saving resource for course planning, we hope that the template also serves as a useful tool for learning and reflecting on both course design and accessibility.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Important note: <\/strong>This blog post and the accessible syllabus template are meant to be used alongside one another, with this post covering the accessibility principles in more depth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Content<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The <strong>content<\/strong> of the accessible syllabus template draws from various sources on backward design. Backward design is an approach to course development that begins with articulating what you want students to know and be able to do by the end of the course and then planning assignments and activities that will help them to get there. The template also includes Swarthmore-specific resource links, such as&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>the Academic Calendar,<\/li><li>the faculty guide to AI,<\/li><li>the Textbook Affordability Program (TAP),<\/li><li>and more.&nbsp;<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Format<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The accessible syllabus template follows the principles of document accessibility. It uses Styles to allow assistive technology (AT)\u2014such as screen readers\u2014to process the syllabus correctly. Instructors will also notice that all students\u2014including those with print disabilities\u2014will be able to access the information in the syllabus more easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Because both backward design and document accessibility may be new to some syllabus writers, we\u2019ve embedded&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>brief explanations in each section of the template,&nbsp;<\/li><li>links to learn more,&nbsp;<\/li><li>and a reference list.&nbsp;<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Since not every section of the template will be right for every professor or every course, we encourage you to adapt the sections as you see fit. By using Styles to maintain the format and using the principles of accessibility described in the document and in the following post, you\u2019ll be able to keep this syllabus (and other Word documents) 99% accessible while also making them your own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>How to use the accessible syllabus template<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Download the <a href=\"https:\/\/drive.google.com\/drive\/folders\/1wfGgdPfyXFyBWrYlcCEIMSNfR199fBd9?usp=drive_link\">accessible syllabus template<\/a> by selecting the <strong>More Actions<\/strong> menu\u2014signified by three vertical dots\u2014and <strong>selecting<\/strong> <strong>Download<\/strong>.<\/li><li>Open your downloaded template on your <a href=\"https:\/\/swatkb.atlassian.net\/wiki\/spaces\/SW\/pages\/20774931\/Microsoft+Office+365\">local install of Microsoft Office<\/a>.<\/li><li>Save a copy of the template as you would as a syllabus for your course using the <strong>File &gt; Save a copy <\/strong>or<strong> File &gt; Save as\u2026 <\/strong>navigation.<\/li><li>Read the introductory first three pages of the Accessible Syllabus Template for context and guidance.<\/li><li>Turn on <strong>View all characters<\/strong> by navigating to the <strong>Home <\/strong>Ribbon <strong>&gt; Paragraph <\/strong>section (3rd section from left) <strong>&gt; <\/strong>select the <strong>pilcrow \u00b6<\/strong>.<\/li><li>Turn on the Navigation Pane from the <strong>View<\/strong> Ribbon <strong>&gt; Show <\/strong>section (4th section from the left) <strong>&gt; <\/strong>select <strong>Navigation Pane<\/strong>.<\/li><li>Edit pieces of information on the template that are:<ul><li>preceded by the word \u201cSuggestion:\u201d;<\/li><li>highlighted;<\/li><li>or in brackets [ ].<\/li><\/ul><\/li><li>Run the <a href=\"https:\/\/support.microsoft.com\/en-us\/office\/video-check-the-accessibility-of-your-document-9d660cba-1fcd-45ad-a9d1-c4f4b5eb5b7d\">Accessibility Checker<\/a> from the <strong>Review<\/strong> Ribbon <strong>&gt;<\/strong> <strong>Accessibility<\/strong> section (3rd section from the left) <strong>&gt; <\/strong>select <strong>Check Accessibility<\/strong>.<\/li><li>Remedy any issues in the Accessibility Checker.<\/li><li>Remove the first three pages.<\/li><li>Save your accessible syllabus!<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>How to share your syllabus<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>With your syllabus ready to go, you can choose to share it in a number of ways:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>Upload<\/strong> the Word document to your Moodle site.<\/li><li><strong>Create a PDF<\/strong> of the syllabus by going to <strong>File &gt; Save a copy &gt;<\/strong> or <strong>File &gt; Save as\u2026 <\/strong>and then selecting <strong>PDF<\/strong> from <strong>File Format<\/strong> menu, in the <strong>Export As<\/strong> section. <strong>Save<\/strong> and then <strong>upload<\/strong> that to your Moodle site.<\/li><li><strong>Share<\/strong> the file with your course via a link on your Moodle site by going to the <strong>Share menu<\/strong> (top right in Word) <strong>&gt; Move or copy to the cloud &gt; Upload. <\/strong>Return to the <strong>Share menu<\/strong> (top right in Word) <strong>&gt; copy link<\/strong>. You can also play with permissions here, such as only allowing view access.<\/li><li><strong>Upload<\/strong> the Word or PDF to your Google Drive and <strong>share<\/strong> that link with your class.<\/li><li>Something else entirely.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>See: <a href=\"https:\/\/swatkb.atlassian.net\/wiki\/spaces\/ALLY\/pages\/352616510\/Creating+Accessible+Documents+and+PDFs#Adobe-Acrobat-for-PDFs\">Adobe Acrobat for PDFs in Creating Accessible Documents and PDFs | Swarthmore ITS KnowledgeBase (KB)<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Important note: <\/strong>If you import your Word document to Google Docs so that it can be opened as a Google Doc, you will lose important accessibility features and AT functionality. If you share it as a Google Doc, then we recommend installing and running the <a href=\"https:\/\/workspace.google.com\/marketplace\/app\/grackle_docs\/1085622905455\">Grackle Docs accessibility checker<\/a> at the very least.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator is-style-wide\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Accessibility explainers&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Built-in Styles for headings add structure<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Structuring a document using headings creates a visually distinct and semantically unique outline that provides a few benefits:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>logical flow;<\/li><li>improved readability;<\/li><li>and improved understanding.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Folks with cognitive, organizational, or executive function skills that wax and wane, and those who use assistive technologies (screen readers, Read Write&amp;Gold, Kurzwell, etc.) often find a structured document much easier to consume. Assistive technologies, in particular, benefit from this practice as doing so allows users to navigate by:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>viewing a list of headings;<\/li><li>reading or jumping through a document by headings;<\/li><li>or choosing document sections by headings.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>There are two images below:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>the one on the left is using a faked heading: one that is formatted to look like a heading but really isn&#8217;t.&nbsp;<\/li><li>The one on the right is using a built-in style heading. It is visually distinct and semantically distinguishable from a regular text styled as Normal.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com\/docsz\/AD_4nXeTXbMqAhdQk68QBdKCjOgZ5M5BGCrvFAp6Wdx0lTk7sgK7tKlHduWsJDlu7g1Rltre5wG1bBMXo3zbR56g9u-UmdBr3j0F3TC-_tvAl9_WVmxeto7ZQUMIzjXVFEj5Zp12PZyVMg?key=xdBVSF3VgRsvlhzr67854Q\" alt=\"two side by side Word documents, one using styles, the other not\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Use built-in Styles<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Creating a heading by changing the format of text directly in a Word document doesn\u2019t help end users and doesn\u2019t help you. We highlight text and apply a different font type, a larger font size, bold formatting, etc. Changing the look using the Font formatting only changes the look for one item; but if you use a Style, you can change the look of every element of that Style in the document.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The built-in Styles are located in the Home Ribbon.<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"624\" height=\"148\" alt=\"Built-in styles on the ribbon\" src=\"https:\/\/lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com\/docsz\/AD_4nXfQMks8NYzCjVOOVs4sO7zn9XviakiZ1eL-HdVxLPJiM5GiiL3hTs22q54G3ogBecCHUupp3UYtdIrz_J_3c-k3FFt0bM12I7sESgN9HFsFwOZQfx4NylSB0U-A3ThS21gr94ML?key=xdBVSF3VgRsvlhzr67854Q\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Alter style by using the Styles Pane<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com\/docsz\/AD_4nXchFviABFOR6fsCXHxBcA_Q2NiFHStL9VFcZCOAUBbna_8WL0SJOv7FTW6TSMBItzrhrbOZmoH3acjYNPrCXDpu6DNqx3WR9MvxZvFYKOquS8AhV_yafY2FE2Y6tDg4MQfE5qRJ?key=xdBVSF3VgRsvlhzr67854Q\" alt=\"to the right of a style, choose modify style from the dropdown\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>If you do not like the look and feel of a Style element, change it. In the Home Ribbon,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>choose <strong>Styles Pane<\/strong>,<\/li><li>then choose <strong>Modify Style<\/strong>.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Bonus Benefits<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>When you are using the built-in Styles, you get a couple of great bonuses:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>change look and feel of elements with a couple of clicks;<\/li><li>easily create a table of contents for any document;<\/li><li>option to auto-update all of that Style at once throughout the document.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Create descriptive hyperlinks<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Hyperlinks allow web-users of the Word document to navigate directly to a specific website. To add a hyperlink,&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>highlight\/select the text you want to lead elsewhere,<\/li><li>click CTRL+k or CMD+k,<\/li><li>and insert the target web address.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>Make sure your link text is descriptive, i.e. that it tells the reader something about the target destination. Hyperlinks labeled \u201cRead more,\u201d \u201cClick here,\u201d or the like are not useful.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Citations with a hyperlink could look something like:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/tripod.swarthmore.edu\/permalink\/01TRI_INST\/1e1odpu\/alma991019004099504921\">Auerbach, Jonathan, and Russ Castronovo, eds. \u201cIntroduction: Thirteen Propositions About Propaganda.\u201d<\/a> <em>The Oxford handbook of propaganda studies<\/em>. Oxford University Press, 2013.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>or<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Auerbach, Jonathan, and Russ Castronovo, eds. &#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/tripod.swarthmore.edu\/permalink\/01TRI_INST\/1e1odpu\/alma991019004099504921\">Introduction: Thirteen Propositions About Propaganda<\/a>.\u201d <em>The Oxford handbook of propaganda studies<\/em>. Oxford University Press, 2013.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>See:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><a href=\"https:\/\/tlos.vt.edu\/digital-accessibility\/calm\/use-meaningful-links.html\">Use meaningful links | Virginia Tech<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/usability.yale.edu\/web-accessibility\/articles\/links#link-text\">Link text | Yale<\/a>.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">If including images, add alternative text (alt-text)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>In Word,&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>Select the image<\/strong> you\u2019re adding alternative text to.<\/li><li><strong>Right-click or control-click<\/strong> the image to pull up a menu.<\/li><li>Select <strong>View Alt Text<\/strong>.<\/li><li>Edit the alt text accordingly.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>See:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><a href=\"https:\/\/support.microsoft.com\/en-us\/office\/video-improve-accessibility-with-alt-text-9c57ee44-bb48-40e3-aad4-7647fc1dba51\">Video: Improve Accessibility with alt text | Microsoft Office Support<\/a>.<\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/WAI\/tutorials\/images\/\">Images Tutorial | Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) | W3C<\/a>.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Check contrast colors<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>As you may know, colorblindness is quite common. Additionally, many of us end up needing glasses to see eventually. This makes contrast important, and we strive to meet a minimum of 4.5:1 contrast ratio. You can test your color selections with the <a href=\"https:\/\/webaim.org\/resources\/contrastchecker\/\">WebAIM Contrast Checker<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Use bulleted or numbered lists<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Using lists can help break up longer readings and paragraphs to assist with readability. A few guidelines for lists:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>If there\u2019s only one item, it\u2019s not a list.<\/li><li>Numbered lists are only used when priority matters or following steps matters, such as in recipes or lab directions.<\/li><li>The list must be identified as a list. Creating bullets by simply inserting a shape\u2014including emojis\u2014does not create a list.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Insert tables<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>As stated in the accessible syllabus template, \u201cTables are notoriously difficult for assistive technology.\u201d To insert a table in Word properly:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Navigate to the <strong>Insert<\/strong> ribbon.<\/li><li>Select <strong>Table<\/strong> from the second section from left on the Home Ribbon.<\/li><li>Define the layout you will need.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>If a single table crosses multiple pages, you must repeat the header row on each page.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Select the crosshairs at the top left corner of the table to <strong>select the table <\/strong>that is crossing multiple pages.<\/li><li>A new Table Layout Ribbon now appears at the top of the screen. <strong>Select Table Layout<\/strong>.<\/li><li>Look for the <strong>Repeat Header Rows<\/strong> option near the far right of the options available. <strong>Select<\/strong> <strong>Repeat Header Rows<\/strong>.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Important Note:<\/strong> This step needs to be done for each table individually after you finish editing your text, since the locations of tables may change as you adjust your document.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>See:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><a href=\"https:\/\/support.microsoft.com\/en-us\/office\/video-create-accessible-tables-in-word-cb464015-59dc-46a0-ac01-6217c62210e5\">Video: Create accessible tables in Word | Microsoft Support<\/a>.<\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.perkins.org\/resource\/creating-accessible-table-word\/\">Creating an Accessible Table in Word | Perkins<\/a><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">(Don\u2019t) Use Headers and Footers<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Headers and footers are not recognized by assistive technology. Footers usually contain things like page numbers, and we do recommend pagination to understand where one is in a document for folks who have vision. However, since AT does not read what\u2019s in a header or a footer,&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>make sure only non-essential information is in a header or footer;<\/li><li>Or repeat the essential information in the body text.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Questions?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>You can reach out to the <a href=\"mailto:tlc@swarthmore.edu\">Teaching and Learning Commons via email<\/a> with questions about syllabus content or backward design.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can reach anyone on the <a href=\"mailto:accessibility@swarthmore.edu\">accessibility team via email<\/a> or, if you&#8217;d like to walk through any of the steps together, <a href=\"https:\/\/calendly.com\/swat-accessibility\">schedule time with accessibility<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>These instructions are adapted from Corrine Schoeb&#8217;s post from 2017, <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.swarthmore.edu\/its\/2017\/09\/25\/formatting-syllabi-in-word-or-any-other-word-document\/\"><em>Formatting Syllabi in Word (or any other Word document)<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Teaching and Learning Commons (TLC) and the Accessibility at Swarthmore teams have joined forces to bring you a customizable syllabus template for Fall 2025. Members of the Swarthmore community can download the accessible syllabus template from Google Drive as &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.swarthmore.edu\/its\/2025\/08\/20\/introducing-an-accessible-syllabus-template\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Styling in Word: Introducing an accessible syllabus template<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":4446,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,71,73,186,12,219],"tags":[216,90,498],"class_list":{"0":"post-9857","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","6":"hentry","7":"category-academic-technology","8":"category-accessibility","9":"category-course_planning","10":"category-design-thinking","11":"category-tips","12":"category-universal-design-for-learning","13":"tag-accessibility","14":"tag-featured","15":"tag-tlc","17":"fallback-thumbnail"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/blogs.swarthmore.edu\/its\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/wordRibbon.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/ph2nPL-2yZ","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.swarthmore.edu\/its\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9857","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.swarthmore.edu\/its\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.swarthmore.edu\/its\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.swarthmore.edu\/its\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/84"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.swarthmore.edu\/its\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9857"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.swarthmore.edu\/its\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9857\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9878,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.swarthmore.edu\/its\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9857\/revisions\/9878"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.swarthmore.edu\/its\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4446"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.swarthmore.edu\/its\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9857"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.swarthmore.edu\/its\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9857"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.swarthmore.edu\/its\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9857"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}