Last week we discussed the barriers to access to PDFs and the broad spectrum of PDF. This week we’ll focus on the considerations for when creating PDFs from a Word document.
Before exporting a Word document to PDF, it is worth pausing to consider whether a PDF is the best format for students in the first place, and what is gained or lost in that conversion.
Why Stick with Word
For many students, Word documents offer more flexibility than PDFs. Word allows students to:
- Resize text and adjust spacing without breaking the layout
- Change colors or contrast to improve readability
- Read content comfortably on different screen sizes
Because Word is an editable format, students can more easily adjust documents to meet their individual needs.
Consider Alternative Format Feature in Panorama
Some students may prefer PDFs because they provide a familiar format that supports reading, highlighting, and note-taking. In Canvas, Panorama’s Alternative Formats feature allows students to generate a PDF (or other formats) from a Word document. Rather than uploading a PDF, sharing the Word file gives students flexibility to choose the format that works best for them.
When You Do Want a PDF
When a PDF is required or preferred, accessibility work should happen in the Word document first. The quality of the PDF depends heavily on how the Word file is created.
Rather than fixing the PDF version of a document making the original document accessible can save time over the long term, because updates to the Word file will automatically carry forward into future PDFs.
Some common features of an accessible Word document include:
- Proper heading styles
- Alternative text for images, tables, graphs
- Lists created with Word’s built-in list tool
- Appropriate font size and color contrast
For detailed guidance on creating accessible Word documents and how to export them accessibly, see the:
Get Support
If you have questions about creating accessible PDF from Word you can:
- Book an Accessibility Consultation
- Send an e-mail to t2access@umw.edu