By now you may be asking yourself, “Where do I start?”

How about starting with your syllabus, do you have the proper structure in place with headings? Using properly structured headings helps organize your content, making it easier for everyone to read. Headings are a primary way to navigate pages using screen reading software. For a great example of why structure and navigation is important, take a few minutes and watch this video:

Okay, so you know about headings and why they are important, pull your syllabus up in Word and apply the proper heading structure. Remember, there is only one Heading 1 on each page, Heading 2s are next and are like chapter titles, Heading 3s are then sub-sections of those chapters, and so on. Just remember to use headings in the correct order, don’t skip levels! Once you apply a heading you can change the style or look of the text. To apply a heading in Word:

1. Select the text that you want to make into a heading.
2. Go to the Home tab.
3. In the Styles group, choose the appropriate heading level from the Styles gallery.

Here’s an example of how headings could flow (you don’t have to indent content, indenting was added so you could see the relation between the headings):

Heading 1 (Course Name)

Heading 2 (Objectives)

Heading 2 (Grading)

Heading 3 (Extra Credit)

Heading 3 (Late Assignments)

Heading 4 (Excused)

Heading 4 (Not Excused)

Heading 2 (Required Reading)

Lastly, run the built-in accessibility checker to see how you are doing. To do this:

1. Click File.
2. Click Check for Issues and select Check Accessibility from the menu that pops up.
3. The Accessibility Checker will pop up on the right side of the screen and alert you to any issues in the document.

If you have any questions, or need help with headings, feel free to contact us at 231-995-3020 and ask for accessibility help, or put in a help desk ticket for eLearning/Accessibility support.