Digital Accessibility for Graduate Theses
Learn how to make your graduate thesis accessible to all readers by following key digital accessibility practices.
Ensure Your Thesis or Dissertation is Accessible for Submission
Accessibility is an essential part of preparing your thesis or dissertation for submission. You must ensure your document is accessible before final submission. Ensuring your document is accessible helps make your research available to all audiences, including those using screen readers or other assistive technologies.
Whether you use the Word or LaTeX template, it’s easiest to make accessibility edits in Word.
This page provides practical tips and resources to help you check and improve accessibility before your final submission.
LaTex Instructions
If you are using the LaTeX template, download the resulting PDF and convert it to a Word document to make your accessibility edits.
- You can use the Adobe Converter Tool to convert your PDF to Word.
- Once you have the Word version, follow the instructions below to ensure it is accessible before exporting your final PDF.
NOTE: If you have issues with your math content when converting to Word, please replace the math content with a screenshot and include descriptive alternative text describing the equation. Read more about alternative text below.
Accessible Word Document Checklist
An accessible Word document will help make your final PDF accessible. Use the checklist below to ensure your Word document is accessible before exporting to or saving as a PDF.
- To add a title to the document properties, go to the File menu in Word and select the Info tab.
- Under Properties on the right side, add a descriptive title to the title field.
- Alternative text can be added by right-clicking on the image and choosing Alt Text.
- If the image is purely decorative it can be indicated by selecting the Mark as Decorative checkbox on the Alt Text pane.
For more information on writing alternative text see the UM Guide to Alternative Text.
- To create Word headings select the text and choose the appropriate style under Styles on the Home (e.g., “Heading 1”)
- Headings 1, 2, or 3 can also be assigned using CTRL + ALT + 1, 2, or 3, respectively.
- To adjust a heading’s default appearance, apply your desired formatting to the text, open the Styles dropdown, click the arrow next to the heading style, and choose Update Heading # to Match Selection.
- Only one Heading Level 1 is used
- A logical heading order is used. Heading Level 2 comes after Heading Level 1, Heading 3 comes after Heading Level 2, etc.
- To create a list select the Numbered List or Bulleted List option on the Home ribbon, under the Paragraph section.
- To add table headers to the first row, put the cursor within the table then select Table Layout on the ribbon, then choose the Repeat Header Rows option in the Data
- To use the Accessibility Checker tool select Review in the ribbon, then under Accessibility select Accessibility Checker.
When exporting your Word document, ensure you use Save As PDF or Export to PDF. Using Print to PDF will result in an inaccessible document.
Checking Your Final PDF
Adobe Acrobat Pro can be used to check and fix accessibility issues in your final PDF. It’s available on computers outside the IDEALab on the first floor of J.D. Williams Library. The guide below provides a quick overview of the Adobe Acrobat Pro Accessibility Checker tool, which can provide you with an accessibility report.
Note: Another option is to use the PAC Accessibility Checker which is free to download for Windows users and can generate an accessibility report. This tool is a checker only, and if errors are identified, Adobe Acrobat Pro is required to fix them.
If you have any questions please reach out to us at accessibility@olemiss.edu or attend the Digital Accessibility Office Hours.
- Open your PDF in Adobe Acrobat Pro
- Select the Accessibility tool (purple person icon) from the right-hand side Tools panel. A new panel will appear on the right-hand side. Select Accessibility Check.
- If you do not see the Accessibility tool, select More Tools then add the Accessibility tool.
- A pop-up should appear. Under Category select Document and ensure only the following items are checked
- Accessibility permission flag is set
- Document is not image-only PDF
- Document is tagged PDF
- Text language is specified
- Document title is showing in title bar
- Under Category select Alternative Text and Headings and ensure only the following items are checked:
- Figures require alternative text
- Appropriate heading nesting
- To generate an accessibility report ensure Create accessibility report is checked at the top of the pop-up. The report will appear in the selected folder after running the checker.
- Select Start Checking to run the accessibility checker
After running the Accessibility Checker the results will appear on the left-hand side. Dropdown arrows next to each issue type show the specific accessibility issues flagged. Left-click on a failed issue to learn more about it and, for some issues, apply fixes.
For more information view Create and verify PDF accessibility (Acrobat Pro)