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Section 9.1: Sharing a Word Document
One method is to share Sharing a Word document as a Word Document. This method is safe because it has no risk of anything being lost while converting. Keep in mind that the recipient must also have Microsoft Word. Also, people who frequently use MS Office will be comfortable using this format, even with screen readers. Still, there are some potential downsides:
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Not Everyone Has MS Word
These days, most people can access Word documents in one way or another, but some people still cannot. Whatever the reason, if the person does not have MS Word, they may not be able to open the document at all.
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Complex Content in Word Documents
To avoid accessibility issues of complex content, you should covert the document into an HTML, PDF, or EPUB format. Once the document has been converted, the accessibility features for complex content can be applied. It will take longer to convert the document, but it will be much more accessible.
Links to Word Documents on Websites Are Somewhat Intrusive
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in its native Word format is often the safest choice, as it prevents data loss during conversion (if the recipient has MS Word). It is also familiar to MS Office users, including those using screen readers. However, there are some drawbacks:
Some People May Not Have It
While many can access Word files, some may not due to cost, device limitations, or preference for other programs. Without Word or a compatible reader, they may be unable to open the document.
Complex Content May Require Conversion
For better accessibility, complex Word content may need to be converted to HTML, PDF, or EPUB, where accessibility features can be applied. This requires extra effort but improves usability.
Word Files on Websites Can Be Disruptive
If a document is meant for web use, HTML format is preferable, with an option to download the Word file. Otherwise, users may face an unexpected download prompt, disrupting their browsing experience.
Section 9.2: Save as a Web Page
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The regular "Save as Web Page" option in Word creates too much extra markup. This makes adds excessive markup, making "Save as Web Page, Filtered" preferred for almost everything. Generally the better choice. While this option is usually sufficient for most things. However, it can still get messyrequire cleanup. If you copy copying the markup into a content management system or template, you'll need to copy the styles into transfer Word-generated styles to the style sheet . Plus, you'll probably need to change the location of the images. You may also need to change special characters such as Word-specific or document head and adjust image locations. Additionally, special characters like dashes, quotation marks, apostrophes, or other special charactersand apostrophes may need correction.
Use a Third-Party Tool to Clean the HTML
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Section 9.4: Single File Web Page
When you save Saving a Word document as a "Single File Web Page," the result is just one file with everything inside. Other saving methods can give you an index page plus a folder full of images and style sheets. But this happens only when you choose the "Save as Web Page" or "Save as Web Page, Filtered" options. This is convenient, because it keeps everything together. It also makes it easy to send in an email or to archive a web page. The creates one file instead of an index page with separate folders for images and styles. This makes it easy to email or archive. However, the main drawback is that it only works in Internet Explorer.
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Section 9.6: Save to OneDrive
Saving a document to OneDrive is a way of storing OneDrive stores documents in the cloud. They can be accessed from the cloud from , allowing access from any device. OneDrive is similar Similar to services like Dropbox, iCloud and Google Drive, Sharing through Box.net, and iCloud. You can it lets you share files in OneDrive with other people. You can set permissions as read-only , or shared editing permissions. If the person gets the file opened online, the file will likely may open in the web browser. Some of the a browser, but some accessibility features may not be missing in the online web version of MS Office.
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