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Part 1: Creating an Application

Part 1: Creating an Application

Owned by Daniel LaGrow, created
Last updated: Jan 31, 2025
3 min read

 

 Instructions

Introduction:

This article series presents 10 steps for creating a fully accessible form in Microsoft Word and Adobe Acrobat. Before starting, we recommend reviewing the earlier chapters of our Adobe Acrobat series. Step-by-step instructions for each process are available throughout the series or in the video version of this sample project.

This guide focuses on demonstrating the form creation process rather than covering every detail of Acrobat. To avoid redundancy, it provides less information than the video version, and assumes you are already familiar with the previous chapters. If you're working on your own project, we highly recommend watching the video version, where each step is explained in greater detail while referring to these instructions.

Step 1: Microsoft Word

When you think your document is nearing completion, follow these rules to make sure your project is ready for Acrobat.

  1. Ensure form instructions are clear.

  2. Create visible labels for all form fields.

  3. Ensure labels are meaningful and clear.

  4. Place labels visually adjacent to their corresponding elements.

  5. Include meaningful group labels where appropriate.

  6. Indicate which form fields are required and if there are any field constraints, such as a specific format of entering the data. (This can also be done in Acrobat).

  7. Provide help and hints where appropriate. (This can also be done in Acrobat).

    An example of an application in Microsoft Word. It is 3 pages long with sections on Personal Information, Education, Previous Employment, References, and Disclaimer.

About our Sample Project:

  1. In our example, Coastal Comforts is set to the Title style. The font is Times New Roman, size 36. The Employment/Job Application text is set to the Heading 1 style. The font is Times New Roman, size 24. Each of the sections text, like Personal Information, Education, Previous Employment, References, and Disclaimer are set to the Heading 2 style. The font is Times New Roman, size 20. Everything else is set as Normal Text with the font being Times New Roman, size 12.

  2. The Page Numbers were made with a real footer and the Page Number tool. The pages are labeled as Page 1, Page 2, and Page 3.

  3. If you make a page with line to indicate where the forms go, make sure there is a space between the colon and the line. This is because we want Acrobat to scan them as separate objects. Later on in this process, we will have Acrobat create form fields over the lines and we want to be sure the lines cannot be read by screen readers. This separation is very important for your screen reader, so be sure to check all of your lines are spaced away from the colon.

    An example of an application in Microsoft Word. It is 3 pages long with sections on Personal Information, Education, Previous Employment, References, and Disclaimer.

Step 2: Saving as a Tagged PDF

Now we have to move the document into Adobe Acrobat. Right now, our document fulfills accessibility requirements for Microsoft Word and when you convert the document to Acrobat, the accessible features will transfer with it.

To save your Word Document as a Tagged PDF,

  1. Click on the File Tab and click Save as Adobe PDF.

  2. In the Save Adobe PDF File As box, go to the Options Box at the bottom.

  3. In the Acrobat PDFMaker, check Enable Accessibility and Reflow with tagged Adobe PDF and Convert Word Headings to Bookmarks.

  4. If you want to tag the objects in the PDF yourself, go to the Accessibility Tags Pane, click on the Options button and click Delete Tags.

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