Part 1: Creating an Employee Handbook
- Daniel LaGrow
Instructions
Introduction
This article series presents several 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.
Ensure form instructions are clear.
Create visible labels for all form fields.
Ensure labels are meaningful and clear.
Place labels visually adjacent to their corresponding elements.
Include meaningful group labels where appropriate.
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).
Provide help and hints where appropriate. (This can also be done in Acrobat).
About our Sample Project:
In our example, Coastal Comforts Employee Handbook is set to the Title style. The font is Times New Roman, size 48. Below our title, we have a real Table of Contents set as normal text. The Table of Contents text is set at Times New Roman, size 18. The text within the Table of Contents is set to Times New Roman, size 12. The headings styles are set Times New Roman, dark blue, and at size 20 and size 16.
The line spacing is 1.5.
The image at the end of the article has an alt text.
The Page Numbers were made with a real footer and the Page Number tool. The pages are labeled as 1-7.
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,
Click on the File Tab and click Save as Adobe PDF.
In the Save Adobe PDF File As box, go to the Options Box at the bottom.
In the Acrobat PDFMaker, check Enable Accessibility and Reflow with tagged Adobe PDF and Convert Word Headings to Bookmarks.
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.
