SAMHSA's Section 508 Resources

Microsoft Word FAQs

How do I apply HEADINGS in my document?

We use default Word styles to format document headings. Using these default styles allows for the creation of the necessary tags needed by screen readers to navigate the document.

1. Highlight the text to be changed:
   1. What style is selected in the style box? Here we see "Normal."
   2. What font name and size is assigned to your current text? Here we see "Times New Roman" and "12."
      
2. Click on the Style box pull-down menu and choose "Heading 1".
   
3. Notice the change:
   1. The style box now shows "Heading 1."
   2. The font name and size has changed to "Arial" and "16."
      
4. Now let's say you want to change the font to Times New Roman.
   1. Click on the pull-down menu in the font box and choose "Times New Roman."
      
   2. Notice that a new style is created to include the font change:
      
   3. As long as the new style is based on the default "Heading 1" style, the heading will convert properly to PDF and is compliant (i.e., Heading 1 + Times New Roman).
5. Repeat the process for subheadings (Heading 2, Heading 3, etc.).

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Last Update: 08/14/2008