3 Word – Headings

Overview

Headings not only visually organize your document but also enable users of assistive technology, like screen readers, to navigate effectively when formatted correctly. To ensure accessible headings, we’ll cover:

1. Enabling the Navigation Pane to view document structure.
2. Setting up Word’s built-in heading styles.
3. Applying headings to your text.

Important Notes

Avoid manually formatting headings using only font size, bolding, or underlining. Screen readers rely on the semantic information provided by Word’s built-in heading styles, not just visual appearance. Manual styling changes only how text looks, not its underlying code, making it unrecognizable as a heading to assistive technologies.

Walk-through

Enable Navigation Pane

To view and verify your document’s heading structure:

1. Open the View tab of the Ribbon.
2. Check the box for Navigation Pane.
3. In the Navigation Pane, select the 3-dot icon to display the document structure.
   • If the structure is blank, your document currently has no headings.

Set Up Styles

You can preset heading formatting using the Styles pane in Word, then apply those settings consistently throughout your document.

To modify heading styles:

1. Navigate to the Home tab of the Ribbon.
2. Click the Styles Pane launcher.
3. In the Styles Pane, locate Heading 1, click the drop-down arrow, and select Modify Style.
4. In the Modify Style pane, set the desired font, text size, and color. Press OK.
5. Repeat this process for Heading 2.
   • Note: Heading 3 and subsequent levels will appear in the Styles pane only after a lower-level heading, like Heading 2, has been applied in the document.

If you’ve already manually styled text and want to apply those changes to a built-in heading style:

1. Highlight the document text with the desired formatting.
2. In the Styles Pane, click the down arrow on the heading level you wish to update.
3. Select Update to Match Selection.

Apply Headings

Once styles are set, apply them to your text:

1. In your document, highlight the text you want to make a heading.
2. Navigate to the Styles Pane and click on the desired Heading level (e.g., Heading 1).
   • You’ll see the text update visually and the Navigation Pane will reflect the new heading structure. This pane is a valuable tool for checking your document’s organization.

Important Reminders for Headings

• Use headings in logical, hierarchical order: A Heading 2 should be a subsection of a Heading 1, and so on.
• Avoid skipping heading levels: Jumping from Heading 1 to Heading 3, for example, can confuse screen reader users.