Accessibility documents and FAQs

In September 2018 new accessibility regulations came into force for public-sector bodies, setting new requirements to improve the accessibility of our public documents. These rules were required to be implemented by September 2020.

Accessible documents and web pages make it easy for people who use adaptive technology (for example screen readers, speech recognition and mouse alternatives) to access the information they contain and work their way through them.

As NIHR is a publicly funded body, these regulations apply to our documents, and as an organisation we support the goals of making our documents as widely accessible as possible.

A guide to making your documents accessible

This has step-by-step information on how to make accessible documents in Microsoft Office and on a Mac. It includes the following:

• Create headings and subheadings
• Create, customise and modify current styles
• Make images accessible
• Make tables accessible
• Create accessible hyperlinks
• Check your document is accessible
• Turn your document into an accessible PDF

Download the full guide.

Templates

NIHR Cambridge BRC accessible document template with a ‘quick guide’

This is a template for staff to use but it has quick instructions embedded for those who don’t want to use or refer to the full guide. You can overwrite the sample text and delete the guidelines.

NIHR Cambridge BRC accessible document template with minimal instructions

No sample text or instructions, only prompts. You can use this document as your standard blank template and refer to the full guide to help create an accessible document.  

Updated version of the NIHR Cambridge BRC PowerPoint presentation

The template now has alt text on the logo and motifs throughout the master copy. If you are inserting a table or a picture in order for the PowerPoint to be published later on, you will still need to follow the rules mentioned in the full guide.

Read our FAQs regarding accessible documents.

There is no change to the position of logos or branding, this just relates to making your document accessible. If you are adding other logos to your documents e.g. CUH, University of Cambridge you will still add them in their correct position but you need to make sure alt text is added to the logo. Details of how to do this are in the guidelines.

NIHR BioResource templates

• NIHR BioResource accessible document template with a ‘quick guide’
• NIHR BioResource accessible document template with minimal instructions
• Updated version of the NIHR BioResource PowerPoint presentation

NIHR Cambridge Clinical Research Facility templates

• NIHR Cambridge Clinical Research Facility accessible document template with a ‘quick guide’
• NIHR Cambridge Clinical Research Facility accessible document template with minimal instructions
• Updated version of the NIHR Cambridge Clinical Research Facility PowerPoint presentation

Useful resources

• Create accessible Office documents
• Make your Excel documents accessible
• Make your PowerPoint presentations accessible 
• Understanding accessibility requirements for public sector bodies