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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.

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

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.

Download NIHR Cambridge BRC accessible document template

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.

Download NIHR Cambridge BRC PowerPoint presentation

FAQs for creating accessible documents

This section will answer some questions when creating an accessible document.

An accessible document is where your electronic document is created in an easy-read format. They are designed so they can be used by as many people as possible including those with disabilities.

We want information about our research to be available to everyone, regardless of their accessibility needs. New national regulations have been brought into force to require websites and documents published online comply with accessibility guidance.

It is now everyone’s responsibility to create documents that are accessible, even if they will not be on an online platform. This includes word documents, webpages, Excel or PowerPoint presentations.

Anyone who is responsible for creating electronic documents that will be shared with other people – whether using Word, designing a poster, creating an Excel sheet or a PowerPoint – should now meet the accessibility guidance.

No. Documents that have been created before September 2018 do not need to be updated.

Any documents online and published after September 2018 need to be updated.

Documents that are no longer in use e.g. event posters, old minutes do not need to be updated and should be removed or archived on the website.

The new guidance relates to published documents. However, if you are regularly using a document e.g. patient information leaflet, protocols, reports, booking forms etc. you should review them and think whether they should comply with the new guidance.

Think about the person you are sending it to or who is accessing it electronically. Could they need your document in an accessible format? Where appropriate, decide whether you should update your documents to the new standards

The new guidance became effective in September 2020. Any documents that are published online need to be updated as soon as possible.

Documents that are not online do not need to be done immediately but any you work on or are in regular use electronically (patient information sheet, protocol information, reports, booking forms, training information), should be reviewed.

An accessible document is looking at the content, style, structure and what is embedded in the document that isn’t just text e.g. pictures. You will need to think about:

  • Use of headings.
  • Use of meaningful hyperlinks.
  • Adding alternate text to images.
  • Using tables wisely

The full guidelines created by the NIHR Cambridge BRC will have details how to add these to your document.

For best practice, all new documents you create that are intended to be shared or accessed by other people electronically should now be in an accessible format, whether they will be published online or not.

Accessible documents relate to any output, including PowerPoint presentation, posters or Excel and will help the reader.

A guide and a document template has been created for you from the NIHR Cambridge BRC communications team. Your relevant NIHR PowerPoint presentation template has also been updated.

Websites are now becoming more equipped to be accessible for the user. Where possible, see if your information can be placed on a web page rather than in a document to be uploaded to a website. Talk to the relevant website team to decide the best option.

If you have any documents that are online in a PDF format they will need to be updated as soon as possible.

You do not need to fix the following types of content because they’re exempt from the accessibility regulations:

  • PDFs or other documents published before 23 September 2018
  • maps – but you’ll need to provide essential information in an accessible format like an address
  • third party content that’s under someone else’s control if you did not pay for it or develop it yourself

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

Useful resources

The NIHR Cambridge BRC is part of the NIHR and hosted by Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in partnership with the University of Cambridge. We are at the heart of the Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Europe’s largest health research area.

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Tel: 01223 348490

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