When you receive the Word template that's used for formatting each of your articles, they are given to you in a Microsoft Word Template (.dotx) format. If you don't have a .dotx format template, reach out to POLP staff.
The template that our Web Services team created when your journal was being set up was formatted to be accessible to as many audiences as possible. Features like headings and alt text make it easier for screen readers to capture and relay the information to audiences that are ingesting the content via audio. Specific color and font choices make it easier for audiences with visual impairments to see the content on their screen.
With the .dotx format, each time you open the template, a new document will be created. You can alter the information that needs to be altered (specific volume and issue number, page numbers, title, author, abstract, article text, etc.) and save as that article galley. When you're ready to do the next article, just open the template again and repeat the process. The .dotx format allows you to use the template as it is, upholding every accessibility feature even when you're changing the content. It also makes it easier to save each article with a unique title, ensuring the documents are labelled correctly.
This resource from Microsoft has more information about making Word documents accessible to people with disabilities.
This resource from Microsoft details the steps to saving a Word document as an accessible PDF. For your convenience, here are the steps to that process:
Do one of the following:
To save the PDF to the same location as the original file, expand the file type dropdown list under the file name, select PDF (*.pdf), and then select More options.... The Save As dialog box opens.
To browse for a save location, select Browse. The Save As dialog box opens. Navigate to the location where you want to save the file, and then select PDF in the Save as type list.
In the Save As dialog box, select Options.
Select the Document structure tags for accessibility checkbox, and then select OK.
Taking these steps when creating article galleys ensures that the Word template's accessibility features are upheld in the PDF form. Screen readers will be able to read the document as it was created.
