---
title: "Top 6 DOCX Issues in Panorama"
canonical: "https://help.cccs.edu/space/KnowledgeBase/976191492/Top%206%20DOCX%20Issues%20in%20Panorama"
format: markdown
---
## Overview

Microsoft Word is the most commonly used word processor and is used for a wide variety of physical and digital documents. While Word does have a basic accessibility checker, there are also several issues it does not account for that slip into documents very frequently. YuJa Panorama can catch what Word doesn’t, including these six most frequently occurring accessibility issues.

## 6. Table does not have a header

Severity:** Major**

Tables require semantically tagged header rows to be fully accessible. Assistive technology can distinguish header cells from data cells and uses them to communicate relationships. Without header rows, it can be difficult to understand the contents of a table.

Due to their flexibility, tables are often used to format text in dynamic columnar layouts. Screen readers cannot tell the difference between tables used for data and layout tables, leading to confusing results when read out loud. Use columns and continuous section breaks for layout instead.

### Fixing in Panorama

1. Open the Accessibility Report for the document in Panorama.
2. Locate the table header issue and select **Fix Issue**.
3. Select **Add Row Headers **in the dropdown if the table is not used for formatting and needs a header row.
4. Check **Add change to all instances of this issue **to add row headers to the remaining tables.
5. Select **Add Change **once done.
6. Select **Apply Changes **section in the Panorama accessibility Report once all accessibility issues are repaired.

![Panorama table header window with a dropdown to add row headers or mark as a layout table.](media://fb88bb80-814f-46bd-8ff5-42f7cc4095e7)

### Fixing in Word

1. Open the document in Word.
2. Select the **Review tab**.
3. Select **Check Accessibility**.
4. Choose **Missing table header **in the Accessibility Assistant.
5. If the table is simply missing a header row, select **Use first row as header**.
6. Repeat step 5 until all table errors are fixed.
7. Save the document.
8. Update the document using the **Update Document **section in the Panorama Accessibility Report.

If the table is used for layout, redesign it using columns and section breaks. Note that when read aloud, the document will be read by column instead of by row.

1. Select the **paragraph mark icon **in the **Home tab **to make it easier to track breaks.
2. Select the **Layout tab**.
3. Expand the **Breaks **dropdown and select **Continuous**.
4. Create another Continuous break a paragraph below.
5. Position the cursor between the two Continuous section breaks.
6. Expand the **Columns dropdown **and choose a number of columns. Select **More Columns **if using more than three columns or if the columns are different sizes.
7. Begin typing the first column between the two section breaks.
8. Once the column is finished, expand the **Breaks **dropdown and select **Column**.
9. Repeat until all columns have been typed.

![Word document with paragraph marks visible, showing continuous and column breaks. The Layout tab is open and the Breaks dropdown is expanded.](media://d699bc3a-acdc-40bb-ac53-f3bcd89fc3e4)

## 5. This element should be formatted as a list

Severity:** Minor**

Screen readers and other assistive technology treat lists differently than paragraph text with numbers or bullets in front. They read out the number of items in the list and can even be skipped over, reducing frustration when navigating long lists.

**NOTE: **Panorama may turn up false flags for steps formatted as headings, numerical questions followed by alphabetical answers, or answer keys represented by letters.

### Fixing in Panorama

1. Open the Accessibility Report for the document in Panorama.
2. Locate the list issue and select **Fix Issue**.
3. Choose an ordered or unordered list style from the **Choose an Option **dropdown.
4. Select **Add Change **once done.
5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 until all list errors are fixed.
6. Select **Apply Changes **section in the Panorama accessibility Report once all accessibility issues are repaired.

![Panorama list window with a dropdown to choose the list style. Numerical is selected.](media://54db1057-b6af-49f2-84e3-38ceb52f181f)

### Fixing in Word

1. Open the document in Word.
2. Select the text that should be a list.
3. In the **Paragraph section **in the **Home tab**, select **Bullets **or **Numbering **to create an ordered or unordered list.
  1. Select the dropdown next to either to access additional styles. Letter and Roman numeral styles are under Numbering.
4. Repeat for all paragraphs that should be formatted as lists.
5. Save the document.
6. Update the document using the **Update Document **section in the Panorama Accessibility Report.

![Home tab labeled 1, selected text labeled 2, and numbered and bulleted list icons in the Paragraph section labeled 3.](media://2768b20e-52da-4b5e-9550-121fee8da4c4)

## 4. The font size is smaller than 9 points

Severity:** Minor**

Word documents can be both read digitally and printed, so it is important to make text large enough to be readable without needing to zoom in. Consider audiences who may be visually impaired, colorblind, or simply losing their vision due to age. A good size for body text in a document is **12 pt**.

### Fixing in Panorama

1. Open the Accessibility Report for the document in Panorama.
2. Locate the font size issue and select **Fix Issue**.
3. Choose a font size greater than 9 pt, preferably **12 pt**.
4. Select **Add Change**.
5. Select **Apply Changes **section in the Panorama accessibility Report once all accessibility issues are repaired.

![Panorama font size window with a dropdown to choose a new font size.](media://02d20df6-c906-46ef-bdfc-58669bb5a5dd)

### Fixing in Word

1. Open the document in Word.
2. Select text under 9 pt.
3. Choose a font size greater than 9 pt, preferably **at least 12 pt**, from the **font size dropdown **in the **Home tab**.
4. Repeat step 3 for all text smaller than 9 pt.
5. Save the document.
6. Update the document using the **Update Document **section in the Panorama Accessibility Report.

![Home tab labeled 1, selected text labeled 2, and font size dropdown labeled 3.](media://ad2e2934-1992-485d-a991-395f8c8f92ef)

You can also use Find and Replace to change all font of a certain size.

1. Select **Replace **from the **Home tab**.
2. Select the **More **button in the bottom left to expand the options.
3. Select the **Find what **field to set the font size you want replaced.
4. Select the **Format dropdown **that appears at the bottom left.
5. Select **Font**.
6. In the Find Font window, choose the size of the small text you want to resize.
7. Select **OK **to close the Find Font window.
8. Repeat steps 3 through 7 with the **Replace with **field and your new font size, greater than 9 and preferably **at least 12**.
9. Select **Replace All **to resize the text.
10. Repeat for text at any other size smaller than 9 pt.
11. Save the document.
12. Update the document using the **Update Document **section in the Panorama Accessibility Report.

![Home tab labeled 1, Replace labeled 2, More button in the Find and Replace window labeled 3, Format dropdown and Font option labeled 4, and font size in the Find Font window labeled 5.](media://f8c923d5-a994-4dd1-8a61-024103ef6ce7)

## 3. The document is missing a title

Severity:** Minor**

When a Word document has a title, assistive technology will use it rather than the filename. Make sure you give your Word documents a title that reflects the name of the document and can easily be read out loud. Titles are also metadata and can help with search results.

### Fixing in Panorama

1. Open the Accessibility Report for the document in Panorama.
2. Locate the title issue and select **Fix Issue**.
3. Type a title for the document in the **Add Title **field. Use the title written in the document if available.
4. Select **Add Change**.
5. Select **Apply Changes **section in the Panorama accessibility Report once all accessibility issues are repaired.

![Panorama title window with a text field labeled Add Title.](media://61532a4d-0f7e-421c-a0b8-4b41ce0f9b60)

### Fixing in Word

1. Select **File.**
2. Select **Info **on the left side of the File screen.
3. Underneath **Properties**, add a title to the **Add a title **field.
4. Save the document.
5. Update the document using the **Update Document **section in the Panorama Accessibility Report.

![Word File menu with Info section labeled 1 and Title field labeled 2.](media://96858d3b-2923-4451-a6b3-55febd322acc)

## 2. Insufficient contrast between foreground text and background

Severity:** Major**

Like text size, text contrast can make or break your document’s readability. Along with the reasons text size can affect a document, a printer running low on ink can make documents print lighter than expected. Sometimes contrast issues can be inconspicuous, such as Word’s default bright red which is often used to emphasize text. Text contrast is always worth a double check!

**NOTE: **Refrain from only using color to highlight or differentiate text. Bolding text or adding a symbol like an asterisk to the end of colored text helps convey important information to audiences who may not be able to differentiate color.

### Fixing in Panorama

1. Open the Accessibility Report for the document in Panorama.
2. Locate the contrast issue and select **Fix Issue**.
3. Select the color swatch underneath **Text Color**.
4. Use the color sliders or the syringe tool to choose a new color. Pay attention to the Contrast Ratio on the right side. A ratio of at least 4.5:1 is ideal.
5. Once you have chosen a new color, select **Add Change**.
6. Repeat until all issues are fixed.
7. Select **Apply Changes **in the Accessibility Report once all accessibility issues are repaired.

![Panorama Contrast window with the text color set to red and the background color set to white. The contrast ratio is 4.63 to 1, which means it passes both large and small font checks.](media://8d7cb55d-aa4c-43af-89b1-66ed435b96ec)

### Fixing in Word

1. Open the document in Word.
2. Open the Accessibility Checker by selecting **Check Accessibility **in the **Review tab**.
3. In the Accessibility Assistant panel, select **Hard-to-read text contrast**.
4. Choose a new font color, background color, or highlight.
5. Repeat step 4 for all remaining contrast issues.
6. Save the document.
7. Update the document using the **Update Document **section in the Panorama Accessibility Report.

![Hard-to-read text contrast in the Accessibility Assistant. There are three red and black color swatches to choose from and two buttons for more font colors and page background.](media://1c6f2c22-69c9-492a-ba06-48d6ed8090d6)

## 1. Text should not be justified

Severity:** Minor**

While justifying text efficiently fits text into a square space, the varying font spacing creates large gaps or “rivers” of blank space. These rivers can be distracting and interrupt the natural flow of reading. Paragraphs more than two lines long should be left aligned so they read naturally.

### Fixing in Panorama

1. Open the Accessibility Report for the document in Panorama.
2. Locate the justification issue and select **Fix Issue**.
3. Choose **Left Align **or **Right Align** in the **Choose an Option dropdown**.
4. Check **Add change to all instances of this issue** if aligning all text the same way. Otherwise, repeat step 3 for all remaining issues.
5. Select **Apply Changes **in the Accessibility Report once all accessibility issues are repaired.

![Panorama justification issue ](media://3dedde11-8908-4b17-928d-7859e35a05b5)

### Fixing in Word

1. Open the document in Word.
2. Select centered or justified text.
3. Select **Align Left** (Ctrl + L) or **Align Right** (Ctrl + R) from the **Paragraph section **in the **Home tab**.
4. Repeat step 3 for all centered or justified text
5. Save the document.
6. Update the document using the **Update Document **section in the Panorama Accessibility Report.

![Home tab labeled 1, selected text labeled 2, and Align Left and Align Right buttons in the Paragraph section](media://e52954d1-f8ae-4f69-a78a-d4dcea1202c8)

You can also use Find and Replace to change all justified text.

1. Select **Replace **from the **Home tab **or press **Ctrl + H**.
2. Select the **More **button in the bottom left to expand the options.
3. Select the **Find what **field to set the font size you want replaced.
4. Select the **Format dropdown **that appears at the bottom left.
5. Select **Paragraph**.
6. Choose **Centered **or **Justified **from the **Alignment dropdown **at the top of the Find Paragraph window.
7. Select **OK **to close the Find Font window.
8. Repeat steps 3 through 7 with the **Replace with **field and either **Left or Right justification**.
9. Select **Replace All **to change the text alignment.
10. Repeat for the text alignment you did not change earlier.
11. Save the document.
12. Update the document using the **Update Document **section in the Panorama Accessibility Report.