You’re staring down a blank doc, the cursor blinking like it’s judging your life choices. I slide in, neon nails and a raised brow: why are you still building accessibility from scratch when we could be ripping around town in pre‑built, standards-proof templates?
✅ Executive Snapshot
- Bake in accessibility once so everyone works inclusively by default, not by chance.
- Lock brand and structure with styles, masters, and tokens; reduce chaos and cognitive load.
- Scale quality across teams with template distribution, automation, and light governance.
- Slash rework and risk by preventing inaccessible patterns at the source.
- Measure and improve via lightweight checks, sign‑offs, and accessible design tokens.
- Play nice with performance and security, avoiding bloated files and macro headaches.
Format check: Heading includes emoji, bullet list concise, narrative-to-advice flow is intact.
🧭 The Word Doc that Tried to Eat Tuesday
The doc had forty-two heading levels—none in order—and a smattering of text boxes floating like rogue asteroids. Screen reader users were trapped in a labyrinth, while my work besty Mina whispered, “If it’s a Minotaur, I’m out.” We needed a template that could save Tuesday (and our reputations) without drama.
Here’s how we built it once so nobody ever had to manually salvation‑army the structure again:
- Create a base document template with a rock‑solid style hierarchy:
- Heading 1 for document title, Heading 2–4 for sections, strictly in order. Never skip levels.
- Body text with generous line spacing (1.3–1.5) and 12–14 pt default. Use styles for lists and quotes—no manual formatting heroics. - Bake in accessible defaults:
- Language set to the correct locale so screen readers pronounce like locals.
- Alt text guidelines in a front-page note, then remove before using. Encourage meaningful descriptions, not SEO soup.
- Table styles for headers, no merged cells, and scope marked. If you must use tables, make them data tables, not layout hacks. - Embed a colour palette that obeys contrast (4.5:1 normal; 3:1 for large text). Use named theme colours so no one invents “brand-adjacent mauve.”
- Add a cover page with reading order anchored to the style sequence, not 700 floating shapes.
- Include a tiny “Accessibility Panel” at end: a page with quick checks, linked to the built‑in Accessibility Checker.
Action steps:
- Build a .dotx/.dotm with:
- Styles strictly named and locked to shortcut keys.
- Navigation Pane working; if it doesn’t outline the doc cleanly, the template fails.
- Document properties preset (title, author, subject, language). - Distribute via a central Templates library and pin to the New menu. Remove all other zombie versions.
Format check: Story leads naturally to advice; headings styled correctly with emoji; bulleted steps use emphasis as required.
🎬 Slide Masters: Herding the PowerPoint Cats
The town hall deck looked like a ransom note. Four fonts, six colour theories, and transitions that would make a DJ weep. Ajay, my other work besty, slid me coffee and said, “We can’t fix taste, but we can fix templates.”
We rewired the PowerPoint master so accessibility became a reflex:
- Build the Slide Master with 6–8 layouts max:
- Title slide, Title + Content, Two Content, Section Header, Quote, Image with Caption, Agenda, Thank You. - For each layout:
- Set reading order in the Selection Pane: Title → Body → Footer/Numbering → Decorative.
- Lock decorative shapes and set them to “decorative” so screen readers skip them.
- Use text placeholders, not text boxes. If you need text, it belongs in a placeholder. - Pre-bake font sizes and contrast:
- Minimum 24 pt for dense rooms; 28–32 pt for emphasis.
- No light grey on white. Pick colours with 4.5:1 contrast; test them, don’t vibe them. - Provide caption‑friendly media:
- Slides include a reserved area for captions or interpreter video pinning.
- Add a slide note on how to request live captions and where to upload subtitle files.
For colour discipline, ship a CSS-ish token sheet to keep everyone honest (even though it’s PowerPoint, your design team will thank you):
Action steps:
- Create a .potx with masters and layouts only; no content.
- Lock slide numbers, date, and footer into the master.
- Include a “How to present inclusively” slide at the end with:
- Keyboard shortcuts (e.g., start slideshow, read notes).
- Contrast and font guidelines baked as list items.
- Where to find alt text and how to mark decorative imagery.
Format check: Narrative first, guidance second, code not HTML/XML, emoji heading present.
📧 Email Templates That Don’t Make Phones Cry
Donations dipped after a mass email that loaded like a sandpit on dial-up. One image had the call‑to‑action text baked into it—screen readers sulked, phones groaned, and donors tapped out. We decided emails would be accessible, lightweight, and gracefully degraded—even for your uncle’s vintage Android.
Use modular, accessible email blocks:
- Structure with a top‑down reading order: preheader → logo (alt) → headline → body → button → footer.
- Use buttons that are actual text inside coloured boxes; never “text inside images.”
- Alt text short and specific: “Donate now” beats “button graphic.”
- Keep line length comfy (40–70 characters) and increase line height (1.4+).
- Avoid table‑mazes; if the platform forces tables, keep them simple and predictable.
Pseudo‑layout for an accessible email block:
Action steps:
- Build modular snippets in your email platform with the above block design.
- Test with desktop and phone screen readers; verify focus order and button labelling.
- Set alt text on all logos; mark decorative separators as decorative.
- Kill the hero image addiction; if you keep a hero, add real text under it.
Format check: Email advice is narrative-derived; code presented as plain text, not HTML; emoji heading correct.
📊 Spreadsheet Templates That Don’t Bite
That budget tracker had merged cells so feral they needed a ranger. The screen reader hit a merged header and simply gave up to drink tea. Our fix: calm, consistent grid templates with named styles and validation that nudges users into doing the right thing.
Make a spreadsheet template behave:
- Use a “Data” sheet for entry, “Calc” sheet for formulas, and “Summary” for output. Keep layouts consistent.
- Avoid merged cells. Use Centred Across Selection if you must fake it.
- Freeze top row with descriptive headers; use filterable tables with header row set properly.
- Named cell styles:
- Input, Calculated, Header, Warning. Each with distinct contrast and no reliance on colour alone. - Data validation:
- Error messages include clear instructions, not snide vibes: “Date must be dd/mm/yyyy.” - Provide an “Error Panel” that flags missing mandatory fields using formulas.
Example formula pattern:
Action steps:
- Package as .xltx; lock formula sheets, leave “Data” sheet unlocked.
- Provide a Read Me first sheet with a two‑minute pattern: how to tab through inputs, where to place totals, who to ask for help.
- Colour plus iconography: don’t rely on colour alone—use symbols (✓ ✗) next to validation messages.
Format check: Story leads to advice, formulas in text block, emoji heading present.
🗂️ Distribution That Feels Like Magic, Not Micromanaging
A perfect template is useless if it lives in someone’s Downloads graveyard. We staged a rescue: a central source of truth, one click away, with light automation to keep rebels stylishly on track.
Make templates findable and irresistible:
- Use your intranet/SharePoint/Drive to host a single “Templates” hub; pin it to “New” in apps.
- Name them clearly: “Report – Accessibility‑Ready (A3)”, not “Final2NEWCopy.dotx”.
- Add thumbnails and tiny previews so users know what they’re opening.
- Power Automate/Apps Script nudges:
- When a new doc is created, inject metadata: Title, Language, Accessibility version.
- If someone pastes an old logo, send a polite toast: “Hey legend, want the new one? Click to switch.” - Set up a quarterly “Template Tune‑Up” rhythm—review analytics and feedback, retire cruft, ship improvements.
Pseudo‑flow for a template guardrail:
Format check: Distribution advice tied to scene; pseudo-code avoids forbidden formats; heading with emoji approved.