The guidance below will help you to make sure your Google and Excel spreadsheets are structured in an accessible way.
Use meaningful document titles, headings and subheadings
The title of your Sheets document should let readers know what and who the document is for. The title and the document file name should be the same.
Every worksheet in your Sheets document should have a unique title. You should include this title in cell A1 of your worksheet. The title you include in cell A1 should be the same as or similar to the tab name for that worksheet.
Naming your worksheet tabs
To rename your tabs you should:
- select the worksheet you want to rename by right clicking the tab
- select the ‘rename’ option from the popup menu
- type the new worksheet name into the text box
- press your ‘enter’ key on your keyboard or select somewhere else on the page
Include summary text in A2
Think of cell A2 as an introduction to your worksheet. After the title cell, this is the cell that all readers will read next so it should let readers know what the worksheet contains.
For example you should let readers know:
- how many tables are in this spreadsheet and the cell they start and finish in
- if the worksheet contains any images, graphs, acronyms or empty cells
If the summary text is quite long, you can split it out into cells A3 and A4 too.
Delete unused worksheets
Empty worksheets should be deleted. You can do this by:
- selecting the worksheet you want to delete
- right click the worksheet tab
- select the ‘delete’ option from the popup menu
Format cells so all text is visible
Use text wrapping to make sure all your text and data fits comfortably inside the cells so it can be easily seen and read.
To use text wrapping you should:
- select your entire spreadsheet or the cells you need to wrap
- select ‘format’ in the document toolbar
- select the ‘wrapping’ option from the drop down menu
- select ‘wrap’
Avoid filters and floating text boxes
Users who rely on a screen magnifier will find floating text boxes difficult to read. Some assistive technologies will not be able to read them at all. It is better to include the text within the cell rather than in a text box or comment.
Filters can also be difficult to make accessible. It is best practice to avoid them as much as possible.
Include 1 table per spreadsheet
You should have only one table per worksheet as much as possible. This will help to keep your worksheets simple and easy to follow.
If you need to include more than 1 table, they should all start in column A and sit directly underneath each other.
Remove borders from cells
You should include borders around the outside of your tables only and not around each individual cell in your worksheet. This is because dark borders can mimic underlined text which can be difficult for some readers to read. It is best to remove dark borders and use the worksheets’ original, faint lines instead.
Remove borders from each cell by using the border tool option in the toolbar. You should:
- highlight your table cells
- select the border tool: this will open up a drop down menu
- select the ‘outside borders’ option from the drop down menu
This should remove the borders around individual cells and instead add a single border around the table as a whole.
Right align data
Gov.uk guidance states that all data in tables should be right aligned. You can right align the data in your spreadsheets by:
- selecting the data you need to right align
- using the toolbar to find the right align text option (this looks like a series of short lines that all start from the same right point)
- clicking this option will right align your selected data
Left align text
Do not justify your text. All text in your document should be left aligned, including your headings. You can left align the text in your spreadsheets by:
- selecting the text you need to left align
- using the toolbar to find the left align text option (this looks like a series of short lines that all start from the same left point)
- clicking this option will left align your selected text
Keep font, text size and colour consistent
Use font, text size and font colour consistently throughout your document. Using different sizes and fonts can be distracting and will make your document look cluttered and unprofessional.
Always use a simple font that is easy to read. Your body text should be at least 12pt in size and you should always use black text on a white background.
Use short sentences
Short sentences are easier to read. You should aim for your sentences to be between 15 and 20 words long, where possible.
This does not mean all your sentences should be the same length. Your writing still needs to have rhythm and flow. So, you can vary them.
You can write a slightly longer sentence here and there, provided the sentence makes sense, reads better and clarifies the meaning.
A good rule of thumb is to aim for one point or idea per sentence. Of course, some concepts are trickier to explain than others. But, most sentences can be edited to make them shorter in some way or another.
Avoid ampersands and abbreviations
Do not use abbreviations or ampersands in your content, instead spell them out fully.
Some abbreviations are not well known by all readers and some assistive technologies will not recognise them, which can be confusing. For example, some screen readers will pronounce ‘e.g’ as ‘egg’.
Use: ‘and’ instead of ‘&’ and ‘for example’ instead of ‘e.g’
Spell out acronyms
Always spell out acronyms the first time you use them (include the acronym in brackets after). You will then be able to use only the acronym every time after this.
For example, use: Crown Commercial Service (CCS) first and then CCS from there on.
Avoid dashes (-)
Dashes should not be used between dates, times, numbers or text. Instead use the word ‘to’.
For example:
- Monday 15 September 2022 to Friday 19 September 2022
- 50% to 95%
Use % symbol for percentages
The percentage sign is commonly used and widely recognised enough for us to continue using this symbol. Most assistive technologies are also designed to recognise and read this symbol.
Avoid block capitals, bold, underlining and italics
Do not use bold, italicised or capitalised text to ‘break up’ your content. Instead you should use proper document structure such as headings and paragraphs to help people easily navigate your page.
Many readers with low visibility or dyslexia read by recognising the shape of the word instead of reading each individual letter. These readers will struggle to read block capitals, bold, italics or underlined text because it changes the usual shape of the letters.
You can use bold to emphasise a certain word or couple of words. But, you should never use bold for more than four words in a row or more than twice in a paragraph.
Avoid highlighting text
You may need to highlight sections of your document to make it clear to readers that they need to make edits to the content themselves, such as adding their name or contact details.
While you can continue to use highlights, you should also use square brackets to indicate these sections as well. This is because some screen readers will not pick up on highlighted text and some forms of colour blindness will make highlights difficult to see.
You should also include a note at the beginning of the document (in the summary cells) to let readers know that they will need to make changes to the text and how these sections will be marked.
Mark where you want readers to begin
If you want your reader to open the document and begin in cell A1 of the first worksheet, make sure your cursor is in this cell before saving.
