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This section will explain why we use styles, and show you how to apply them to your document.
A style is a set of formatting characteristics applied to content. Always use styles to control formatting, such as font type, size, paragraph spacing, bold, italics, underline, etc. Do not use the Word toolbar (aka 'direct formatting'). In this way, non-visible code gets added to the piece of text that says ‘this is a heading’ (or table, list, image, etc.).
The purpose of the NNELS template is for consistency within the document itself and also across all the documents we create. By having a specific style template, users are also easily able to map our styles to their own template that they might want to use (they may prefer specific font type, spacing, sizing, indentation, etc.). For example, Normal Style
has no indentation for this reason. We consulted with DAISY and other similar organizations in creating the template, and all the styles within fit into their recommendations, guidelines, and best practices for accessibility.
Styles also give a hierarchical structure to a document’s content. With styles applied, assistive technology can, at the command of the user, jump to the desired part of the document (heading, table, list, images, links, etc.).
By applying this type of formatting, people who have low vision may be able to access and read documents as quickly and as efficiently as those who have good vision.
The image below illustrates how readers using assistive technologies can navigate a document using styles, moving between navigational points, lists, images, and tables.
If any of this exist in the document, then it is not properly formatted with styles. You will need to remove these spaces. See Find & Replace for more instructions.
clear formatting
before applying styles. If the issue persists, then simply select the problem text, clear formatting
again and reapply the style.
The NNELS Style Template is designed to make your job easier. Before you start applying styles, make sure the NNELS Style Template is uploaded properly, and Microsoft Word is set up for Reformatting eText.
Once you have Word set up properly, and you NNELS Template properly installed, you will be able to begin applying styles to the document as per the guidelines in this wiki.
The first step is to clear all formatting in the document:
Style Pane
is openCOMMAND+A
for Mac CTRL+A
for Windows PCclear formatting
button located at the top of the Apply a Style
box in the Style Pane
Once formatting is clear you need to remove all hyperlinks:
FN+COMMAND+SHIFT+F9
for MacCTRL+SHIFT+F9
for Windows PCHere is a video tutorial to show you how to do this.
The NNELS Template makes it quick an easy to apply any style.
Style Pane
Show style guides
to help keep track of the styles applied in the document. This option is at the bottom of the Style Pane
. Once selected it will open a colour coded menu at the left side of the document page. Each colour also has a number, each colour and number correspond to the style you have applied to any given section
Finding Information about NNELS Template Styles:
When you create a heading in a document, such as a title or a chapter heading, it is not enough to bold the text or increase the font size. A screenreader cannot “see” the bold letters. Always use the Headings Styles from the NNELS template.
Chapter 1
Basics of Programming
If the same heading style is applied to both the lines above, there will be two headings of the same level since the section name is broken up into two paragraphs. Manually bring the heading name in one paragraph and then apply the heading style. The correct format will be as follows:
Chapter 1 Basics of Programming
Refer to the table of contents of the book and familiarize yourself with the general layout of the book and the hierarchy of chapters, sections, sub-sections, etc. Determine how you would like to set up the different elements of the book using Heading levels 1-6.
DAISY books support heading levels only up to level 6. Most books will have headings only 3 to 4 levels deep. Many books, especially standard fiction works, will only use Heading 1 and no lower levels. This is typical of books that have chapters without sections or subsections.
Q: In children's picture books, where there are no section or chapter headings, what heading is the text given?
A: Most often the text would fall under a heading called "Contents" or "Story".