You can use axesWord with any Word document, including those based on the default document template (Normal.dotx). This default template contains all the common styles, such as headings, lists, and captions.
However, the best results are achieved by working with custom document templates in which the role mappings for styles, layout tables, etc. are predefined.
Such templates make it easier for authors to create accessible documents because authors only have to:
- Use the appropriate paragraph styles or, if available, use the prepared quick parts.
- Add alternative text to images.
- Specify the document title.
- Assign the Artifact role to decorative elements.
Feel free to use our axesWord master template (the download links for a German and an English version can be found at the bottom of this page). It already contains paragraph styles with the appropriate role mappings. The template contains styles for:
- Headings (Level 1 - 9)
- Text paragraphs
- Multilevel lists with bullet points
- Multilevel lists with numbering
- List Continues
- Row and column headers for tables (row and column headers of level 1 - 5)
- Data cells
- Links
- Footnotes
- Quotes
- Captions
- Table of contents
Appropriate roles were assigned to all styles so that you immediately get an accessible PDF/UA document when converting your Word document to a PDF document by using axesWord.