The easiest way to make your CV accessible is at its source – in the word processor or other tool that you use to create and update your CV. By updating your source file once, you minimize the effort needed to make it accessible when you add publications or other updates in the future. 

Using an Accessible CV Template 

The university created a template for an accessible CV. Because it comes pre-styled with standard CV headings and lists, it may save you some time. You can use this and copy in existing content from your CV. 

NOTE: If you choose to use the CV template, you still need to follow step number 1 and step number 8 outlined below to give the document a title before you save it as a PDF. 

Updating your CV Word Document for Accessibility 

If you would rather update your existing CV Word document, follow these steps. Links are provided if you need information about how to perform these tasks in Word. 

1. Title your document. Adding a title to your document allows screen reader software to announce the title to the user. Add or edit a title in the "Summary" section of document properties. (This link has been updated to a more helpful guide.) Note: This requres using the desktop version of Word rather than the web-based. 
    
2. Turn your name into a Heading 1. At the top of your CV, select your name and make it a heading. How to create a heading in Word. 
    
3. Create other headings as needed. Turn other section headings such as “Education” and “Publications” into a Heading 2. If you use sub-sections (such as “Books” and “Articles” under “Publications”), those titles should be Heading 3. 
    
   Why headings matter: The heading structure allows a screen reader to “skim” a document, going from heading to heading, in much the same way a visual reader looks down a list of headings. 
    
4. Format lists as real lists. Highlight your list of publications and use the bulleted list button to turn it into a list. 
    
   Why lists matter: Text formatted as an actual list helps a screen reader engage with the content, such as by easily jumping from one item to the next. 
    
   If you don’t like the looks of bullets: You might not want a bullet (•) to appear before each of your publications. You can reduce the bullet indent to zero and even define a new bullet with an empty character. This makes your list look like paragraph text while preserving a list’s accessibility features. 
    
5. Add alternative text on images. If you include any images in your CV, add alternative text ( “alt text” for short). This allows accessibility software to read a description of the image. Please keep the text brief but helpful 
    
6. Make informative link titles. If your CV lists URLs to websites or research papers, link a descriptive phrase rather than link the URL. This lets screen reader users hear a helpful description of the linked content. If you want to spell out the URL for citation format purposes, turn off the hyperlink on the URL. 
    
   For example, “My website at https://example.com” is preferred over “My website at https://example.com.” 
    
7. Limit tables and tabs. Avoid using tables and tab stops to control text layout, because this becomes confusing for screen readers. This may mean stacking your contact information at the top, rather than having pieces of it appearing side by side. (The accessible CV template provides an example of this.) 
    
8. Save the PDF correctly. When you are done with your CV and want to save a PDF, click file -> Save As (or Save a Copy) and choose the PDF format for the file type. Do not use the feature that prints the document as a PDF. 

Notes

• If you do not like the default looks of headings in Word, you can customize those styles to your liking.
• If you create your CV using another word processor (such as Google Docs) the process is similar.
• If you create your CV using LaTeX (common in some technical or mathematical fields), you may need to use Overleaf or Adobe Acrobat to make your PDF accessible.

Other options and next steps

You are not required to make an accessible version of your CV if you are not posting it to your faculty profile page or distributing it through university channels. Other options include:

• You can set up a Google Scholar profile and link to it on your faculty profile page. This is an increasingly popular option since it lists your publications and updates fairly automatically.
• You can add content to your faculty profile page, such as a description of your research, list of courses taught, and a list of sample publications. This may be ideal if you anticipate updating it rarely.

Faculty in the McCausland College of Arts and Sciences can provide an updated CV, a Google Scholar profile link, or additional content using this faculty profile update form.