Text Boxes and Sidebars

Due to the functionality in Word, a number of problems can result when inserting a text box into a document and then making that document comply with accessibility standards.  Some of the issues are listed below:

• Text boxes and Sidebars can present reading order issues that will likely need to be fixed in the PDF.  Depending on your knowledge of PDF tags, fixing the issue can be a difficult task. 
• When using various types of text boxes in Word (such as Sidebars, for example), due to their graphical nature, CommonLook Office will require Alternative text.  As a result, the only content read by a screen reader will be the Alt. text and not the text that is displayed visually in the sidebar.
• Another problem stemming from the previous point is that any structural information, like lists, in the sidebar won't be conveyed unless it's actually typed out in the alt. text.
• In CommonLook Office, if the checkbox for “No textual description required” is checked in the Alternative text checkpoint, then the result is that the text box, sidebar, etc. is “artifacted” and won't be read by a screen reader. 

For the reasons listed above, it is recommended that text boxes, sidebars, etc., not be used in Word documents.