How to Design Accessible Templates Without Sacrificing Style

Accessibility in document design isn't just a tick-box exercise—it’s an invitation.

An invitation for every person, no matter their ability, to fully engage with your content.

It’s about equity.

It’s about functionality.

And yes—it can still be stylish.

But here’s the challenge: most templates are either designed for visual impact or built for usability. Rarely both. So, how do you balance accessibility and aesthetics in one seamless, editable format?

Let’s break it down.

1. Choose Fonts That Don’t Fight You

We get it—your brand’s custom font was carefully chosen to make a statement. But if that font isn’t supported across systems, or worse, isn’t accessible to screen readers, your message gets lost.

Best Practice:

Use system fonts for all editable styles. Save the fancy type for your static brand assets, and let your templates do their job: being functional, beautiful, and widely usable.

2. Stick to One Column Layouts

Multi-column layouts can look sleek on a screen, but screen readers don’t always know where to go next. This can lead to confusing reading orders and a poor experience for users relying on assistive tech.

Best Practice:

Build with one column where possible. For internal documents, reports, and business docs, single-column layouts are clean, clear, and compliant.

3. Space Your Paragraphs with Intention

Inconsistent spacing is one of the fastest ways to derail accessibility. Whether it’s too much space between list items or random gaps between paragraphs, it can throw off both visual flow and screen reader structure.

Best Practice:

Create a consistent spacing structure for body text, bullets, and headings—and test it. It should feel easy to read without being cluttered or overwhelming.

4. Consider Reading Order—Especially in Slides

In Word, content flows top to bottom. In PowerPoint? Not so much. Each element—heading, text box, image—has its own layer, and screen readers follow the order they’re arranged in the back-end.

Best Practice:

Always set the reading order manually when designing slides. It’s a small step that makes a huge difference.

5. Colour Contrast Is a Non-Negotiable

Just because something looks great on your monitor doesn’t mean it works for everyone. Poor contrast ratios can make your content unreadable for people with visual impairments or colour blindness.

Best Practice:

Use contrast checkers when setting brand colours for templates. And remember—accessibility doesn’t mean boring. It just means thoughtful.

Final Thoughts: Design for Humans, Not Just Screens

When you start thinking about accessibility as part of your creative process, not as an afterthought, you start creating templates that are not only inclusive but also more effective.

The goal isn’t to water down your style.

The goal is to make sure it reaches everyone it’s meant to reach.

And that’s good design.