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Whaikaha Ministry of Disabled People View our
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Preparing your content for translation to alternate formats

Start thinking about accessibility as soon as you begin writing your document. This makes translating documents into alternate formats easier and can save time and cost.

Plain language helps everyone understand government information. Write your content as clearly and simply as possible. Shorter documents are easier to translate, and some formats such as Easy Read or NZSL may require a summary version.

We only accept Word documents. We cannot translate PDFs.

If you have any questions about this, please email accessibility@whaikaha.govt.nz.

Written content

Written content should be easy to read and understand.

Language

  • Use plain language. Avoid jargon, acronyms, and technical terms.
  • Provide enough context so readers understand the purpose of the information.

Headings

  • Use Word “Styles” for headings (Heading 1 for main topics, Heading 2 for subtopics).
  • Keep headings short and clear.
  • Follow a logical hierarchy (Heading 1, Heading 2, Heading 3).

Hyperlinks and URLs

  • Include hyperlinks as full URLs.
  • If a URL is longer than 25 characters, also provide a shortened version.

Long documents

  • Documents longer than 10 pages are usually only translated into audio, Braille, and large print.
  • If your document is longer than 10 pages, please summarise it to 3-5 pages. This summary will be translated into all 5 alternate formats.

Design and presentation

This section sets out the basics for presenting information so it is easy to read.

Font

  • Use a sans serif font such as Arial or Verdana.
  • Use 12-point font.
  • Use standard weight (not thin or light versions).
  • Use bold for emphasis; avoid italics.
  • Do not use ALL CAPITALS.
  • Avoid underlining except for hyperlinks.

Layout and formatting

  • Align all text to the left.
  • Use 1.5 line spacing.
  • Do not use text boxes.
  • Do not use headers or footers.
  • Turn off tracked changes and comments.

Visual and data content

This section explains how to present images, data, and tables in a clear and accessible way.

Images and alt text

  • Add alt text to all images, including logos.
  • Include any text shown in the image in the alt text.
  • Mark decorative images as “decorative” in Word.

Complex images (charts, diagrams, maps)

  • Include a summary of key information in the document text.
  • Provide equivalent data in a bulleted list or simple table.

Tables and graphs

  • Do not use tables for layout purposes.
  • Use bullet lists instead of tables where possible.
  • If tables are necessary:
    • keep them simple (no nested tables, merged cells, or complex formatting)
    • include a header row and mark it as a header
    • avoid blank cells.

Surveys and feedback processes

You will need to provide contact details your audience can use if they have questions:

  • website address
  • email address
  • free-call phone number (include hours of operation)
  • text number for Deaf and hard of hearing
  • NZ Relay details.

Example for text number and NZ Relay:

If you are Deaf, hard of hearing, deafblind, have a speech impairment or find it hard to talk, you can:

Accessibility review

  • Before you send your documents with the request form, run the Accessibility Checker in Word. This helps you find accessibility issues and shows you how to fix them.
  • You can find it under the Review tab. 

Supporting information

You will need to provide some supporting information with your document.

Provide the source documents and context

  • For all documents (long documents and summaries) add a website address where your audience can find more detailed information.
  • If a summary is being translated, send the full document for context.
  • Include a link to the full document in the summary.

Provide your logo and brand guidelines

  • Put your agency logo at the top of your document, left aligned.
  • Add alt text to the logo.
  • Do not place the logo in the header.
  • Attach the logo as a separate .jpg or .png file with your request form. This is used in Easy Read and NZSL formats.
  • Provide your brand guidelines. These help match colours in Easy Read documents and backgrounds in NZSL videos.

Provide photos of named people

  • If your document names people, include photos of them for the Easy Read format.
  • Make sure you have consent for all photos.