Business documents: templates, styles, accessibility and proofreading

Skills you'll practise

• Identify the standard parts of a business letter and their order
• Use heading styles so formatting stays consistent and a table of contents builds itself
• Apply basic accessibility practices: alt text, real headings, meaningful link text, contrast and not relying on color
• Proofread a document against its source for names, amounts, dates and enclosures
• Prepare a document for sending: tracked changes resolved and comments removed

Course outline

1. 1.Business documents: templates, styles, accessibility and proofreadingVideo · 2 min
2. 2.Templates, styles and letter layoutLesson · 15 min
3. 3.Documents everyone can useLesson · 14 min
4. 4.Proofreading that catches what mattersLesson · 15 min
5. 5.Business documents: templates, styles, accessibility and proofreading: knowledge checkKnowledge check · 18 questions
6. 6.Final exam10 questions · passing it completes the course, so people who already know the material can test out

Sources it draws on

The lessons and questions are written from these references, so learners can go back to the original.

• Microsoft Support: Customize or create new styles (apply formatting consistently; changing a style updates all text that uses it)
• Microsoft Support: Insert a table of contents (built from heading styles; update the field after changes)
• Microsoft Support: Make your Word documents accessible to people with disabilities (alt text, built-in headings, meaningful link text, contrast, don't rely on color alone)
• Digital.gov (U.S. GSA): Plain language guide series