Do not use the enter or return key to insert empty paragraphs in order to create vertical space between content.
If your goal is to push the next line of content to the next page, consider using a Page Break. If your goal is to have more space between paragraphs, adjust the Paragraph Spacing.
Why?
Empty lines of text can create problems for assistive technologies.
- Some screen reading tools announce “blank” for each empty paragraph.
- It causes issues for users who reflow PDFs, which presents enlarged (or zoomed) content in one column so that they only need to scroll in one direction.
Try applying reflow to your PDFs to get a better understanding.
In Adobe Acrobat, select: Menu > View > Zoom > Reflow
How?
Page Breaks
To insert a Page Break in Microsoft Word:
- Put your cursor where you want one page to end and the next to begin.
- Go to Insert > Page Break.
Paragraph Spacing
To adjust the space between paragraphs in Microsoft Word:
- Select the paragraphs you want to change.
- Select the Line and Paragraph Spacing tool in the Home tab of the Ribbon.
- Select Add/Remove Space Before/After Paragraph
Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act: All Minnesota State employee electronic documents and course materials must adhere to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 AA standards by April 24, 2026. These guidelines provide a comprehensive framework to ensure that content is perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust for all users.