Accessibility Checker
Microsoft Office has a built-in Accessibility Checker, which finds accessibility issues and warnings, explains the reasons for them, and offers solutions.
Accessibility Checker considerations
The Accessibility Checker is an automated tool and will not catch every accessibility issue that may exist in your document. Use it together with a manual check.
Issues that you should inspect manually include:
- alternative text quality
- complex image descriptions
- captions
- use of headings
- formatted lists
- descriptive links
How to access the Accessibility Checker
- Go to the ‘Review’ tab on the ribbon bar and select ‘Check Accessibility’ under the Accessibility area of the ribbon.
- Choose ‘Check Accessibility.’
- The Accessibility panel will open on the right-hand side of the window and will display any accessibility errors it has detected along with explanations and ways to fix them.
Check the ‘Keep accessibility checker running while I work’ checkbox to be notified of accessibility errors while you work.
How to use the Accessibility Checker
Resources
PDFs
See PDF accessibility.
Word
Refer to the Guide to create accessible Word docs.
- Office Accessibility Center - Resources for people with disabilities
- Microsoft Support: Accessibility Checker
- Microsoft Support: Rules for the Accessibility Checker
- Microsoft Support: Accessible Hyperlinks
- Microsoft Support: Creating Accessible Tables
- Microsoft Support: Templates
- Microsoft Support: Create a template
- Microsoft Support: Use Color and Contrast for Accessibility
Images and alt-text
- Describing Images in Publications
- The Art and Science of Describing Images Part Two
- W3C's Tutorial on Images
- AccessiblePublishing.ca Guide to Image Description
- Poet Training Tool
- DAISY Knowledge Base
- WCAG Techniques for Long description: G73 – G74 – G92
- WCAG Language Guidelines
- NNELS Services
- WebAIM
- WCAG Contrast Checker
PowerPoint
Refer to the Guide to create accessible PowerPoint presentations.
Resources
- Office Accessibility Center – Resources for people with disabilities
- Microsoft Support: Make your PowerPoint Presentations Accessible to People with Disabilities
- Microsoft Support: Create Slides with an Accessible Reading Order
- Microsoft Support: Using the Reading Order Pane
- Microsoft Support: Title a Slide
- Microsoft Support: Use Accessible Colours and Styles in Slides
- Microsoft Support: Add Hyperlinks to a Slide
- Microsoft Support: Accessibility Checker
- Rules for the Accessibility Checker
- Microsoft Support: Accessible PowerPoint Templates
- Video: Creating Accessible PowerPoint Presentations
- Video: Making Your PowerPoint Presentations Accessible
- Video: Creating and Delivering Accessible PowerPoint Presentations
Excel
Refer to the Guide for creating accessible Excel documents.
Resources
Here are some great additional resources for creating accessible workbooks.
- Office Accessibility Center – Resources for people with disabilities
- Microsoft Support: Accessibility Checker
- Microsoft Support: Rules for the Accessibility Checker
- Microsoft Support: Accessible Hyperlinks
- Microsoft Support: Creating Accessible Excel Documents
- Microsoft Support: Create Accessible Charts in Excel
- Microsoft Support: Templates
- Microsoft Support: Create a template
- Video: Microsoft Support Creating Accessible Excel Spreadsheets
Outlook and Teams
Refer to the Guide for creating accessible Outlook emails and Teams messages.
Resources
Here are some additional resources for creating accessible Outlook emails and Teams messages.
Accessibility for Outlook
- Microsoft Support: Make Your Outlook Email Accessible
- Microsoft Support: Accessibility Checker
- Microsoft Support: Rules for the Accessibility Checker
- Seven Steps to Creating an Accessible Email in Outlook