Overview
The Microsoft Office Accessibility Checker identifies most accessibility issues, explains why they matter, and offers suggestions to fix them. However, it can’t catch everything, so a visual review is always recommended.
The checker evaluates your file against accessibility rules and classifies issues into three severity levels for people with disabilities:
- Error: Content making document difficult or impossible to read/understand
- Warning: Content that in most, but not all cases, makes it difficult to read/understand
- Tip: Content can be understood but user experience would be better if presented differently
How-To Steps
- In your Microsoft Office file, click the Review tab, then click Check Accessibility.
- The Accessibility Assistant pane appears. Issues found in the file are displayed by category. Click an issue to view details.
- The issue is explained and possible resolutions are presented. To clear the issue from the list, resolve as instructed in the Accessibility Assistant pane, or fix the issue manually in the file.
Accessibility Checker Limitations
There are some accessibility issues the Accessibility Checker isn't able to detect. Also, some issues listed in the Accessibility Checker findings aren't necessarily accessibility issues that need to be fixed.
- Color: Information is conveyed using color alone.
- Closed captions: The Accessibility Checker reports missing closed captions in a video, but if your video already has in-band closed captions, open captions, or has no dialog, then there might be no accessibility issue with the video.
Accessibility Checker Rules
Errors
If content in the file makes it very difficult or impossible for someone with a disability to use, the Accessibility Checker classifies it as an error.
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Rule
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Accessibility Checker verifies
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Why fix this?
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Applies to these applications
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Alt Text
All non-text content has alternative text (alt text).
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All objects have alt text and the alt text doesn’t contain image names or file extensions.
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Screen readers speak the alternative text to describe images and other non-text content that users can’t see so they can understand the purpose and meaning of the described content.
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Excel, PowerPoint, Word, Outlook, OneNote, Visio
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Tables specify column header information.
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Tables and/or blocks of cells have the header box selected or a header row indicated.
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All content control fields have titles.
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Excel, PowerPoint, Word, Outlook, OneNote
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Fields in Forms
All content control fields have titles.
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All forms have titles for each field.
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Form titles provide users with information about the content of the field and the information being requested.
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Word
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Sections have meaningful names.
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All sections have names that aren’t default or placeholder names such as “Default Section,” “Untitled Section,” or “Section 3.”
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Section names enable users to navigate more easily within a large presentation in the Thumbnail Pane, Slide Sorter View, and Grid View.
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PowerPoint
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Title on Slides
All slides have titles.
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Slides have titles.
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Slide titles enable users to navigate within a presentation, including finding and selecting a single slide to immediately go to.
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PowerPoint
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Red in Excel Cells
Cells in an Excel worksheet don't use red-only formatting for negative numbers.
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Cells that are set to Number format and use only the red color for negative numbers (e.g. show 1000 in red instead of -1000).
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Users who have difficulty distinguishing color won’t be able to tell the difference between positive and negative values.
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Excel
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Document Access in Permissions Setting
Document access is not restricted.
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Any document that has disabled the Access content programmatically option in the document permissions settings: Review > Restrict Editing > Restrict permission.... Select Restrict permission to this document > More options.
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Information Rights Management (IRM) protection can prevent devices such as screen readers from having access to this document. For more info, go to Allow changes to parts of a protected document.
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Excel, PowerPoint, Word
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Warnings
If the content in most (but not necessarily all) cases is difficult for people with disabilities to understand, the Accessibility Checker gives a warning.
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Rule
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Accessibility Checker verifies
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Why fix this?
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Applies to these applications
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Table Structure has a simple structure.
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Tables are simple rectangles with no split cells, merged cells, or nesting.
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Users navigate tables via keyboard shortcuts and assistive technology, which rely on simple table structures.
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Excel, PowerPoint, Word, Outlook, OneNote
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Contrast
Sufficient contrast between text and background.
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Colors of the text and background are different enough to make the text easy to see.
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People with low vision often find it hard to read text that does not contrast with the background. If your document has a high level of contrast between the text and background, more people can see and use the content.
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Excel, PowerPoint, Word, Outlook
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Sheet Tabs have meaningful names.
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Sheets in the workbook include descriptive information and there are no blank sheets.
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Descriptive sheet names, such as “October sales totals,” make it easier to navigate through workbooks than do default sheet names, such as “Sheet1.”
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Excel
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Closed Captions are included for inserted audio and video.
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All audio and video objects have closed captioning.
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Without captioning, the information in a video or audio segment can be entirely lost to people with disabilities.
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PowerPoint, OneNote
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Slide Object Reading Order
Reading order of the objects on a slide presentation is logical.
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Objects on a slide are in a logical order.
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Assistive technology reads slides and the elements on them in the specified order. If the reading order isn’t logical, the content doesn’t make sense.
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PowerPoint
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Tips
When there is content that people with disabilities can understand but that could be better organized or presented in a way that can improve their experience, you see a tip.
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Rule
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Accessibility Checker verifies
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Why fix this?
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Applies to these applications
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Heading Styles
Documents use heading styles.
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Content is organized with headings and/or a Table of Contents (TOC).
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Headings and TOCs provide structural context to users and enable navigation and easier searching in the document.
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Word, Outlook, OneNote
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Unique Section Names
The section names in a deck are unique.
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The sections have unique names.
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Section names enable users to navigate more easily within a large presentation in the Thumbnail Pane, Slide Sorter View, and Grid View.
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PowerPoint
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Unique Slide Titles
Slide titles in a deck are unique.
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Non-blank slides have unique titles.
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Users rely on titles to know where they are in the deck and to navigate the deck.
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PowerPoint
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Intelligent Services (AUTOMATIC ALT + TEXT)
The Accessibility Checker lists all pictures with an alt text generated by the Intelligent Services. Check “Settings” or “Options” to see if selected.
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Rule
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Accessibility Checker verifies
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Why fix this?
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Applies to these applications
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Automatic Alt + Text
Suggested alternative text.
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All pictures whose alt text was generated by Office's image recognition service.
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The Intelligent Services automatically generates alt text in your document (when the feature is switched on). Review each suggestion carefully to make sure it accurately describes your picture. If you want to edit the suggestion, type over the suggested text in the Description box.
To learn how to switch on this feature, refer to section "Turn automatic alt text on" in Everything you need to know to write effective alt text.
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PowerPoint, Word, Outlook
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Additional Information
Rules for the Accessibility Checker - Microsoft Support