Microsoft Office Accessibility Checker

The Microsoft Office Accessibility Checker scans the document for any potential errors or warnings and provides helpful tips to remedy the issues. The Accessibility Checker scan is helpful to identify inaccessible documents while they are being developed.

Windows:

  • Word 365: Select Review tab, select Check Accessibility
  • Word 2016: Select File menu, then Check for Issues and select Check Accessibility from the drop-down menu. 

Mac: Select Review tab, select Check Accessibility

Microsoft Office Accessibility Checker.

The Accessibility Checker results can be categorized by the impact on the viewer: 

  • Errors: this content will be very difficult or inaccessible to people with disabilities to view
    • Example: missing alt text
  • Warnings: this content, in most cases, will be difficult for people with disabilities to view
    • Example: objects not inline
  • Tips: this content is available to people with disabilities, however better organization is suggested
    • Example: skipping headings from H1 to H3

When the scan is complete, the results will display on the screen. Click on each error and the document will jump to indicate exactly where the error on the page is occurring. Complete any missing alternative texts, misalignments, headings etc. All errors should be resolved before proceeding.

Accessibility Checker Results list.

The accessibility checker will identify certain accessibility issues:

  • Headings that are not in logical order
  • Images with no alt text
  • Tables have the header box checked
  • Tables that have merged cells or with empty cells
  • Large numbers of repeated blank characters

Learn more about Rules for Microsoft Office Accessibility Checker.

To assess the level of accessibility within information and communication technology content (e.g., documents, videos, etc.), conducting accessibility evaluations is crucial. Through accessibility evaluations, we can bring to light potential accessibility barriers that could affect individuals with disabilities and find methods to reserve these barriers. Conduct Microsoft Office Accessibility Evaluations.