To help ensure that your Microsoft 365files are accessible, use the Accessibility Checker, a free tool available in Word, Excel, Outlook, OneNote, and PowerPoint on Windows, Office for the web, or Mac, and Visio on Windows. It finds most accessibility issues and explains why each might be a potential problem for someone with a disability. It also offers suggestions on how to resolve each issue.
Although the Accessibility Checker catches most types of accessibility issues, there are some issues it's not able to detect. That's why it's important to always review your work visually to find the issues hiding from the Accessibility Checker. To learn more, go to Accessibility Checker limitations.
The Accessibility Checker verifies your file against a set of rules that identify possible issues for people who have disabilities. Depending on how severe the issue is, the Accessibility Checker classifies each issue as an error, warning, or tip.
Error. Content that makes the document difficult or impossible to read and understand for people with disabilities
Warning. Content that in most (but not all) cases makes the document difficult to understand for people with disabilities
Tip. Content that people with disabilities can understand but that could be presented in a different way to improve the users experience
Intelligent Services. Content that is automatically made accessible by AI, and that you should review for accuracy and context
The following tables itemize the Accessibility Checker rules, what they check for, where to learn how to fix each issue, and why you should fix each one.
Note:To make sure your files are as accessible as possible, you should only use tables when they are necessary to present your data. Avoid tables that only have a layout purpose.
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.
Rule
Accessibility Checker verifies
Why fix this?
Applies to these applications
All non-text content has alternative text (alt text).
All objects have alt text and the alt text doesnt contain image names or file extensions.
Screen readers speak the alternative text to describe images and other non-text content that users cant see. Based on alt text, users can understand the purpose and meaning of the described content.
Excel, PowerPoint, Word, Outlook, OneNote, Visio
Tables specify column header information.
Tables and/or blocks of cells have the header box selected or a header row indicated.
Users rely on the table headers to understand the content that is subsequently read by the screen reader. Also, assistive technology often uses the table header row to help convey to the user the current cursor location in the table and to provide information that enables the user to navigate the table.
Excel, PowerPoint, Word, Outlook, OneNote
All sections have meaningful names.
All sections have names that arent default or placeholder names such as Default Section, Untitled Section, or Section 3.
Section names enable users to navigate more easily within a large presentation in the Thumbnail Pane, Slide Sorter View, and Grid View.
PowerPoint
All slides have titles.
Slides have titles.
Slide titles enable users to navigate within a presentation, including finding and selecting a single slide to immediately go to.
PowerPoint
Cells in an Excel worksheet don't use red-only formatting for negative numbers.
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).
Users who have difficulty distinguishing color wont be able to tell the difference between positive and negative values.
Excel
Image or object is inline with the text.
Images or objects are positioned inline with the surrounding text,unlessobjects are in the headeror footerregions of the document.
If the image or object is not inline, it can be difficult for screen reader users to interact with the object. It can also be difficult to know where the object is relative to the text.For more info, go to Use a screen reader to select and read text boxes and images in Word
Word
Document access is not restricted.
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.
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.
Excel, PowerPoint, Word
All content control fields have titles.
All forms have titles for each field.
Form titles provide users with information about the content of the field and the information being requested.
Word
If the content in most (but not necessarily all) cases is difficult for people with disabilities to understand, the Accessibility Checker gives a warning.
Rule
Accessibility Checker verifies
Why fix this?
Applies to these applications
Table has a simple structure.
Tables are simple rectangles with no split cells, merged cells, or nesting.
Users navigate tables via keyboard shortcuts and assistive technology, which rely on simple table structures.
Excel, PowerPoint, Word, Outlook, OneNote
Sheet tabs have meaningful names.
Sheets in the workbook include descriptive information and there are no blank sheets.
Descriptive sheet names, such as October sales totals, make it easier to navigate through workbooks than do default sheet names, such as Sheet1.
Excel
Sufficient contrast between text and background.
Colors of the text and background are different enough to make the text easy to see.
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.
Excel, PowerPoint, Word, Outlook
Closed captions are included for inserted audio and video.
All audio and video objects have closed captioning.
Without captioning, the information in a video or audio segment can be entirely lost to people with disabilities.
PowerPoint, OneNote
The reading order of the objects on a slide presentation is logical.
Objects on a slide are in a logical order.
Assistive technology reads slides and the elements on them in the specified order. If the reading order isnt logical, the content doesnt make sense.
PowerPoint
When there is content that people with disabilities can understand but that could be better organized or could be presented in a way that can improve their experience, you see a tip.
Rule
Accessibility Checker verifies
Why fix this?
Applies to these applications
The section names in a deck are unique.
The sections have unique names.
Section names enable users to navigate more easily within a large presentation in the Thumbnail Pane, Slide Sorter View, and Grid View.
PowerPoint
Slide titles in a deck are unique.
Non-blank slides have unique titles.
Users rely on titles to know where they are in the deck and to navigate the deck.
PowerPoint
Documents use heading styles.
Content is organized with headings and/or a Table of Contents (TOC).
Headings and TOCs provide structural context to users and enable navigation and easier searching in the document.
Word, Outlook, OneNote
The Accessibility Checker lists all pictures with an alt text generated by the Intelligent Services.
Rule
Accessibility Checker verifies
Why fix this?
Applies to these applications
Suggested alternative text.
All pictures whose alt text was generated by Office's image recognition service.
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" inEverything you need to know to write effective alt text.
PowerPoint, Word, Outlook
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.
See the rest here:
Rules for the Accessibility Checker - Microsoft Support
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- 002 Blindness Cured? - Video [Last Updated On: October 18th, 2011] [Originally Added On: October 18th, 2011]
- 003 Blindness Study Opens the Door for Further Stem Cell Trials [Last Updated On: January 28th, 2012] [Originally Added On: January 28th, 2012]
- 004 Stem Cell Treatment Helps on Blindness [Last Updated On: February 7th, 2012] [Originally Added On: February 7th, 2012]
- 005 Dame Judi Dench Battling Blindness [Last Updated On: February 22nd, 2012] [Originally Added On: February 22nd, 2012]
- 006 Stem cell repair kit for glaucoma could mean a treatment for the most common cause of blindness [Last Updated On: March 8th, 2012] [Originally Added On: March 8th, 2012]
- 007 Dublin team creates collagen and stem cell barrier against blindness [Last Updated On: March 12th, 2012] [Originally Added On: March 12th, 2012]
- 008 Irish research blindness breakthrough [Last Updated On: April 22nd, 2012] [Originally Added On: April 22nd, 2012]
- 009 Stem Cell Operation Attempts To Heal Corneal Blindness [Last Updated On: May 23rd, 2012] [Originally Added On: May 23rd, 2012]
- 010 Some Heavy Kids at Risk of Blindness [Last Updated On: May 25th, 2012] [Originally Added On: May 25th, 2012]
- 011 Blindness breakthrough as scientists turn stem cells into the tissue that allows humans to see [Last Updated On: June 14th, 2012] [Originally Added On: June 14th, 2012]
- 012 A Struggling Artist's Fall-Back Career: Curing Blindness [Last Updated On: June 18th, 2012] [Originally Added On: June 18th, 2012]
- 013 From Cloning 'Dolly the Sheep' to Curing Blindness, Scotland is on the Forefront of Life Science Discoveries [Last Updated On: June 18th, 2012] [Originally Added On: June 18th, 2012]
- 014 UW discovery could be cure for some blindness [Last Updated On: July 26th, 2012] [Originally Added On: July 26th, 2012]
- 015 Stem-cell research: $37 million [Last Updated On: September 7th, 2012] [Originally Added On: September 7th, 2012]
- 016 Stem cells improve visual function in blind mice [Last Updated On: October 2nd, 2012] [Originally Added On: October 2nd, 2012]
- 017 Blind Mice Get Experimental Stem Cell Treatment For Blindness [Last Updated On: October 3rd, 2012] [Originally Added On: October 3rd, 2012]
- 018 25. Medical Biotechnology: Part Ib. Stem Cells-Therapy and Medical Research NQ - Video [Last Updated On: November 6th, 2012] [Originally Added On: November 6th, 2012]
- 019 Perceptions of Promise art show opens at UAlberta - Video [Last Updated On: November 9th, 2012] [Originally Added On: November 9th, 2012]
- 020 ABC NEWS: Stem Cells Cure Blindness - Video [Last Updated On: November 25th, 2012] [Originally Added On: November 25th, 2012]
- 021 Stem Cell Treatment Restores Man's Vision - Video [Last Updated On: December 27th, 2012] [Originally Added On: December 27th, 2012]
- 022 Stem Cell Treatment Cures Blindness - Video [Last Updated On: May 30th, 2013] [Originally Added On: May 30th, 2013]
- 023 Trial to cure age related blindness to begin in London - Video [Last Updated On: July 6th, 2013] [Originally Added On: July 6th, 2013]
- 024 Can Stem Cells Cure Blindness? - Video [Last Updated On: July 24th, 2013] [Originally Added On: July 24th, 2013]
- 025 Stem-cell help for blindness - Video [Last Updated On: March 30th, 2014] [Originally Added On: March 30th, 2014]
- 026 Stem-cell treatment for blindness - Video [Last Updated On: March 30th, 2014] [Originally Added On: March 30th, 2014]
- 027 Stem Cells, Blindness And Why The Media Loves Miracle Cures - Video [Last Updated On: October 17th, 2014] [Originally Added On: October 17th, 2014]
- 028 Can Stem Cell Injections Cure Blindness? - Video [Last Updated On: October 20th, 2014] [Originally Added On: October 20th, 2014]
- 029 P-SPAN #411: "Treating Blindness with Stem Cells" - Video [Last Updated On: March 6th, 2015] [Originally Added On: March 6th, 2015]
- 030 Color blindness - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia [Last Updated On: May 19th, 2015] [Originally Added On: May 19th, 2015]
- 031 Blindness (Blindness, #1) by Jos Saramago Reviews ... [Last Updated On: May 19th, 2015] [Originally Added On: May 19th, 2015]
- 032 Vision Impairment and Blindness: MedlinePlus [Last Updated On: May 19th, 2015] [Originally Added On: May 19th, 2015]
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- 034 Blindness (Harvest Book): Jose Saramago: Amazon.com: Books [Last Updated On: May 20th, 2015] [Originally Added On: May 20th, 2015]
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- 036 Blindness - KidsHealth [Last Updated On: June 1st, 2015] [Originally Added On: June 1st, 2015]
- 037 Blindness (film) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia [Last Updated On: June 1st, 2015] [Originally Added On: June 1st, 2015]
- 038 Blindness: Get Facts About Causes of Vision Loss [Last Updated On: June 1st, 2015] [Originally Added On: June 1st, 2015]
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- 040 Prosopagnosia - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia [Last Updated On: July 5th, 2015] [Originally Added On: July 5th, 2015]
- 041 The Four Frames of Color-Blindness Laura Bestler [Last Updated On: July 8th, 2015] [Originally Added On: July 8th, 2015]
- 042 Genre Blindness - TV Tropes [Last Updated On: July 8th, 2015] [Originally Added On: July 8th, 2015]
- 043 Glaucoma Service Foundation to Prevent Blindness [Last Updated On: July 12th, 2015] [Originally Added On: July 12th, 2015]
- 044 Onchocerciasis - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia [Last Updated On: July 12th, 2015] [Originally Added On: July 12th, 2015]
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- 046 Do you suffer from face blindness? Seven signs and ... [Last Updated On: August 5th, 2015] [Originally Added On: August 5th, 2015]
- 047 Inattentional blindness - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia [Last Updated On: August 29th, 2015] [Originally Added On: August 29th, 2015]
- 048 Blindness in Dogs - WebMD [Last Updated On: September 1st, 2015] [Originally Added On: September 1st, 2015]
- 049 blindness | medical condition | Britannica.com [Last Updated On: September 1st, 2015] [Originally Added On: September 1st, 2015]
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- 052 Blindness - RightDiagnosis.com [Last Updated On: September 1st, 2015] [Originally Added On: September 1st, 2015]
- 053 Blindness Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatments and Causes ... [Last Updated On: September 1st, 2015] [Originally Added On: September 1st, 2015]
- 054 Blindness: Types, Causes & Symptoms - Healthline [Last Updated On: September 1st, 2015] [Originally Added On: September 1st, 2015]
- 055 Social-Security-Disability-Forum: Blindness and Vision ... [Last Updated On: September 16th, 2015] [Originally Added On: September 16th, 2015]
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- 057 Visual impairment - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia [Last Updated On: September 25th, 2015] [Originally Added On: September 25th, 2015]
- 058 WHO | Micronutrient deficiencies [Last Updated On: October 26th, 2015] [Originally Added On: October 26th, 2015]
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- 076 Eye on the Cure - Blog of the Foundation Fighting Blindness [Last Updated On: August 4th, 2016] [Originally Added On: August 4th, 2016]
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- 078 BLINDNESS by Jose Saramago - Webster University [Last Updated On: August 4th, 2016] [Originally Added On: August 4th, 2016]
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