Microsoft 365 document accessibility basics

Many Microsoft 365 apps include an accessibility checker that identifies some accessibility problems. The tool is a great start and can be helpful to those who are new to creating accessible documents.

In Microsoft Support, you can find out how to:

• Improve accessibility with the Accessibility Checker
• Make your Word documents accessible to people with disabilities

Using heading, paragraph and list styles not only makes your text stand out and helps people browse your document, it provides contextual information for screen readers and allows people to navigate your document using their keyboard. 

Tips

• Always use built-in or brand template styles to format headings and lists. 
• For headings to be accessible it’s important for headings to be nested using a logical descending order. For example, your main document heading will be style “Heading 1” then each section’s heading will be style “Heading 2” and each sub-heading within those sections will be style “Heading 3.” 
• Your body/paragraph text should use the style “Normal” 

Sources

• TeachWell: Design for Accessibility - Headings 
• Web Accessibility Guide: Accessibility in Word - Headings
• Microsoft: Improve Accessibility with Heading Styles

An accessible link tells people where they are clicking to. For example, write “Visit Student Services.” rather than “For Student Services, click here.” 

Tips

• Keep linked phrases short, 3-5 words. 
• Links should describe what they are linking to. 
• Links should be in contrasting colours to be mindful of people with low vision or colour blindness. 
• Avoid adding a link to headings. 
• Never use a URL for the link text—screen readers will read out the URL verbatim, e.g. https://www.auckland...  

Sources

• TeachWell: Design for Accessibility - Links
• TeachWell: Accessibility in Microsoft 365

Using text colour and background colours that have sufficient contrast allows people with partial sight or low vision and colour vision deficiencies (colour blindness) to engage with your documents.

Tips

• Check colour contrast using the Accessibility Checker or a contrast checker.
• Don’t rely on colour alone to convey meaning, use text or another visible cue, such as an underline, pattern or shape.

Sources

• Web Accessibility Guide: Designing with Colour 
• TeachWell: Design for Accessibility - Colour

Adding alt-text to your images makes them accessible to people with vision impairments and people who have difficulty processing information presented in images. Alt text is also useful for making sense of an image when it doesn’t load.

 Tips

• Alt text is a text replacement for an image, think of how you might describe an image to someone over the phone
• Learn how to add alt text in Microsoft 365 documents.
• Don’t rely on auto-generated alt text, read how to write effective alt text

Sources: 

• Web Accessibility Guide: Understand Accessible Images 
• Microsoft: Adding Alternative Text 
• Microsoft: Writing Effective Alt Text 
• Blind Low Vision NZ: Accessible Document Guidelines

In general, avoid tables if you can present information in another way. Tables create barriers for people using Magnifier and accessing documents on mobile. Complex tables create problems for screen readers and other assistive technologies.  

Tips

• Make your tables simple, for example avoid merged cells, or tables nested within tables
  
• Add alt text to your tables
• Learn how to create accessible tables in Word
• Learn how to create accessible Excel workbooks

Sources

• Web Accessibility Guide: Using Tables in Word
• TeachWell: Design for Accessibility - Tables
• Web Accessibility Guide: Accessibility in Excel

The following are available on the New Zealand Government's Web Accessibility Guide:

• Word
• PowerPoint
• Excel