How to Use Accessibility Checker in Microsoft Office Applications

What is Accessibility Checker and How Do I Use It?

• Accessibility Checker verifies your file or document against a set of rules that identify possible issues for people who have disabilities.
• It verifies whether the document conforms to accessibility standards, such as PDF/UA and WCAG 2.0.
• Depending on how severe the issue is, the Accessibility Checker classifies each issue as an error, warning, or tip.
• 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.
•  Follow the steps below to check accessibility in all your Microsoft Office Application (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Outlook, etc) documents

1. Open your Microsoft document or presentation
2. In the "Review" ribbon on the top menu, select "Check Accessibility"
3. Select from the Accessibility Checker menu options:
   1. Check Accessibility:  Checks entire document
   2. Alt Text:  Only checks any alt text on images within the document
   3. Options Accessibility:  Allows you to change the settings on your Accessibility Checker
   4. Accessibility Help:  Opens Microsoft's Accessibility help pane

4. This will open the Accessibility Checker Pane, and provide any suggestions for making your document more accessible

• Learn more about the guidelines for Accessibility Checker errors, warnings, and tips from Microsoft here