Word Accessibility Checker

Word Built-in Accessibility Checker

Microsoft Word’s Accessibility Checker is a built-in tool that helps identify issues that may make a document difficult for people with disabilities to read or navigate.

It checks your document for common accessibility problems, such as:

  • Missing alternative text for images, charts, and other visual content
  • Poor heading structure, which can make navigation difficult for screen-reader users
  • Insufficient color contrast
  • Unclear hyperlinks
  • Tables that may be difficult for screen readers to interpret
  • Missing or unclear document structure

Using the Accessibility Checker

  1. Open your document in Microsoft Word.
  2. Click "File" > Click "Info" in the left pane > Select "Properties", click "Advanced Properties".
  3. Title your document by clicking on the "Summary" Tab > In the "Title" field, enter the appropriate title.
  4. Click on the back arrow located at the top left pane.
  5. Select the Review tab.
  6. Select "Check Accessibility" to open the Accessibility pane on the right. 
  7. In the Accessibility pane, review and address the findings under Inspection Results. 

VIDEO: Using the Accessibility Checker in Microsoft Word

In the Accessibility pane, you'll see a list of errors and warnings, with how-to-fix recommendations for each.

  1. In the Accessibility pane, select an issue under Warnings or Errors. The list will expand and show the items and objects affected by the issue.
  2. To address the issue, select the down arrow ChevronDown button next to it and open the Recommended Actions list.
  3. To apply a fix, select an action from the Recommended Actions list. To view more options, select the right arrow ChevronRight button next to the action (if available).
  4. Go through and resolve each issue under Warnings and Errors.
  5. Once done, save the document. Now you can save as a PDF. 

Note: The Accessibility Checker is a helpful starting point, but passing the checker does not guarantee that a document is fully accessible. You should also review the document's structure, wording, reading order, and overall usability.

Save Word document as a PDF

Word for Windows

From the File menu, select “Save As” and choose where you want the file to be saved. In the Save As dialog box, select PDF from the Save as type list. By default, this produces a PDF that preserves the document structure and helps with accessibility. 

Accessibility Checker how-to (Scribe)

 

Additional Resources

Massachusetts Office On Disability has 1-14 videos broken up into modules for your reference. The list of videos will be located in the right sidebar. Feel free to view any topic as needed. 

VIDEOS: Creating Accessible Digital Documents