Microsoft Excel Accessibility Checklist

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Quick Checklist for Excel Accessibility

Does the document file name not contain spaces and/or special characters?
Is the document file name concise, generally limited to 20-30 characters, and does it make the contents of the file clear?
Have the document properties for Title, Author, Subject (AKA Description), Keywords, Language, and Copyright Status been completed?
Have you set your document language to English?
Have track changes been accepted or rejected and turned off?
Have comments been removed and formatting marks been turned off?
Do the active worksheets have clear and concise names that allow users (and assistive technology) to identify the table's source and content?

Does the document utilize recommended fonts (i.e., Times New Roman, Verdana, Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, or Calibri)?
Is the list style being used, as opposed to manually typed characters (e.g. Hyphens, numbers, or graphics)?
Is content clear and concise?
Do all URLs contain descriptive hyperlinks (i.e., avoid generic phrases like "click here"; instead, use phrases that let users know about the content of the linked page prior to selecting it)?
Is the color contrast ratio between foreground text and background color sufficient?

Do all images, grouped images, and non-text elements that convey information have meaningful alternative-text descriptions?
Do complex images (i.e., charts and graphs) have descriptive text near the image (perhaps as a caption or long description)?
Is the document free of scanned text-heavy images (i.e., avoid text content contained in images that disappear when images are not available)?
If color is used to emphasize important text, is there is an alternate, compliant method used as well?
Have you provided alternatives for or avoided use of sensory information (e.g., shape, size, color, visual location, orientation, sound, etc.)?

Do all data tables in the document have designated row and/or column headers in table properties?
Does the table header repeat at the top of the table as it goes from one page to another?
Are data cells set so they do not split across pages?
Are all tables described and labeled (where appropriate)?

Has a separate accessible version of the document been provided when there is no other way to make the content accessible?
Did you use the built-in MS Office Accessibility Checker, has that been run and does it pass?
Did you visit the Microsoft help article for more information?
Did you contact the Accessibility Network if you are having trouble?