Microsoft Word

Microsoft Word provides a built-in accessibility checker that identifies accessibility errors, warnings and tips to make your document more accessible.  In addition, this feature offers “how to” instructions to fix accessibility issues.

• Use the Office 365 accessibility checker

Microsoft Word has excellent resources with in-depth instructions for incorporating accessibly best practices into documents. 

• Article on accessibly best practices in Word documents
• Video series on accessibility best practices in Word documents

1. Use Headings in the Style menu to organize the content in your document.
2. Add Alternative Text for all images in your document 
3. Use Descriptive text for linked materials 
4. Create Accessible tables
5. Check your finished document with the built-in Accessibility Checker in Microsoft Word
6. Fix accessibility “errors” and address the “warnings” and “tips” flagged by the Accessibility Checker.

For an example of how principles of accessible documents (headings, alternative text, descriptive links, simple tables, etc.) are visible in a document, visit the Accessible Syllabus Example.