Accessibility in Office Documents

Accessible documents help everyone — not just disabled users. Adding structure, clear headings, and meaningful descriptions improves readability, understanding, and navigation for all readers.

Good accessibility is also part of professional practice and a legal expectation in education and employment. Many employers now expect graduates to understand basic accessibility principles when creating digital content.

• Not using heading styles — makes navigation difficult for screen readers and human readers alike.
• Missing alt text on images — screen reader users cannot understand visuals without it.
• Using tables for layout instead of for data — confusing for screen readers.
• Empty table cells or missing header rows — creates confusion about the meaning of data.
• Links labelled “click here” instead of descriptive text.
• Not running the Accessibility Checker — missing quick fixes for common issues.

• Use Styles for headings in Word and PowerPoint — Heading 1, Heading 2, etc. This creates a logical structure for screen readers and the navigation pane.
• Add alt text to images — briefly describe what the image shows or conveys.
• Check table layout — only use tables for data, not for visual layout. Add header rows if needed.
• Write descriptive link text — e.g., “View the Library website” instead of “click here.”
• Run the Accessibility Checker in Word, PowerPoint, and Excel — use Review → Check Accessibility to scan for issues and fix them.

These Microsoft help guides show you how to check accessibility, add alt text, use headings correctly, and improve document readability: 

• Use the Accessibility Checker
• Add alt text to pictures
• Make Word documents accessible
• Make PowerPoint presentations accessible
• Make Excel spreadsheets accessible

• Use Styles — don’t manually change heading fonts or sizes.
• Add alt text to every image — unless it’s purely decorative.
• Check tables — use them for data, not layout, and add header rows if needed.
• Label links clearly — use descriptive text, not “click here.”
• Run the Accessibility Checker before submitting — it catches most common issues quickly.