Microsoft Office Accessibility Checker

Before you send an Outlook email message or share a Word document, Excel spreadsheet, PowerPoint presentation, or OneNote notebook, run the Accessibility Checker to make your content easier for people to read and edit.

Microsoft 365 for the web apps (except Outlook on the web-see below)

Select the Review tab and choose Check Accessibility.

The Accessibility pane will open to the right of the screen. Choose an option to view Errors, Warnings, Tips, or Intelligent services near the top of the pane.

For more information on how the findings are categorized, see Rules for the Accessibility Checker.

In the chosen category, select the to expand an accessibility issue to see all items and objects affected by the issue.

Select an item or object in the list to highlight the corresponding element, and then fix the issue. Address all issues in the errors and warnings categories.

When you're done, select Recheck to make sure you didn't miss anything.

Outlook on the web

When writing or replying to a message, select Options on the toolbar and choose Check accessibility. The Accessibility Checker pane will open.

Select Fix this to address an issue. For example, if the Accessibility Checker reported missing alt text, select Fix this to open the Add alternative text dialog box where you can type the alt text.

Address all issues and when you're done, select Check again to ensure you didn't miss anything.

🧩 Common Accessibility Issues It Checks For

The checker in Word for the web looks for:

Missing alt text on images or shapes
Poor or missing headings and structure
Insufficient contrast (limited)
Tables missing header rows
Links that use non-descriptive text (like “click here”)
Document language not set
Reading order problems in complex layouts

🧠 Extra Tips (Manual Review Steps)

The automated checker doesn’t catch everything, so you should also:

Use built-in styles (Heading 1, Heading 2, etc.) for structure.
Make sure lists use Word’s actual list tools—not just dashes or numbers typed manually.
Check color contrast manually for text on colored backgrounds.
Ensure tables use header rows and simple layouts.
Add meaningful link text (e.g., “Visit the SU Technology Support site” instead of “Click here”).

💡 Bonus:

If you download the file and open it in the Word desktop app, you can:

View the Accessibility tab that helps you fix issues as you go.