Rules for the Accessibility Checker

All non-text content has alternative text (alt text).

All objects have alt text and the alt text doesn’t contain image names or file extensions.

Screen readers speak the alternative text to describe images and other non-text content that users can’t see. Based on alt text, users can understand the purpose and meaning of the described content.

Excel, PowerPoint, Word, Outlook, OneNote, Visio

Tables specify column header information.

Tables and/or blocks of cells have the header box selected or a header row indicated.

Users rely on the table headers to understand the content that is subsequently read by the screen reader. Also, assistive technology often uses the table header row to help convey to the user the current cursor location in the table and to provide information that enables the user to navigate the table.

Excel, PowerPoint, Word, Outlook, OneNote

All sections have meaningful names.

All sections have names that aren’t default or placeholder names such as “Default Section,” “Untitled Section,” or “Section 3.”

Section names enable users to navigate more easily within a large presentation in the Thumbnail Pane, Slide Sorter View, and Grid View.

PowerPoint

All slides have titles.

Slides have titles.

Slide titles enable users to navigate within a presentation, including finding and selecting a single slide to immediately go to.

PowerPoint

Cells in an Excel worksheet don't use red-only formatting for negative numbers.

Cells that are set to Number format and use only the red color for negative numbers (e.g. show 1000 in red instead of -1000).

Users who have difficulty distinguishing color won’t be able to tell the difference between positive and negative values.

Excel

Image or object is inline with the text.

Images or objects are positioned inline with the surrounding text, unless objects are in the header or footer regions of the document.

If the image or object is not inline, it can be difficult for screen reader users to interact with the object. It can also be difficult to know where the object is relative to the text. For more info, go to Use a screen reader to select and read text boxes and images in Word

Word

Document access is not restricted.

Any document that has disabled the Access content programmatically option in the document permissions settings: Review > Restrict Editing > Restrict permission.... Select Restrict permission to this document > More options.

Information Rights Management (IRM) protection can prevent devices such as screen readers from having access to this document. For more info, go to Allow changes to parts of a protected document.

Excel, PowerPoint, Word

All content control fields have titles.

All forms have titles for each field.

Form titles provide users with information about the content of the field and the information being requested.

Word

Table has a simple structure.

Tables are simple rectangles with no split cells, merged cells, or nesting.

Users navigate tables via keyboard shortcuts and assistive technology, which rely on simple table structures.

Excel, PowerPoint, Word, Outlook, OneNote

Sheet tabs have meaningful names.

Sheets in the workbook include descriptive information and there are no blank sheets.

Descriptive sheet names, such as “October sales totals,” make it easier to navigate through workbooks than do default sheet names, such as “Sheet1.”

Excel

Sufficient contrast between text and background.

Colors of the text and background are different enough to make the text easy to see.

People with low vision often find it hard to read text that does not contrast with the background. If your document has a high level of contrast between the text and background, more people can see and use the content.

Excel, PowerPoint, Word, Outlook

Closed captions are included for inserted audio and video.

All audio and video objects have closed captioning.

Without captioning, the information in a video or audio segment can be entirely lost to people with disabilities.

PowerPoint, OneNote

The reading order of the objects on a slide presentation is logical.

Objects on a slide are in a logical order.

Assistive technology reads slides and the elements on them in the specified order. If the reading order isn’t logical, the content doesn’t make sense.

PowerPoint

The section names in a deck are unique.

The sections have unique names.

Section names enable users to navigate more easily within a large presentation in the Thumbnail Pane, Slide Sorter View, and Grid View.

PowerPoint

Slide titles in a deck are unique.

Non-blank slides have unique titles.

Users rely on titles to know where they are in the deck and to navigate the deck.

PowerPoint

Documents use heading styles.

Content is organized with headings and/or a Table of Contents (TOC).

Headings and TOCs provide structural context to users and enable navigation and easier searching in the document.

Word, Outlook, OneNote

Suggested alternative text.

All pictures whose alt text was generated by Office's image recognition service.

The Intelligent Services automatically generates alt text in your document (when the feature is switched on). Review each suggestion carefully to make sure it accurately describes your picture. If you want to edit the suggestion, type over the suggested text in the Description box.

To learn how to switch on this feature, refer to section "Turn automatic alt text on" in Everything you need to know to write effective alt text.

PowerPoint, Word, Outlook