Word Accessibility Checklist

Images

• Do include alt text
• Do set wrapping style to “In line with text”
• Don’t use background images or watermarks

Objects (SmartArt, shapes, charts, tables)

• Do include alt text
• Do set wrapping style to “In line with text”
• Don’t use text boxes or WordArt
• Don’t use background images or watermarks

Tables

• Do include alt text
• Do define header rows and columns
• Do “Repeat as header row at the top of each page”
• Don’t use merge cells

Text

• Do apply Styles when formatting text (Title, Heading 1, Heading 2)

Color

• Do use contrasting colors
• Don’t use color-blind color combinations (red/green is most common)
• Do use other means of conveying information in addition to color (bold, italics)

Font

• Do use 12 point or larger
• Don’t use all caps

Page Numbering and Footnotes

• Do insert Page Breaks when starting a new page
• Do insert Page Numbers using the Header and Footer Page Number feature
• Do insert Footnotes using Word Footnote links

Hyperlinks

• Do describe the purpose of the target link in the hyperlink title (not “click here” or “more”)
• Do provide full link URL
• Do add ScreenTips

Columns

• Do use the Column feature to create columns (not spaces or tabs)

Document

• Do use the Check Accessibility feature in the Review tab

More Information

For more information go to this Microsoft page with the latest accessibility updates and information.