Check Accessibility While You Work

Use Accessibility Assistant in Outlook, Word, PowerPoint, and Excel to identify and fix accessibility issues as you create content. This helps ensure your documents and emails are easy for everyone—including people with disabilities—to read and edit.

Office Apps

• Expand the Review tab in the Ribbon (or press Alt + R).
• Open the Check Accessibility dropdown in the Accessibility group (or press the A + 1 keys).
• Select Check Accessibility to open the task pane.
• The Assistant highlights issues in these areas:
  • Color and Contrast – Text readability against background.
  • Media and Illustrations – Alt text and media checks.
  • Tables – Structure and readability issues.
  • Document Structure – Proper use of headings and elements.
  • Document Access – Screen reader compatibility.
• Use Tab to move through categories, press Enter to review an issue, then select a recommended fix.

Outlook

In Outlook (classic and new), Accessibility Checker runs automatically while you compose emails. If issues are found, you’ll see a MailTip prompting you to fix them before sending.

Tips for accessible emails:

• Avoid tables; use paragraphs with headings and banners instead.
• To add a banner: highlight text > Format Text tab > Paragraph group > Shading (paint bucket icon) > select a color.
• Use descriptive link text (e.g., “Northwest University Library Guide”), instead of “Click here” or “Learn more.”

Sources:

Improve accessibility in your documents with the Accessibility Assistant

Check accessibility while you work in Office apps