WebAIM: Word and PowerPoint Accessibility Evaluation Checklist

Getting Started

Note

A PDF version of this checklist is also available.

The following checklist uses the Accessibility Checker in Microsoft Office 2016 and newer. See our Word and PowerPoint articles for more information on using the checker and creating accessible electronic documents.

To start the accessibility checker:

On Office 2016 for Windows: File > Check for Issues dropdown menu > Check Accessibility
On all other versions: Review tab > Check Accessibility

Errors, Warnings, and Tips indicate automated feedback from the Accessibility Checker. These may vary slightly based on your operating system and how recently your version of Office was updated. Manual review items will require manual checking for accessibility issues.

Headings (Word-only)

Principle	Review	Repair
Headings use Word "Styles" (Heading 1, Heading 2, etc.)	Manual: View > Navigation Pane. Text that should be a heading is present in pane.	Apply the correct heading style in Home tab > Styles gallery
Headings levels are correct (Heading 1: Main, Heading 2: Section heading, etc.).	Error: Missed heading level (not in all versions) Manual: Headings do not skip levels in Navigation Pane	Apply the correct heading style in Home tab > Styles gallery
Headings are not empty	Manual: There are no empty lines in Navigation Pane.	Delete empty headings

Slide Titles (PowerPoint-only)

Principle	Review	Repair
Slides have descriptive titles (See Note)	Error: Missing slide title Manual: Title describes the slide content.	Enter a descriptive slide title in the Title placeholder.
Slide titles should typically be unique	Tip: Duplicate slide title	When appropriate, change the slide Title text so it is unique on every slide.

Note

The PowerPoint checker requires a descriptive title for every slide. If it is not appropriate to have a title on a slide, omit the title (but it will be flagged as an error).

Slide Reading Order (PowerPoint-only)

Principle	Review	Repair
Slide reading order is logical	Warning: Check Reading order	Home tab > Arrange > Selection Pane; Ensure reading order is bottoming to top

Images

Principle	Review	Repair
Images and other non-text content have alternative text (see Note)	Error: Missing alternative text	Right click > Format Picture > Size and Properties tab > Alt Text. Enter alternative text in the Description field In some newer versions, Right Click > Edit Alt Text
Alternative text is equivalent	Manual: Inspect text in the Alt Text > Description field, or Alt Text field in newer versions	Enter alternative text in the Description or Alt Text field
Images that present content are positioned "In Line with Text" (Word-only)	Warning: Image or object not inline	Right click > Wrap Text > In Line with Text

Note

There is not a reliable way to hide decorative images from screen readers in older versions of Word or PowerPoint. If an image is decorative, or if the alternative text is already presented in nearby text, we recommend leaving the image blank. Unfortunately, that means it will be shown as an error in Accessibility Checker.
- If you have a newer version of Office with the "Edit Alt Text" option, there is a "Mark as decorative" checkbox. Check this box if the image is decorative.
Some never versions have a "Generate a description for me" button. Do not select this. The quality of the automatically-generated descriptions is usually very poor, and a description of an image is often not the same as alternative text.
- If a document has images with automatic descriptions. "Intelligent Services: Suggested alternative text" will appear in the Accessibility checker. Review and repair the alternative text of these images.
Some older versions of Office will prompt you to add alternative text to tables. This is not recommended.

Tables

Principle	Review	Repair
The first row in a table contains correctly-defined column headers.	Error: No header row	Table Design tab > Check Header Row checkbox
When the first column of a table should contain headers, they are correctly identified as row headers.	Manual: Click within the Table Design tab > make sure the First Column checkboxes match the table header structure.	Check or uncheck the "First Column" checkbox to match the table header structure.
Table has a simple structure, avoiding merged cells or split cells	Warning: Merged or split cells in table. Use the Tab key to ensure the order of the cells in the table is logical.	Table Layout tab > Merge Cells or Split Cells
Tables don't use blank columns or rows for visual formatting	Warning: Tables don't use blank cells for formatting (not in all versions) Manual: Visual Inspection	Right Click empty column or row > Delete Cells
Avoid tables that are used for layout when possible. If used, or ensure table reading order is logical.	Warning: Check reading order (for tables with no borders or styles). Use the Tab key to navigate the cells and ensure reading order is correct.	If the content can be removed from the table: Click in the table > Table Layout tab > Convert to Text. If this isn't possible, use the Tab key to navigate the cells and ensure reading order is correct.

Note

Support for table headers is still incomplete in Office. If you are saving a file as a PDF, the table structure should be reviewed and improved in Acrobat Pro.

Links

Principle	Review	Repair
Hyperlink text is descriptive (see Note).	Warning: Unclear Hyperlink Text (not in all versions) Manual: Link text describes the link target	Right click > Edit Hyperlink > Text to display

Note

If you are creating a presentation that is intended to be displayed in a printout, you may want to include the URL and a description in the link text—e.g., "WebAIM Introduction to Web Accessibility (webaim.org/intro)."

Color and Contrast

Principle	Review	Repair
Text (and images of text) have good contrast	Warning: Low-contrast text (Only present in newer versions) Manual: Search for text that has low contrast.	Home tab > Font Color to change in one place. Home tab > Styles gallery or Design tab > Colors to change document-wide.
Color is not used as the only way information is presented	Manual: Visually review the document for color reliance.	Use text or other visual presentations in addition to color.

Other issues

Principle	Review	Repair
Document has a descriptive file name	Manual: The filename that appears at the very top of the application window accurately describes the file.	File > Save As > File Name field in Windows Save As field in Mac
Document has a descriptive Title	Manual: Verify title is descriptive Windows: File tab > Title Mac: File > Properties > Summary tab > Title	Enter a descriptive document title in the Title field
There are no spelling or grammar issues	Word: Review tab > Spelling & Grammar PowerPoint: Review tab > Spelling Manual: Proofread for other spelling, grammar, and readability issues	Correct any spelling and grammar issues
Bulleted and numbered lists are used correctly	Manual: Click on text that looks like a list. In the Home tab, Numbering or Bullets is highlighted.	Change text to use the correct type of list.
Multiple spaces/lines/tabs are not used for layout.	Warning: Repeated blank characters (not in all versions) Manual: Spaces, tabs, empty lines are not used excessively for layout.	Use Paragraph styles or columns to control spacing between elements.
Media has captions and/or transcripts	Warning: Use captions for audio and video (embedded media in PowerPoint) Manual: Embedded and linked media has equivalent captions and or transcripts.	Provide media with captions and/or transcripts.