Accessibility Features
Learn how to use Word's Accessibility Checker to identify and fix issues that make documents difficult to use for people with disabilities.
By the end of this lesson you can
- Run the Accessibility Checker and act on what it reports
- Write alt text that conveys the image's purpose
- Use heading styles to give a document a navigable structure
- Check color contrast and avoid color as the sole carrier of meaning
Video
Watch the lesson video, then complete the reading and challenge.
Lesson Notes
Read through the key concepts before you try the challenge.
Accessibility is a requirement, not a courtesy
You produce patient materials at Lakeside Medical Associates.
A patient with low vision requests the new patient handbook in a format their screen reader can use. You send the .docx. Their software reports 'image' fourteen times with no descriptions, finds no headings to navigate by, and reads a table as one continuous run of words. The document is technically delivered and practically unusable.
Your task: Build accessibility in as you write, rather than retrofitting it under time pressure.
For an organization providing healthcare services, this is also a legal matter. Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act require that people with disabilities have meaningful access to services and information. A document that cannot be read by assistive technology is a barrier to access.
Review > Check Accessibility scans the document and lists problems with explanations and one-click fixes. Running it before distribution takes under a minute and catches the great majority of issues.
| Check | What to do | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Alt text on images | Describe purpose, not appearance | Screen readers announce alt text in place of the image |
| Real heading styles | Use Heading 1-3, not bold body text | Lets users jump between sections instead of reading linearly |
| Table header rows | Mark the header row in Table Layout | Lets a screen reader announce which column a cell belongs to |
| Meaningful link text | 'Download the intake form', not 'click here' | Links are often read as a standalone list |
| Color contrast | At least 4.5:1 for body text | Low-contrast text is unreadable for many, especially in print |
Writing alt text that is actually useful
Describe a bar chart showing appointment volume by month in a patient handbook.
- 1
Ask what the image is doing in the document.
Alt text conveys purpose, not appearance. 'Bar chart with blue bars' describes pixels. The reader needs the information the chart carries, which is why the answer depends on why you put it there.
- 2
State the finding: 'Bar chart showing appointment volume rising from 320 in January to 480 in June.'
A sighted reader takes the trend from the chart in a second. Alt text should deliver that same trend, not force the reader to reconstruct it from a description of the axes.
- 3
For a complex figure, put the full data in a table nearby and keep the alt text short.
Alt text is announced as one unbroken run of speech, so it becomes unusable past a sentence or two. A real table beside the figure is navigable cell by cell — genuinely better than a long description.
- 4
Mark purely decorative images as decorative.
A border flourish with alt text interrupts reading for no benefit. The Alt Text pane has a 'Mark as decorative' checkbox that tells screen readers to skip it — which is the accessible choice, not a shortcut.
Result: Images that convey the same information to every reader, without padding the document with noise.
Ask what the image tells a sighted reader, then write that. If it tells them nothing, mark it decorative.
Why Accessibility Matters
An accessible document can be read and navigated by people who use screen readers, keyboard-only navigation, or other assistive technologies. Word includes tools that help you catch common accessibility issues before sharing your document.
Running the Accessibility Checker
Go to Review → Check Accessibility. The Accessibility pane opens on the right, listing Errors, Warnings, and Tips. Click any issue to jump directly to the problem in the document.
Adding Alt Text to Images
Alt text describes an image for screen readers. Right-click an image and choose Edit Alt Text. Type a brief, descriptive sentence that explains what the image shows. Avoid vague descriptions like 'image 1'.
Using Meaningful Heading Structure
Screen readers use heading styles to help users navigate long documents. Use Heading 1 for main sections, Heading 2 for subsections, and so on — never skip levels (e.g., going from Heading 1 directly to Heading 3).
Making Tables Accessible
Data tables should have a header row that labels each column. Select your table, go to Table Design → check Header Row, and confirm the first row is formatted as a header so screen readers can announce column names.
Using Meaningful Hyperlink Text
Avoid hyperlinks that only show the raw URL or phrases like 'click here'. Instead, use descriptive link text such as 'Visit the Microsoft 365 support page' so screen reader users understand the link's destination.
Knowledge Check
What is the purpose of alt text on images in a Word document?
Challenge
Apply what you've learned in this lesson.
Complete the following tasks:
- Open a document that contains at least one image and a table.
- Run Check Accessibility from the Review tab.
- Fix any missing alt text by right-clicking each image and entering a description.
- Check that your heading structure does not skip levels.
- Review any hyperlinks in the document and update generic 'click here' text with descriptive link labels.
- Re-run the Accessibility Checker and confirm the errors are resolved.
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