How to Test Word Documents for Accessibility
When to Test
The guidance on this page is intended to help users evaluate preexisting documents for accessibility. If the Word document is used to deliver information related to a program, service, or activity at OSU, it must be tested and remediated before sharing it with others.
For detailed information on basic accessibility requirements and how to produce accessible Word documents, please review Producing Accessible Word Documents.
Automated Accessibility Checker
Always run the Accessibility Checker and fix the issues it identifies to help ensure people with disabilities can easily access the content. To run the Accessibility Checker:
- Select the Review tab on the ribbon.
- Select Check Accessibility or
Keyboard Navigation: Alt+R, A, 1, A.
For detailed instructions on running the Accessibility Checker and applying recommended actions, review Microsoft’s Accessibility Checker guidance.
Manual Accessibility Checks
While the automated Accessibility Checker can identify many issues, some items require review by a human. Verify that your document is also meeting these requirements to ensure that people with disabilities can easily access the content:
Document Structure
Title
The title describes the topic or purpose of the document.
- Review the file name to make sure that it clearly describes the topic or purpose.
- Add a title in the document metadata that describes its topic or purpose by navigating to File > Info > Properties > Title.
Language
The default language of each page, passage, or phrase can be programmatically determined.
- Check to see if the default language is set to match the document. Also check to see if passages in another language match: Review > Language > Set Proofing Language
Headings
The document has a logical structure using properly implemented headings.
- Review the structure in the Navigation pane to ensure headings are logically nested: Review>Check Accessibility>Navigation Pane
- When creating, or editing, a document, use the correct Heading structure.
- A Heading 1 (H1) should be the title of your document
- Heading 2 (H2) should be a secondary heading and so on.
- Never skip heading levels
- Another way to check heading structure is to Insert a table of contents. If the table of contents seems correct and reflects the visual structure of the document, headings were probably implemented correctly.
- Ensure that the heading text describes the topic or purpose of the content beneath it.
Table of Contents
Long documents have a table of contents to help users navigate the document.
- Consider adding a table of contents to improve navigation if the document is of considerable length and complexity.
Font
To provide the best accessible user experience, ensure fonts are easy to read and are not overly decorative.
- Check to see if the font is Serif or Sans-Serif.
- If the document is for distributing official Ohio State University content, confirm that the approved Buckeye Fonts are used.
- Note: this is not a WCAG AA requirement, but a best practice.
Unusual Words and Abbreviations
To provide the best accessible user experience, ensure that when unusual words or abbreviations are used, their meaning or definition is available.
- Check to see if the document contains words, phrases, or abbreviations that a reader might not understand the meaning of.
- Provide a definition or meaning in the first instance where the word, phrase, or abbreviation is used.
Note: this is not a WCAG AA requirement, but a best practice.
Images
Images
Meaningful images have alternative text and decorative images are hidden from screen readers.
- Select the image, pick Picture in the ribbon, select the Alt Text tab, then ensure that the description describes the meaning of the image.
- If the image is used for style or decoration and does not have any meaning, it does not need Alt Text. Instead, check “Mark as decorative” below the description field.
- If the image is too complex to describe in 140 characters or fewer (graphs, charts, diagrams, etc.), the description needs to be presented in the document, as close to the image as possible. See the University of Washington’s guidance on complex images.
Images of Text
Real text is used instead of images of text.
- Visually inspect the document for text that cannot be adjusted using the font settings.
- Unless the image is a logo or is otherwise essential, replace the image of text with real text.
Tables
Tables have logical structure.
- Visually inspect the table: it should be as simple as possible — no merged or split cells.
- Check to see if the first row is a header row
- Select first row, navigate to Table Design and confirm “Header Row” is selected.
- Review Table Properties:
- Select the first row of the table, right-click and select Table Properties. On the Row tab, make sure "Repeat as header row at the top of each page" is checked.
- Select the Alt Text tab. See if the Description field briefly summarizes the table's content.
Hyperlinks
The purpose of each link can be determined from the link text.
- Review the display text to ensure the hyperlinks have a clear and accurate description of the link destination. Avoid using “click here,” "read more," or “link.”
Color & Contrast
Color
Do not rely on color alone to convey meaning.
- Do a visual check for situations like these.
Text Contrast
Ensure appropriate color contrast so that content can be read by people with visual impairments.
- Review WebAIM's Contrast and Color Accessibility
- Visually inspect the text/background combinations, including images of text (except for logos, photographs, or where the text is incidental).
- If any look suspiciously low contrast, use the Colour Contrast Analyser or one of the evaluation methods suggested by WebAIM to verify whether the ratio meets WCAG 2.1 AA standards.
- 3:1 for 18-point font (14-point bold) or above.
- 4.5:1 for below 18-point font (14-point bold).
Graphical Contrast
Ensure appropriate color contrast of graphical elements so their meaning can be understood by people with visual impairments.
- The portions of graphics that are used to convey information (such as lines and bars on graphs, slices of a pie chart, and icons) have at least a 3:1 contrast ratio between itself and the background color.
- Logos, flags, pictures of real-life scenes, and graphics that represent other things (such as screenshots and biological schematic diagrams) are excluded from this requirement.
- Use the Colour Contrast Analyser to verify.
- See the Graphical Objects section of the WAI Understanding Non-Text Contrast page for examples
Instructions
Do not rely on visual or auditory cues alone to communicate instructions for use or understanding.
- Ensure that there is a text alternative that identifies elements referenced in instructions when those instructions rely on someone’s ability to see a component’s shape, size, or position, or hear a sound.
Lists
Lists are programmatically defined.
- Lists should be created using the bullet or numbered list features located in the Home ribbon > Paragraph section.
Flashing Content & Embedded Video or Audio
Flashing Content
No content flashes more than three times per second.
- Verify that videos and moving graphics (e.g., GIFs) do not flash or blink more than three times per second.
Embedded Video or Audio
Have appropriate text alternatives and audio descriptions.
- See Accessibility Guidance for Producing Video, Audio, and Multimedia Content for additional information.
Additional Resources
- Deque Document Accessibility: Microsoft Word Checklist
- Microsoft Word Best Practices for Accessibility: To find information on best practices, remediation of accessibility issues, and information on using the accessibility checker.
Required Training
If you create Word documents that will be used to deliver information related to a program, service, or activity at OSU, you must take at least one of the following trainings:
Credit
The OSU Digital Accessibility team would like to thank the following for sharing some of their digital accessibility best practices and guidance: OSU Engineering Technology Services, OSU Wexner Medical Center - Marketing and Strategic Communications, IT Accessibility at the University of Michigan, and University of Arkansas Explore Access.