Microsoft Word Document Accessibility Testing Checklist

Perform the following accessibility checks to ensure your Word documents are accessible.

Overview

The following accessibility checks are phrased as yes/no questions; a “Yes” response means the document or content passes the check, while a “No” response means an accessibility issue is present and should be remediated.

Accessibility checks are categorized by the level of skill required to perform the check. Level 1 checks are the simplest to perform, while level 4 checks require more advanced skills.   Each level builds from the checks in the previous level. Digital content creators can develop their accessibility skills by learning how to perform more advanced checks. 

• Level 1: Run automated tests and fix any errors found
• Level 2: Manual verification of visible content
• Level 3: Manual verification of document properties
• Level 4: Preparing to finalize 

Level 1: Test with Automated Tools and Fix Findings

• Was the automated accessibility checker or accessibility assistant used?
• Were any errors found fixed? 

Accessibility Assistant Overview for Microsoft Word, PowerPoint and Excel Documents   Instructions for How to Use the Accessibility Assistant for Microsoft Office Documents  

Level 2: Check Visible Content and Fix Findings  

• Is there only one Heading 1 present?
• Are all headings in order and nested properly using Styles?
• Are headings clear and descriptive?
• Is all header content in the main body of the document for the first occurrence of the header with additional headers and footers marked as decorative?
• Are the font choices clear, legible, and do they adhere to font size recommendations (12 pts minimum)?
• Are sans serif fonts used for the body text?
• Is all hyperlink text unique and descriptive?
• Is the use of color only to indicate meaning avoided?
• Do all images have meaningful alt text and graphics irrelevant to the content set as decorative?
• Do all tables have a header row and/or a header column?
• Are tables avoided for visual formatting of content? 

Level 3: Check Document Properties and Fix Findings

• Does the document contain proper metadata (e.g., title, language)?
• Is plain language used, avoiding jargon, and spelling out abbreviations the first time they’re used?
• Is directional and/or sensory language avoided (e.g., “the image to the right” or “the blue icon”)?
• Is the content visible in high contrast mode and dark theme?
• Are images of text avoided?
• Are emojis or other non-standard symbols avoided for bulleted and numbered lists?
• Are all tables simple with no merged, split, or empty cells or multiple header rows?
• Does each table have a descriptive caption or associated title?
• Does the color contrast between text and background, link text and background, and graphics and background meet 4.5:1 for text and 3:1 for large text and images minimum contrast requirements? 

Level 4: Preparation and Final Steps 

• Are all images inline with no text wrapping?
• Are text alternatives provided for complex charts and graphs?
• Are excessive carriage returns or line breaks avoided to create white space between paragraphs or sections?
• Are graphics clear and understandable in grayscale?
• Is “print to PDF” avoided when saving or exporting the document?
• Is language translation provided for critical information? 

Downloads

Additional Resources

Digital Accessibility Fundamentals  Video Accessibility  Microsoft 365 Accessibility Demonstration   How to format text content for accessibility  Making Accessible Word Documents for PDF Export