Word

Create accessible documents with Microsoft Word

Overview

To create accessible documents with Microsoft Word, make sure that your content can be accessed and understood by everyone, regardless of their abilities. This means creating documents that are easy to read, navigate, and understand, and ensuring that they are compatible with assistive technologies such as screen readers. By making your documents more accessible, you can reach a wider audience and ensure that everyone can access and benefit from your content. 

To make your Word documents as accessible as possible, follow the core guidelines outlined in the General guidelines for accessible documents and use the built-in accessibility checker before you share the file.  

Accessibility resources for Word

Microsoft's accessibility documentation covers a range of important topics related to accessibility, including how to use headings, alternative text, and other features to make a document more inclusive. For a list of links that cover key accessibility topics in Microsoft's documentation, see below.

• Best practices for making Word documents accessible
• Check accessibility while you work in Word
• Avoid using tables
• Use built-in title, subtitle, and heading styles
• Create paragraph banners
• Add alt text to visuals
• Add accessible hyperlink text and ScreenTips
• Use accessible font format and color
• Create accessible lists
• Adjust space between sentences and paragraphs
• Test accessibility with Immersive Reader