Accessibility Checker Office 365 - Information Guide

Accessibility Checker

Open the Accessibility Checker every time you open a document in Word!

In the Ribbon select the Review tab

(In Outlook, the Review tab is visible in the email message ribbon)

Select Check Accessibility
The Accessibility Checker Pane opens showing the Inspection Results
If there are NO Accessibility issues you will receive a green check mark

If your document has an Error, Warning or Tip, the result(s) will show in the Inspection Results window
Select an item in the list to see Additional Information with Why Fix and Steps to Fix listed below:
Select the dropdown next to the item to open Recommended Actions

Check Accessibility while you Work

To be notified of accessibility issues in your document as you continue working on it, tick the Keep accessibility checker running while I work check box.

The Accessibility Checker pane with the "Keep accessibility checker running while I work" checkbox

This adds the Accessibility button to your status bar and keeps track of accessibility issues in real time. You can open the Accessibility Checker whenever you want by selecting the status bar button.

Accessibility Checker shown running in the status bar

Images

Missing Alt Text - Error

Select the Image in the Accessibility Checker Results Box
Select the dropdown to open Recommended Actions
Type a short description explaining its meaning into the Description field
If image does not add meaning, select Mark as decorative in the Actions list

or Check the box next to Mark as decorative

Objects Not Inline - Warning

Select the Item in the Accessibility Checker Inspections Results Box
Select the dropdown next to the item
Select Place this inline
or Select Mark as decorative

Tables

Avoid using tables unless information cannot be formatted any other way.

Insert Table:

Choose Insert from the Ribbon > Insert Table
Errors will immediately indicate “Missing Alt Text” and “No Header Row Specified”
Add the Alt Text and Header Row

Missing Alt Text - Error

Select the Table in the Accessibility Checker Results Box
Right click the Table > click Properties > Alt Text
Type a Description in the Description box describing the content. OK

The ALT Text Description should be limited to 100 characters.

Title: Screen shot of Adding alt text to a table - Description: Screen shot of Adding alt text to a table

No Header Row Specified - Error

Select the Table in the Accessibility Checker Results Box
Highlight the first row (a column cannot be a header)
Click Layout > Repeat Header Rows

Screen shot of adding header row to a table

Identifies the Header Row so that Header appears on each new page

Uncheck “Allow row to break across pages” so that row information stays together

Screen shot of Insert new table

Blank Table Rows or Columns - Warning

Select the Table in the Accessibility Checker Results Box
Place cursor in the column or row to be deleted.
Select Table Tools Tab > Layout Sub-Tab > Rows & Columns Group
Select the appropriate Delete option

Screen shot of removing blank rows and/or columns in a table

Merged or Split Cells - Warning

Select the Table Cell in the Accessibility Checker Results Box
Split the cells

Check Reading Order - Tip

Verify by tabbing through cells to be sure that the information is presented in an order that makes sense. This Tip will only appear if you have a table “normal”.

Note: This Tip will stay in your Accessibility Checker

Table Styles

An Accessible Table (default in Word): A Screen Reader tells the user it’s a Table, how many columns and rows there are and reads the description, then the information from left to right.

Fix Checker Issues: Checker Results:

Screen shot of Tip "Grid Table" in the Accessibility Checker Title: Screenshot of a Green Checkmark in the Checker Inspection Results - Description: Screenshot of a Green Checkmark in the Checker Inspection Results

Table without styles: A Screen Reader may or may not inform user there’s a Table. Reader will start reading the table from left to right.

Checker Results stay – will not receive green checkmark:

Screen shot of Tip "Normal Table" in the Accessibility Checker

Check a Table that was Copied & Pasted from another document:

If only “Tips” are showing in the Checker; (ok for data only)
Select the table and choose “Table Grid” in the Design tab

Title: Screenshot showing the Table Grid Selected - Description: Screenshot showing the Table Grid Selected

Fix any Errors/Warnings (add alt text & header row)
Add desired styles (left/center/right; colours; spacing…)

Accessible Template - Tables: GC_104551

Apply Headings using Styles in the Home Tab

Select text or put your curser in the line of text
In the Home tab > Styles section, select the Heading you wish to apply
Clicking on each Heading in your document will highlight the corresponding Heading in the Styles menu

Title: screen shot of heading styles in word - Description: screen shot of heading styles in word

Heading Styles

Use Headings in the correct numerical order:

Normal: Use for content in the document

Title: Use as the Title or Name of the document
(does not appear in Table of Contents)

Heading 1: Main section headings
Heading 2: First subsection in a main section
Heading 3: Next subsection under Heading 2… and so on….

You may restart your Heading numbers throughout the document without skipping numbers in between.

Use Headings to Create Table of Contents

Making your text bold and increasing the font size is not the proper way to create a Heading and will not give you the added benefit of creating a quick Table of Contents and navigating through a document.

Proper Headings are also required to create accessible documents.

Use Headings to Create Table of Contents
Use Headings to Create Accessible documents
Use Headings to Navigate through a Document using the Navigation Pane

Create Table of Contents

Place cursor in your document where you want to create the table of contents
In Ribbon Select References Tab
In the Table of Contents section, select a Built-In style
Table of Contents is added using the Heading styles you used in the document

Title: screen shot of table of contents choices in word - Description: screen shot of table of contents choices in word

Update Table of Contents

Select the table
Click Update Table in upper left corner
Click Update Entire Table or Page Numbers only

Title: screen shot of update table of contents in word - Description: screen shot of update table of contents in word

Additional Errors, Warnings and Tips

Unstructured Document – Error or Infrequent Headings - Warning

Not enough headings in document
Select text or put your curser in the line of text
Go to menu item: Home
In the Styles section, select the Heading you wish to apply

Note: It is helpful to have a heading at least every two pages, in your document.

Screen shot of how to add heading styles in a document

Unclear Hyperlink Text - Warning

Select the Hyperlink > Right Click and choose > Hyperlink
Insert URL into Address box
In the Text to display box, type a phrase that briefly describes the link destination > Click OK.

Example: Welcome to our kitchen! Find dog treat recipes for treats and snacks.

Screen shot of how to change a hyperlink url to text

*If you create a Word document that may be both printed, and read electronically, you may want to include the URL and a description in the link text. County Website - www.grey.ca

Heading is too Long - Warning

Try to avoid long headings; use plain and concise language.
Sometimes unavoidable in Government documents
Screen Reader Users will listen to list of Headings before reading a document

Skipped Heading Level - Tip

Select the heading text you want to change.
On the Home tab, in the Styles group, choose the correct heading style.
Use at least one heading every two pages in the correct order

Text Boxes Not Inline - Warning

Select the Text Box in the Accessibility Checker Results Box
Right-click > Click Wrap Text, and then click In Line With Text

JAWS will not read the contents of a Text Box and the
Accessibility Checker will not indicate an error for missing alt text

To make a Text Box Accessible:

Right Click > Format Shape > Alt Text: Paste same info from text box

Screen shot of adding alt text to a text box

Copy / Paste from another Document

When copying and pasting from another document containing different styles, a small clipboard icon appears at the end of your selection if you hover over that area. Choose the option that will inherit the default word styles.

Screen shot of the clipboard that appears when copying and pasting from another document showing the various formating styles Scree

Repeated Blank Characters - Warning

Select the “# Characters” in the Accessibility Checker Results Box
Remove any existing whitespace around the paragraph.
Select text > right-click > select Paragraph > Indents and Spacing tab

Screen shot of how to fix blank characters in your document

Spacing

Click on a single line to add or remove line spacing; highlight a paragraph or list of paragraphs to change spacing. To add spacing between lines, choose desired height; 1.0, 1.15, etc.

Don’t use default tabs to create columns; use tab stops.

Title: Screen shot example of Spacing

Add Document Title before Saving as a PDF

Select File
Info
Beneath Properties on the Right hand side
Add a Title (Name of Document)

Screenshot of steps to add a document title

Document Title field

Add Accessibility Checker Icon to Home Ribbon

File > Options > Customize Ribbon > All Commands

Make sure Main Tabs - Home is highlighted)

Click on New Group under Main Tabs box
A New Group (Custom) will be added to the list (highlighted)

Right Click on the New Group > Rename (Checker)

Click on Accessibility Checker > Select Add > Click OK

Compatibility

Open the document through Word 2010 (Document will be in “Compatibility Mode” )
Choose: File > Info > Convert > Pop-up window “OK” à Document will Reappear
Choose: File > Info > check for Issues > Check Accessibility

Screen shot of the convert icon to change the compatibility mode in a document

The Checker will not work when the document is in Compatibility Mode.