Checklist for Word Docs

Digital documents, including Word Docs, used at U-M are required to meet digital accessibility standards and provide equitable access for people with disabilities.

Use the table below as a reference for requirements that usually apply to digital documents, and how to meet them.

Check existing documents by using testing information below the checklist.

Area Requirement Manual Testing
Media

Meaningful images have alternative text.

Video has captions.
  • Word 2016: Select the image, select Format > Picture > Layout & Properties tab > Alt Text, ensure that both the title and description duplicate in text the meaning of the image.
  • Office 365: Select the image, pick Picture in the ribbon, select the Alt Text tab, then ensure that both the title and description duplicate in text the meaning of the image.
Color Do not rely on color alone to convey meaning. Do a visual check for situations like these.
Contrast Ensure appropriate color contrast so that content can be read by people with visual impairments. Visually inspect the text/background combinations. If any look suspiciously low contrast, use one of the evaluation methods suggested by WebAIM to verify whether the ratio meets WCAG 2.1 AA standards.
Structure The document has a logical structure using properly implemented headings. 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.
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, then right-click on it and select Table Properties. On the Table Properties > Row tab, make sure "Repeat as header row at the top of each page" is checked.
  • Check to see if the table has alternate text:
    • Also in Table Properties, select the Alt Text tab. See if the Description field has text meaningfully and briefly summarizing the nature of the table's content.
Index Long documents have a table of contents. If the document goes over 4 pages, there is a table of contents present in the document at the beginning.

Testing

To check your document, use the built-in accessibility checker and manual checks. The automated checker will find and correct most issues, and manual testing will find issues that can't be tested by automated tools.

Automated Testing

Run the Microsoft Accessibility Checker and apply recommended fixes.

Manual Testing

See the Manual Testing column of the checklist table above for manual tests.