The awareness and implementation of accessibility features within mainstream technology has been growing over the years, and Microsoft has recently made some big improvements to the overall accessibility of their products. Today we are going to talk about one of those newer features, the Microsoft 365 Accessibility checker. This tool is available to individuals using Outlook, Word, Excel, OneNote, PowerPoint, and Visio, and it visible to web users as well as those using the full version of the app on PC or Mac.

If you haven’t seen this tool in action yet, it functions a lot like the spell check feature. Once activated, it’ll identify potential accessibility issues such as lack of color contrast, alt-text issues, lack of styles/headings, etc., and then the tool will help you fix any issues that are identified. Not only that, but the accessibility checker gives you the rationale as to why the change needs to be made, which is a great way for able bodied or neurotypical users to learn more about accessibility and disabilities.

Let’s take a closer look at the steps involved to use this tool:

1. Using Outlook, Word, Excel, OneNote, PowerPoint, or Visio, select the Review tab. With outlook, this is only visible when composing or replying to a message.
2. Click on the top half of the Accessibility button to run the inspector, and the bottom half of the button to select other accessibility related options such as focus mode, navigation pane, etc.
3. On the accessibility pane on the right, any potential accessibility issues will be identified.
4. Select an issue to have the list expand and learn more about this issue.
5. Click on the recommended action and address any changes that need to be made. Typically, this is a one-click fix, but you may need to make your own adjustments for certain issues.
6. To fix the issue, select the down arrow to open the Recommended Actions list.
7. For older versions of the app, the accessibility check may be located under the review tab. Instead, go File> Info and then select “Check for issues”.

For more information on Microsoft’s Accessibility Checker, including general tips and lessons for better accessibility, click here.

This post originally appeared on the AT Help Desk website.

Tags: apps, assistive technology, AT HelpDesk, Atlantic Regional Office