How to check Word, PowerPoint and Excel files for accessibility
Word, PowerPoint and Excel have a built-in Accessibility Checker: select Review → Check Accessibility and Office lists errors, warnings and tips for the open file, such as images without alt text, tables without header rows and slides without titles. It catches common problems quickly, but it tests a limited set of rules, so a few manual checks are still needed.
Updated October 14, 2026 · 4 min read · How we write and check our guides
Pandus checks web pages, not Office documents; this page explains how to check the documents yourself. Facts come from Microsoft's support pages, checked on 14 October 2026.
Where to find the Accessibility Checker
| Where | How to open it |
|---|---|
| Windows (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) | Review → Check Accessibility; in older versions File → Info → Check for Issues → Check Accessibility |
| Mac (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) | Review → Check Accessibility |
| Microsoft 365 on the web | Review → Check Accessibility |
| Outlook | While writing a message: Review → Check Accessibility (Windows) or Options → Check accessibility (web) |
The results pane groups findings into errors, warnings and tips. Select a finding to jump to it; the pane explains why it matters and how to fix it.
What it checks
From Microsoft's list of rules for the Accessibility Checker:
| Rule | Level | Applies to |
|---|---|---|
| All non-text content has alternative text | Error | Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook |
| Tables specify column header information | Error | Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook |
| All slides have titles | Error | PowerPoint |
| Cells don't use red-only formatting for negative numbers | Error | Excel |
| Document access is not restricted | Error | Word, Excel, PowerPoint |
| Table has a simple structure (no merged, split or nested cells) | Warning | Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook |
| Sheet tabs have meaningful names | Warning | Excel |
| Sufficient contrast between text and background | Warning | Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook |
| Closed captions are included for audio and video | Warning | PowerPoint |
| The reading order of objects on a slide is logical | Warning | PowerPoint |
| Documents use heading styles | Tip | Word, Outlook |
| Slide titles in a deck are unique | Tip | PowerPoint |
What the checker cannot judge
- Meaningful alt text. It sees that alt text exists, not whether "image1.png" describes the chart.
- Headings that make sense. It suggests heading styles; it cannot tell whether the outline matches the content.
- Clear links. "Click here" passes; a link text should say where it goes.
- Plain language and colour meaning. Information shown only by colour, other than Excel's red negative numbers, is up to you.
- Exported files. A PDF made from the document needs its own check: see how to check PDF accessibility.
A short manual checklist
- Use the built-in heading styles in Word and the title placeholder on every slide.
- Write alt text that says what the image means; mark purely decorative images as decorative.
- Give tables a header row and avoid merged cells; in Excel, name every sheet tab.
- Check text contrast against WCAG — 4.5:1 for normal text — with our contrast checker, or every brand colour pair at once with the palette contrast checker.
- Set the document language and fill in the title in the file properties.
- Read the document with the keyboard only and, if possible, a screen reader such as NVDA or Narrator.
Which rules apply to documents
In the EU, EN 301 549 chapter 10 applies WCAG-based requirements to non-web documents such as Word and PDF files. In the US, the Revised Section 508 Standards apply WCAG 2.0 A and AA to the electronic content of federal agencies, documents included; see our Section 508 page. A document offered on a website is also part of that website for its visitors. This is general information, not legal advice.
Where Pandus helps — and where not
Pandus checks the web pages of your site every week: the page that offers the document, its link text, the page language and everything else on it. It does not open Word, PowerPoint or Excel files. For the documents, use the Office checker and the list above.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the Accessibility Checker in Word?
On Windows, Mac and the web, select Review, then Check Accessibility. In older Windows versions it is under File, Info, Check for Issues, Check Accessibility. The same command exists in PowerPoint and Excel.
Does the Office Accessibility Checker check colour contrast?
Yes, as a warning: the rule "Sufficient contrast between text and background" applies in Word, PowerPoint, Excel and Outlook. For exact ratios of a colour pair, use a contrast checker.
Is a document accessible when the checker finds no issues?
Not necessarily. The checker tests a limited set of rules. Whether alt text is meaningful, headings make sense, links are clear and the reading order is logical needs a person.
Does Pandus check Word, PowerPoint or Excel files?
No. Pandus checks web pages. It does not open documents linked from those pages; use the Accessibility Checker in Office and the manual checks on this page.
Sources
- Microsoft, Improve accessibility with the Accessibility Checker: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/improve-accessibility-with-the-accessibility-checker-a16f6de0-2f39-4a2b-8bd8-5ad801426c7f
- Microsoft, Rules for the Accessibility Checker: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/rules-for-the-accessibility-checker-651e08f2-0fc3-4e10-aaca-74b4a67101c1
- US Access Board, Revised Section 508 Standards: https://www.access-board.gov/ict/
- ETSI, EN 301 549: https://www.etsi.org/human-factors-accessibility/en-301-549-v3-the-harmonized-european-standard-for-ict-accessibility