Create an accessible Word document

Start with structure, not decoration

Write the outline before polishing the page. Give the document one descriptive title, then apply Word's built-in Heading 1, Heading 2, and Heading 3 styles in a logical order. A larger bold paragraph is only visual formatting; it does not create a navigable heading for a screen reader. Keep each heading specific enough to make sense in a list of headings, such as “Meeting agenda” or “Submit a project safety report,” rather than “Overview.”

Use real numbered and bulleted lists, not lines that begin with typed hyphens or numbers. Use a simple data table only when a table communicates relationships that prose cannot. Give it a header row, avoid merged or split cells, keep the layout flexible, and do not place a complete page layout inside a table. Put important information in the document body instead of hiding it only in a header or footer.

Make visuals, links, and color carry their meaning

Add alt text to an informative photo, chart, diagram, or screenshot. Describe the purpose and the information a reader needs, not every visible detail. Mark a purely decorative image as decorative. If a graphic contains essential words, repeat those words in nearby text instead of making the image the only copy. Use descriptive link text that still makes sense when someone scans links out of context: “Download the 2026 design standards (Word)” is useful; “click here” is not.

Do not communicate an approval state, deadline, or safety condition with color alone. Add a word, symbol with a text label, or a heading. Check contrast for text and meaningful graphics, avoid excessive all-caps and italics, and leave enough white space for zoom and magnification. Before exporting, accept or resolve tracked changes and comments that should not be public, and make sure the final filename and document title identify the same publication.

Use the checker that matches your Word version

Microsoft documents the Accessibility Checker for Word on Windows, macOS, and the web, although command names and their locations can differ. In desktop Word, look under Review > Check Accessibility or use the accessibility status message. Word for the web exposes the same goal through its accessibility tools while you edit online. The newer Accessibility Assistant described by Microsoft is currently a Windows-only Word feature, so do not assume a Mac or browser user will see the same pane.

1. Run the checker on the final draft and open every result, including warnings and tips.
2. Fix the source: apply a heading style, add alt text, simplify a table, or rewrite a link.
3. Save, close, and reopen the file. Check the Navigation Pane, zoom to 200%, and move through the document with the keyboard.
4. If the document will become a PDF, export from the structured source and continue with the accessible PDF checks; a Word checker result does not certify the PDF.

Know when to hand off

Ask an accessibility specialist to review a complex form, multi-level table, chart with a dense data story, diagram with relationships, template with fields, or document that will be reused in many versions. Include the editable source, intended audience, output formats, and a short list of decisions already made. The reviewer should test the actual file with keyboard navigation and an assistive technology, not only inspect a screenshot.

Keep a small change note with the file: date, source application and version, checker results, manual tests, unresolved barriers, and the person responsible for the next review. That record makes the next meeting packet or report easier to repair without starting over.