Digital Accessibility

Headings

• Use built-in headings, starting with Title or Heading 1, and progress through Heading 2, Heading 3, etc. as you move downward in your content
• Choose View > Navigation Pane to open the navigation pane on the left side of your document. This will show the structure of your document's headings to ensure you have them set up appropriately.

Fonts and Formatting

• The best fonts distinguish between uppercase I (i), lowercase l (L), and number 1.
• Aptos (the new default font in Microsoft products), Arial, Calibri, Century Gothic, Helvetica, Tahoma, and Verdana are commonly recognized as accessible fonts.
• 12pt font size is a common starting point for accessibility, but the best size will depend on the context.
• Ensure adequate contrast between font color and background.
• Avoid placing important text in headers or footers as they are not visible except in Print Layout view and Print Preview.
• Use meaningful link text when creating links in your document.
• Ensure color is not the only method of conveying meaning or importance.

Lists

• Using bulleted or numbered lists makes your content more accessible.
• Avoid creating separate paragraphs between your connected bullets. This indicates that the list has ended even if it has not, and the list enumeration may develop errors.

Tables

• Tables can be difficult to navigate by screen reader or by keyboard. Avoid them if possible.
• If you need to use a table:
  • Use simple structures – no split cells, merged cells, or nested tables.
  • Specify column headers.
  • Remove blank rows or columns.

Alt Text for Images

• Add alt text for any images in your document.
• Access the “Alt Text” side panel by right clicking on an image and selecting “View Alt Text.”
• Edit the default AI-generated content.
• If the image is decorative, check the “Mark as decorative” box.

Accessibility Checker

• Accessibility Checker will identify missing alt text for images, color and contrast issues, table formatting, missing heading styles, and whether the document has restricted access.
• The Accessibility Checker can be found on the Review tab.

More Resources

It's usually best to avoid sharing digital content in PDF format, particularly for websites. These documents are well-suited to printed materials, but are not well-designed for viewing online.

• The layout of PDFs does not resize for mobile devices or magnified browser windows.
• PDFs are usually formatted vertically, while computer monitors are generally horizontal. This means users have to scroll more to see all of the content, which can be difficult for users with mobility impairments.
• The interface between a browser and a PDF is not consistent across platforms.
• It can be complicated and time consuming to remediate old PDFs. Changing the format to HTML, Word, or PowerPoint is preferred.

There are a few cases when PDF might be the best option, however:

• Content includes technical fonts or special characters
• Sheet music
• Page scans from a book or article - must be scanned or updated with OCR tools to make the text readable

Tools & Training

General Spreadsheet Accessibility

Tables & Sheets

• Keep to one table per sheet or tab. 
  • Each tab should have its own unique descriptive name.
• Make sure header rows and columns are designated and formatted accordingly.
• Include table summary in cell A1.
• Include “End of table” text after the table's last row.

Cell Content

• Make sure font sizes are accessible - minimum 12pt font.
• Make sure cell and font colors are accessible.
  • When using color to convey meaning, duplicate this information with text. Screen readers will not pick up on colored cells or text.
• Align text to the left.
• Align numbers to the right.

Things to Avoid

• Do not merge or split cells. This interferes with screen readers.
• Avoid blank columns, rows, cells, or tabs.
  • If blank cells are necessary, include an explanation, such as "intentionally left blank, go to next".
• Do not rely on a document header, footer, or watermark to convey information. These are not read by screen readers.
  • This information can be included the in the table summary in cell A1.

Microsoft Excel Tips

• Utilize Excel's accessible templates.
• Make sure the filename, workbook, and worksheet titles are descriptive.
• Use built-in style formatting for header rows and columns.
• Use the Chart Wizard to ensure that charts are fully accessible with alt text, colors, and patterns.
• Use the Accessibility Checker on the Review tab of Excel to find common errors like missing alt text and merged cells.
• Mark tables as named regions for optimal screen reader compatibility. (See Penn State Named Regions info.)
• Frozen rows & columns, filters, and pivot tables are fine to use!
• Convert to CSV or TSV if someone cannot access an Excel file format.

Tools & Training