Using the Word Accessibility Checker

Open the Accessibility Checker:

Go to the Review tab.

1. Click on Check Accessibility.
2. Review the Inspection Results:
   • The Accessibility pane will open on the right side of the screen.
   • You’ll see a list of errors, warnings, and tips.
3. Fix Issues:
   • Click on each issue to see more details and recommended actions.
   • Follow the instructions to fix the issues, such as adding alt text to images or ensuring proper heading structure.
     
     

Microsoft Support: Improve accessibility with the Accessibility Checker (includes screenshots)

Using the Adobe Acrobat Accessibility Checker

There are various options within the Accessibility checker list, at the very least, use Automatically tag PDF and the Check for Accessibility as these should catch most of the issues making your document inaccessible. 

Open the Accessibility Checker:

Go to All Tools > locate Prepare for Accessibility.

1. Automatically tag PDF - this is one of the biggest hang-ups in making PDFs accessible (more info on PDF tags)
2. Run Check for Accessibility
   1. Configure Check Options:
      • Choose the types of checks you want to perform (e.g., document, forms, tables).
      • Click Start Checking.
   2. Review the Report:
      • The Accessibility Checker panel will display the results.
      • Issues will be categorized as needs manual check, passed, or failed.
   3. Fix Issues:
      • Click on each issue to see more details.
      • Use the Fix button or follow the instructions to manually correct the issues.
      • Common fixes include adding tags to the document, setting the reading order, and adding alt text to images.

Adobe Acrobat: Create and verify PDF accessibility (Acrobat Pro)

Document Accessibility Best Practices:

• Use built-in heading styles.
• Add alt text to all images.
• Ensure sufficient color contrast.
• Avoid using tables for layout purposes
• Tag all content properly.
• Ensure PDF forms are accessible.