How to make Word documents accessible

Written content

Use clear, accessible writing so people can quickly find and understand your information.

Write document content people can read

The simpler your content is to read, the easier it is for people to understand and use, and the fewer questions or complaints you'll receive.

Make your content simple and structured so everyone can understand it quickly.

Do:

structure content so information is easy to find
write in plain English – use simple words and avoid jargon
use headings and links correctly – make them clear and descriptive
providing text alternatives to non-text content, such as alt text for informative images or a short website address (URL) alongside a QR code

Learn more about how to write accessible web content.

Show text as text, not images

Avoid using images to show important text. Always provide content as real text.

Examples of unnecessary “images of text” include:

the contents of a post from social media
complex infographics or flow charts
a quote

If you must use an image with text, include the same text as real content nearby.

It is okay for an image to include text if the text is decorative or not the main focus.

Use bulleted and numbered lists

Lists make content easier to read and help group important information.

We use two main types of lists:

Bulleted (or unordered) lists
Numbered (or ordered) lists

Learn how to write and structure different types of lists in content.

Making lists accessible in Word

Always use Word’s built-in list tools to create lists. This ensures they:

are structured consistently
are tagged so assistive technologies read them correctly (for example, a screen reader will announce a list, the number of items, and when the list ends)
can be understood by AI tools and other digital software

Do not manually create lists using dashes, numbers, or spaces.

If you change the visual styling of bullets, make sure the styling is consistent throughout the document.

Microsoft Support has more guidance on how to create lists:

Add spacing between list items using Word’s Paragraph tool

Do not create spacing between list items by using the Enter key to insert empty line spaces. This can confuse screen readers and cause them to read each bullet as a new list.

Instead, add spacing between list items using Word’s Paragraph tool:

Highlight your list.
Go to Home, Paragraph, Line and paragraph spacing, then Line Spacing Options.
In the Indents and Spacing tab, adjust the Before and After fields.
Ensure “Don’t add space between paragraphs of the same style” is unticked.

Check written content

Check your document content using manual and automated methods.

Manual checks

Test your content with real users who are unfamiliar with the topic. Ask if the content is clear and easy to follow.

Automated checks

Use Word’s built-in tools in the Review tab:

Check Accessibility – checks text contrast, image alt text, tables, and document structure.
Editor (Insights, then Document Stats) – checks grammar, spelling, style, clarity, and reading level.

We explain how Word's reading level checker works in our page Write using plain English.

Do not rely solely on automated tools. They may not catch all accessibility issues, such as colour contrast in images. You must do manual checks too.

For a full list of manual checks, go to our checklist for Word.