Microsoft document compliance checklist

Below are questions to help you assess the accessibility of your Microsoft 365 document: Word, Excel, or PowerPoint. We provide the Success Criteria in reference with WCAG 2.1: How to Meet WCAG - Quick Reference and the Canada.ca Content Style Guide.

Remember to answer NA (not applicable) if a question is not relevant to your document. For example, there is no table of content in Excel documents.

If you answer ‘No’ to one of the following questions, then your document IS NOT accessible.

General

• Are document Properties filled out properly (title, author, subject)? (2.4.2: Page Titled)
• Is the language of the document properly set? (3.1.1: Language of Page)
• Is the document free from content such as comments, track changes, and highlight? (1.3.1: Info and Relationships)
• Is the order of the content accurate and logical (instructions or introduction first)? (1.3.2: Meaningful Sequence)
• Is the document free from electronically fillable forms? (3.3.2: Labels or Instructions)
• Can all the text be resized and still be considered readable when magnified to 200%? (1.4.4: Resize Text)
• Does the readability grade level meet the target audience: up to grade 8 for public audience and up to grade 10 for internal to ESDC?
• Are all acronyms provided in full words (or spelled out) the first time they are used in the document? (3.1.4: Abbreviations)
• Is the spacing between lines of text a minimum of 1.5? (1.4.12: Text Spacing)
• Is the text free of any tabs or spaces to align or centre the text? Use the feature indent and spacing of the paragraph instead.
• Is the text aligned left or right, and never justified (aligned on both sides)?
• Is the text free of empty new lines or hard returns to create space between the paragraphs? Use page break or before and after paragraph option instead.
• Use italics only as recommended by the Canada.ca Content Style Guide.
• Use Strong paragraph style text and only for certain words and short phrases not full sentences or paragraphs.
• Use only sans-serif styles like Verdana, Tahoma, Arial, Helvetica.

Colour

• Does any information conveyed with color have a non-color method for understanding (is the information available when you remove the colors)? (1.4.1: Use of Color)
• Do all non-text objects like graphs or drawings (with the exception of logos and photographs) have a contrast ratio of 3:1 or greater? (1.4.3: Contrast (Minimum))

Links

• Are links identified using the Hyperlink paragraph style? (1.4.1: Use of Color)
• Do hyperlinks provide link text that identifies the purpose of the link without needing additional context? (2.4.4: Link Purpose)
• Does generic link text have sufficient context (not using the words Link or click here)? (2.4.4: Link Purpose (In Context))
• Are all links properly linked (no broken links)?

Images

• Do all informational images have alt text that provides the same level of understanding a visual user would gain? (1.1.1: Non-text Content)
• Are all decorative images marked decorative (containing “ ” or the word “decorative” in the alt text field)? (1.1.1: Non-text Content)
• Are multi-layered objects grouped into one object and appropriate alternative text applied, if required? (1.1.1: Non-text Content)
• Do complex informational (not decorative) images have an alternate accessible means of understanding (usually a long description or caption)? (1.1.1: Non-text Content)
• Is the document free from any content that should not be included as an image? (Picture of a table with text, image of text) (1.4.5: Images of Text)
• Is the document free from content that flashes more than 3 times per second? (2.3.1: Three Flashes or Below Threshold)

Tables

• Were tables created with the built in table styles (not with spaces or indent)? (1.3.1: Info and Relationships)
• Does the table structure match the visual table layout (simple layout structure – no merged or split cells)? (1.3.1: Info and Relationships)
• Do all tables have defined header row(s) and/or header column(s)? (1.3.1: Info and Relationships)
• Is the document free from tables used for content that is not a data (tables used for layout only)? (1.3.1: Info and Relationships)
• Is the document free from data tables with merged cells, both column and row header cells? (1.3.1: Info and Relationships)

Lists

• Does the document contain only lists built with list styles? (1.3.1: Info and Relationships)
• Are multiple lists in the same document properly organized (grouped or at levels)? (1.3.1: Info and Relationships)

Headings

• Is all text that acts as a visual heading marked with the proper heading style? (1.3.1: Info and Relationships)
• Do headings follow a logical hierarchical progression? (for example, H1-H2-H3) (1.3.1: Info and Relationships)
• Are all the headings visually modified via the heading style? (1.3.1: Info and Relationships)
• Does the heading text accurately describe the following content? (2.4.6: Headings and Labels)
• Does the document contain a heading style for each section? (2.4.6: Headings and Labels)
• Does the Navigation pane from the View menu show all the headings, and nothing more (including no empty lines)?

Other elements

• Is the table of contents (TOC) generated with the built in office styles? (1.3.1: Info and Relationships)
• Are citations and footnotes/endnotes created with the built in office styles? (1.3.1: Info and Relationships)
• Is the language properly set for the corresponding language of words or phrases? (3.1.2: Language of Parts)
• Is information in the header, footer, watermark, speaker notes, etc. available in the main body of the document (except page numbering)? (1.3.1: Info and Relationships)