[ARCHIVED] Word for Mac

[DaleDrees]

I am updating some accessibility documents that we have at our college that we use to train people on checking on accessibility and one of them centers on the Accessibility checker that Microsoft Word 2010 and higher has.

Seems to be a great tool for PC users but no so robust for MAC users? Does anyone have any good instructions/info (words of wisdom) on Word for Mac accessibility checking?

Webaim’s information

[silversn]

Hi Dale,

I use both PC and MAC for Word. I am currently on the newest release that recently came out and used the previous version for a long time.

The last version

I never really saw a difference in the capabilities with Word (Excel, yes). The tools and tool location were significantly different between the two platforms. Half the time the tool was in the ribbon and the other half were hidden in the tool bar but all of the tools I used I could find with a little work. I never had to move from one platform to another to accomplish what I was trying to do.

The Newest Version

I have only had it for about 3 weeks now. I have it on my PC and my Mac. When I installed it on my Mac I assumed I would have to once again find all the tools in different locations but that was far from the truth. The two interfaces look about the same, some differences in the icons but the same ribbon layout and navigation.

I hope this is what you were looking for and helps.

[jenn_stevens · Accepted solution]

Hi Dale,

Yeah, accessibility checker for Office 2011 does not exist, and so far the only accessibility improvement I've heard about for Office 2016 is "improved support for VoiceOver".

What we've been doing is using Office 2013 on a PC to run the accessibility check, add alt text, etc - not an ideal solution! I think maybe the only good advice to give for word on mac is the usual: use headings, high contrast colors, templates, etc.

This doesn't help your mac situation, but the most comprehensive and detailed info I've found on making Office accessible is from Karlen Communications: Accessible Document Design 2015 (PDF). There are other, shorter handouts available as well: Karlen Communications - Handouts!

Good luck!