DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES
OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY ACCESSIBILITY PROGRAM
Microsoft Excel Accessibility Reference
➔ Designing Tables
Good table design follows some basic principles.
• Use one (1) table per worksheet.
• Keep table structure simple with each data cell.
associated to only one (1) row and/or column header.
This includes avoiding merged cells.
o Alternative: Split complex tables into multiple
simple tables.
• Do not use spaces or TAB stops to simulate structure.
• Remove blank rows and columns. Instead, increase the
width to increase white space.
• Avoid blank cells, especially table header cells.
• Avoid placing paragraph text around tables.
➔ Mark Data Cells as a Table
1. Highlight the cells that are to be a table.
2. Navigate to the Insert ribbon and activate Table within
the Tables group.
3. In the Create Table dialog, confirm
the My table has headers checkbox
is checked.
4. Navigate to and activate OK.
➔ Repeat Table Headers on Each Page
1. Navigate to Page Layout > Page Setup group > Print
Titles.
2. Confirm the Sheet tab is active in the Page Setup dialog.
3. Under Print titles, choose which Rows to repeat at top
and which Columns to repeat at left.
4. Navigate to and activate OK.
➔ Protecting Data
Worksheet restrictions can be necessary but it is important that
all users have access to the cells.
1. On the Review ribbon, in the Protect
group select Protect Sheet.
2. In the Protect Sheet dialog, confirm
Select Locked Cells and Select
Unlocked cells are checked in the
Allow all users of this worksheet to
section.
3. Navigate to and activate OK.
➔ Illuminate with Color and Contrast
Using color sensibly will ensure that content is appealing and
accessible.
1. Color cannot be the only means of visually conveying
information or prompting a response. Textured patterns
(to represent data sets) or textual representation (i.e. an
asterisk [*]) must be included to distinguish content.
2. Confirm sufficient contrast is provided between the
foreground and background colors. A minimum contrast
ratio of 4.5:1 is required. Use the Font Color picker from
the Home ribbon to choose an appropriate color against
the background.
➔ Style Sections as Headings
Headings indicate a new content section. Headings show the
hierarchy of content in the document. Utilize one of Excel’s four
heading levels while keeping in mind to a) limit the use of
Heading 1 and b) when possible use headings sequentially.
1. Highlight the cell that contains the desired phrase.
2. Navigate to the Home ribbon and locate the Styles pane
Microsoft Excel Accessibility Reference
3. Select Heading 1 – Heading 4 for the phrase respective
to its hierarchy in the document.
➔ Add Descriptions to Graphics
Alternate (ALT) text should be added to pictures, clip art, charts,
and shapes. Keep ALT text to 250 characters or less.
Note: Complex images, such as organizational charts and data
graphs, require text alternatives be provided. Users must be
directed to the additional description.
1. Pre-step for Complex Images: For
an image made of multiple pieces,
select all the pieces and activate
the context menu (or right click) to
select Group > Group.
2. Activate the context menu of (or
right click) the image or object and
activate Format Picture (or
Format Shape).
3. Navigate to Layout & Properties
> Alt Text.
4. Provide the purpose of the image or object in the
Description field.
➔ Inject Hyperlinks
Ensure the link text sufficiently describes the purpose of the link.
1. From Insert > Links group, activate Hyperlink to open
the Insert Hyperlink dialog.
2. In the Text to display field, type a phrase that describes
the link’s purpose.
3. Place the URL in the Address field.
4. Navigate to and activate OK.
➔ Give Worksheets Unique Names
Sheet names provide information about what is the purpose of
the worksheet. Blank sheets in a workbook should be removed.
1. Navigate to a worksheet tab and activate the context
menu (or right-click) and select Rename.
2. Type a brief, unique name that is descriptive of the sheet
contents.
➔ Title the Document
Document titles assist users in identifying the desired document.
1. Navigate to and select File > Info > Properties
2. Select Advanced Properties > Summary
3. Enter a meaningful title in the Title field.
4. Optional: Enter an Author (i.e. organization name)
5. Navigate to and activate OK.
➔ Perform a High Level Accessibility Check
Use the Check Accessibility feature to check items that can be
automatically reviewed. Manual inspection is required in order to
perform a full accessibility check.
1. Navigate to File > Info > Check for Issues
> Check Accessibility
2. Locate and confirm the Accessibility
Checker pane opens with results.
3. Select an issue to see Additional Information and steps
to resolve the issue. Note: False positives are possible.
Instructions based on Microsoft Office 2016.
