Office 2024 Accessibility Improvements Explained

Accessible documents are easier for everyone to read, understand and navigate. They are especially important for people who use screen readers, keyboard navigation, magnification, captions or other assistive technologies.

Microsoft has improved accessibility across Office 2024 and Office LTSC 2024. The updates affect common tasks in Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook, from checking documents for problems to exporting more accessible PDFs.

The improvements do not automatically make every file accessible. Authors still need to use clear headings, descriptive links, alternative text and logical reading order. However, Office 2024 provides better tools for finding and correcting common barriers.

Need a one-time Office licence? Browse our Office 2024 product keys.

What Is Digital Accessibility?

Digital accessibility means designing files and communications so that people with different abilities can use them successfully.

An accessible Office file may include:

Proper heading styles
Alternative text for meaningful images
Sufficient colour contrast
Descriptive hyperlink text
Clear table headers
A logical reading order
Captions for audio and video
Meaning that does not depend on colour alone

These practices help people using screen readers, voice control, keyboard navigation, magnification and other assistive tools.

They can also make documents clearer for mobile users, people working in poor lighting and readers with temporary injuries or visual fatigue.

Improved Accessibility Ribbon

One of the most useful Office 2024 improvements is easier access to accessibility tools.

In supported Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook editions, the Accessibility Ribbon brings important commands into one place.

Depending on the application, it can help users:

Run the Accessibility Checker
Add or review alternative text
Check document structure
Review table accessibility
Adjust reading order
Work with captions
Identify contrast and formatting issues

This is helpful because accessibility settings were previously spread across several menus.

The Ribbon does not replace good document design, but it makes the required tools easier to find during normal work.

Accessibility Checker

The Accessibility Checker reviews a file and identifies problems that could make the content difficult to use.

It is available in Office applications including:

Word
Excel
PowerPoint
Outlook
OneNote

The checker may flag issues such as:

Missing alternative text
Unclear hyperlink text
Tables without headers
Difficult slide-reading order
Insufficient colour contrast
Empty headings
Repeated blank characters
Content that is difficult for screen readers to interpret

To run it in a supported Office 2024 app:

Open the document, workbook, presentation or email.
Select Review.
Choose Check Accessibility.
Review the issues and recommendations.
Correct each relevant problem.

The checker can reduce mistakes, but it cannot judge every design decision. A human review is still important before publishing or sharing important content.

Better Accessible PDF Export

Office 2024 significantly improves the accessibility of PDFs exported from Word, Excel and PowerPoint.

A properly exported PDF can preserve information such as:

Headings
Lists
Table structure
Reading order
Links
Alternative text
Document-language information
Form-related metadata

This gives screen readers and other assistive tools a better understanding of the file.

However, the original Office document must already be structured properly. Exporting a poorly designed document will not automatically repair missing headings, confusing tables or absent alternative text.

Before creating a PDF:

Use built-in heading styles.
Add alternative text to meaningful images.
mark decorative images appropriately.
Use real lists rather than manually typed symbols.
define table headers.
Run the Accessibility Checker.
Choose an accessibility-focused PDF export option where available.

Creating accessible PDFs with Office 2024

PowerPoint Captions and Subtitles

Captions make presentations more accessible to people who are deaf or hard of hearing. They also help viewers in noisy environments or people watching without sound.

PowerPoint 2024 provides improved support for adding closed captions or subtitles to supported video and audio content.

Good captions should:

Match the spoken content
Identify important speakers where necessary
Include meaningful sound information
Appear at the correct time
Remain easy to read
Avoid covering essential visual content

Captions are especially important when a presentation will be shared online or viewed without a live presenter.

Slide Magnification

PowerPoint 2024 can magnify a slide up to 400 percent during Slide Show view while keeping supported animations and video running.

This can help presenters:

Enlarge detailed charts
Focus on a small section of a diagram
Improve visibility for viewers
Explain spreadsheet data
Highlight interface elements during training

Magnification is not a substitute for readable slide design. Text should still be large, clear and supported by good contrast.

ODF 1.4 Accessibility Support

Word, Excel and PowerPoint in Office 2024 support OpenDocument Format 1.4.

ODF 1.4 introduces additional capabilities, including accessibility attributes for decorative objects.

Marking an object as decorative tells assistive technology that the image does not contain information that needs to be announced.

This reduces unnecessary screen-reader descriptions and helps users focus on meaningful content.

ODF support is useful for organisations that exchange files with other office suites or rely on open document standards.

A More Consistent Visual Design

Office 2024 also introduces a refreshed visual theme with a more consistent appearance across applications.

Microsoft states that the theme uses Fluent Design principles and a revised colour palette intended to improve familiarity and accessibility.

A consistent interface can help users locate tools more easily when switching between Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook.

Users should still configure Windows and Office according to their needs, including:

Display scaling
Windows contrast themes
Text size
Magnifier
Colour filters
Keyboard navigation
Mouse-pointer size

Accessibility Tips for Word 2024

To create more accessible Word documents:

Use Heading 1, Heading 2 and Heading 3 styles
Add alternative text to informative images
Mark decorative images as decorative
Use descriptive links rather than “click here”
Avoid using spaces to create columns
Use built-in lists
Set table header rows
Check colour contrast
Add a document title
Run the Accessibility Checker

A well-structured Word document is easier to navigate with both a screen reader and the Navigation Pane.

Accessibility Tips for Excel 2024

To improve Excel workbooks:

Give every worksheet a descriptive name
Add alternative text to charts
Use clear table headers
Avoid blank rows inside important data
Do not rely only on colour
Keep worksheet layouts predictable
Explain abbreviations
Use meaningful hyperlink text
Check chart labels and legends

Complex spreadsheets may require additional explanations because screen readers process cells differently from visual users.

Accessibility Tips for PowerPoint 2024

For inclusive presentations:

Use built-in slide layouts
Give each slide a unique title
Check the reading order
Add alternative text
Include captions for media
Use large readable fonts
Maintain strong contrast
Avoid rapidly flashing content
Describe important visuals while presenting
Run the Accessibility Checker

Built-in layouts usually produce a more logical structure than manually placing every text box.

Accessibility Tips for Outlook 2024

Before sending an important email:

Use short paragraphs
Include descriptive links
Add alternative text to informative images
Avoid image-only messages
Use real lists
Keep formatting simple
Check colour contrast
Add meaningful subject lines
Run the Accessibility Checker

Accessible email is particularly important for customer service, education, employment and public communication.

Does Office 2024 Make Every File Accessible Automatically?

No.

Office 2024 provides better tools, but accessibility still depends on the person creating the content.

Automatic checking cannot always determine:

Whether alternative text is useful
Whether headings are logically organised
Whether a chart explanation is sufficient
Whether reading order makes sense
Whether plain language is needed
Whether a caption accurately reflects the audio

The best process combines Office tools with a careful manual review.

Create documents, spreadsheets, presentations and emails with the latest one-time Office release.

Browse our Office 2024 licences, including Office Home & Business 2024 and Office Professional Plus 2024.

Instructions