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Microsoft 365 Excel

Microsoft has created an excellent document regarding accessible Excel documents. It includes specifics for different platforms and devices, such as Windows, MacOS, iOS, Android, and Web. Please see Accessibility best practices with Excel spreadsheets.

Excel Topics

How Screen Readers Work with Excel

Excel documents are challenging for those using screen readers. Knowing how screen readers behave with Excel documents will help you improve the accessibility of the document.

Screen readers begin with the content in cell A1.

  • If the worksheet contains only one table, place the title of the table in A1.
  • If the worksheet contains multiple tables, A1 should include an overview of the contents in the sheet.
  • If there are multiple worksheets, place a summary of the worksheet in A1.

Arrow keys are used by the user to navigate cells.

  • Do not merge cells. It causes issues for the screen reader in announcing the relationship between the data and the column/row headers.

Screen readers are unable to read comments

  • If a comment is necessary, place it in a cell and clearly indicate that it is a comment.

Screen readers have difficulty locating the end of a worksheet.

  • At the end of the worksheet, add the words “End of worksheet” in the next available row in column A. The text can be formatted the same color as the background, making it invisible to sighted users, but it will still be read by the screen reader.
  • Avoid blank cells. Instead, enter “No data” or an equivalent in the cell.
  • Avoid blank rows and columns

Screen readers cannot read hidden columns or rows.

  • Never hide relevant data within a row or column.

Accessibility Checker

Excel includes a tool for checking accessibility. Open the panel and keep it running; it will identify issues and help you resolve them while you work. The accessibility pane can be opened from the ribbon menu by selecting Review > Check Accessibility.

Color Usage

Follow the WCAG guidelines for color contrast between foreground (text) and background colors. Greens and oranges are challenging colors to make accessible. Since blue is often used as a text link color, limit its use.

Color should not be used as the sole means to convey information. Slight variations in shades may not be discernable for those who are color blind. It may be necessary to use high-contrast colors or use an alternative method of formatting the table.

Example Excel table with multiple cells of different colors
Non-accessible table with poor color contrast and secondary information defined by color only.
Example Excel table with multiple cells of different colors
Accessible table with good use of color plus columns for secondary information.

Labeling

There is a hierarchy of labels in Excel, and each provides essential information to those using assistive technology: Document Title > Worksheet Title > Table Name. Each label helps the user understand the document and its parts.

Document title
Add to the document properties. This is the meta title that is display in search results.
Worksheet title
Each worksheet within the document must have a descriptive title.
Table name
Naming the tables provides clear identification of the table, especially when several are present within the same worksheet.

Follow these guidelines for your labels:

  • Be concise
  • Use specific language
  • Avoid special characters or symbols
  • Be consistent with capitalization, using either sentence or title case

Tables

Here are some tips for building accessible tables:

  • Use Microsoft's built-in table formatting where possible.
  • Specify column header information.
  • Use a simple table structure.
  • Do not merge cells
  • Avoid blank rows and columns.
  • Do not hide rows or columns if they include relevant information.
  • If inputting comments, do so in a designated area of the worksheet. Do not use Microsoft's built-in comment tool.
  • In cell A1, include a summary of the table.
  • Enter the words "End of table" at the end of every table.
    (Tip: If it is deemed necessary to hide the "End of table" text from sighted users, it can be formatted with the same color as the background. The text will still be read by screen readers.)
  • Make hyperlink text meaningful.

Templates

Not all Excel templates provided by Microsoft are accessible. Verify that a template is accessible before using it.

Charts

Charts needs some of the same considerations to make them accessible. These include concise, descriptive labels and good color contrast. See Microsoft's page Create more accessible charts in Excel.

PDFs

To maintain the meta data and accessibility elements that were defined when building a Microsoft Word document, you must use the Save As function to create a PDF. Use the Excel file format when sharing files with complicated tables or with multiple worksheets. 

Create a PDF document for simple tables. Please note the following when creating a PDF:

  • Text in cell A1 will be treated as a separate table (without headers) in the PDF.
  • Text in cell A1 can be formatted with a Heading 1 style.
  • Depending on the sequence in which you add text in cell A1 and create the table, the reading order of the objects may need to be adjusted using Acrobat Pro.
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