Quick Reference Cards

📄 Microsoft Word Accessibility Checklist

Run Accessibility Checker: Review → Check Accessibility

• Headings: Use built-in Heading styles (Home → Styles), not bold text
• Alt text: Right-click images → Edit Alt Text → Write description
• Links: Use descriptive text, not "click here" (Ctrl+K to edit)
• Lists: Use built-in bullet/number lists, not manual dashes
• Tables: Use Insert → Table; check "Header row" in Table Design
• Color: Don't use color alone to convey meaning; check contrast
• Language: Review → Language → Set Proofing Language
• Reading order: Selection Pane shows order (Home → Select → Selection Pane)

Export to PDF: File → Export → Create PDF/XPS → Options → ✓ Document structure tags for accessibility

📊 PowerPoint Accessibility Checklist

Run Accessibility Checker: Review → Check Accessibility

• Slide titles: Every slide needs a unique title (use Layout with title placeholder)
• Reading order: Home → Arrange → Selection Pane → Drag to reorder
• Alt text: Right-click images/charts → Edit Alt Text
• Links: Insert → Link → Display text (make it descriptive)
• Tables: Simple tables only; use "Header Row" in Table Design
• Color contrast: 4.5:1 for text; avoid red/green combinations
• Animations: Keep simple; avoid auto-advance; no flashing
• Videos: Add captions (Insert → Video → right-click → Insert Captions)

Share as PDF: File → Export → Create PDF/XPS → Options → ✓ Document structure tags

⌨️ Essential Keyboard Navigation

Test every interactive element with these keys:

✓ Pass: Focus visible, logical order, no traps, all features accessible

✗ Fail: Can't reach element, can't escape, focus invisible, wrong order

🖼️ Alt Text Quick Guide

Tips:

• Be concise (usually under 125 characters)
• Don't start with "Image of..." or "Picture of..."
• Context matters—same image may need different alt text in different places

✅ Do / Don't — Quick patterns

Short, copy‑ready examples for designers, content creators, and developers. See the full Do/Don't guide for more examples and code snippets.

• Do: Use semantic headings and descriptive link text
• Don't: Skip heading levels or use "click here"
• Do: Provide meaningful alt text; mark decorative images with alt=""
• Don't: Use images of text or rely on color alone
• Do: Ensure keyboard operability and visible focus
• Don't: Remove focus outlines or create keyboard traps

Printable: Use the "Print all cards" button or print the Do/Don't guide.

🎨 Color Contrast Requirements

Quick test tools:

• WebAIM Contrast Checker
• TPGi Colour Contrast Analyser (desktop app)
• axe DevTools, WAVE browser extensions

Remember: Never use color alone to convey information!

📋 WCAG 2.2 POUR Principles

Target: WCAG 2.2 Level AA | Deadline: April 24, 2026

🔍 5-Minute Accessibility Audit

• Tab through the page — Can you reach everything? Is focus visible?
• Zoom to 200% — Does content reflow without horizontal scrolling?
• Check headings — Run WAVE or axe; is there a logical H1→H2→H3 structure?
• View without images — Are alt texts meaningful? Is info still clear?
• Test one form — Are labels connected? Do errors identify the problem?
• Play any video — Are captions available and accurate?
• Check links — Do link texts make sense out of context? (No "click here")
• Try high contrast — Does the page still work in Windows High Contrast mode?

Found issues? Log them and prioritize by user impact.

Need help? accessibility@arizona.edu

✉️ Accessible Email Checklist (Outlook)

• Subject line: Clear and descriptive (not "Newsletter" alone)
• Headings: Use Format Text → Styles (not just bold text)
• Images: Right-click → Edit Alt Text (or mark decorative)
• Links: Descriptive text, not bare URLs or "click here"
• Lists: Use built-in bullet/numbered lists
• Tables: Simple structure only; use for data, not layout
• Color: Don't rely on color alone; maintain contrast
• Attachments: Include accessible versions; mention format in email
• Plain text: Provide plain text alternative for complex HTML emails
• Test: Send yourself a test; check in different email clients

Run check: Options → Check Accessibility (before sending)

🎬 Video & Media Accessibility

Caption quality targets:

• 99%+ accuracy for educational content
• Speaker identification for multiple speakers
• Sound effects noted: [applause], [music playing]
• Synchronized within 2-3 seconds of audio

Tools: Panopto (auto-caption + edit), YouTube Studio, Rev.com

🔊 Screen Reader Quick Start

Basic NVDA commands:

• ↓ Next item
• H Next heading
• K Next link
• F Next form field
• T Next table
• D Next landmark