Creating Accessible Documents with Word & PowerPoint
A document can look polished and still shut people out. A screen reader hits an image with no label. A heading turns out to be nothing more than bold text. A link says only “click here.”
This half-day workshop shows you how to build Word documents and PowerPoint slides that more people can read, navigate, and use, working with the accessibility tools already built into Office.
You’ll practice fixing real files, running Microsoft’s Accessibility Checker, and learning to catch barriers before you share. It’s for anyone who creates or approves documents for others, and no technical or accessibility background is needed. You’ll leave able to build accessibility into how you work rather than scrambling at the final review, and with a clear sense of what Canada’s accessibility rules ask of the files you send out.
- Spot the barriers that make a Word document or PowerPoint deck hard to use, before you share it
- Build accessible Word documents using built-in heading styles, meaningful alt text, descriptive links, and readable formatting
- Build accessible PowerPoint slides using accessible layouts, correct reading order, alt text, and sufficient colour contrast
- Use Microsoft’s Accessibility Checker to find, understand, and fix issues before a file is shared
Understand accessibility and spot the barriers
- What “accessible” means in Word and PowerPoint, and why it matters to the people who receive your files
- How Canada’s accessibility rules (the Accessible Canada Act and WCAG) apply to everyday documents, in plain terms
- The barriers that lock people out: missing alt text, skipped headings, vague links, low contrast, and wrong reading order
Build accessible Word documents
- Built-in heading styles that give screen readers a structure to follow
- Meaningful alt text for images and charts, and descriptive links instead of “click here”
- Readable formatting: colour contrast and accessible templates
Build accessible PowerPoint slides
- Accessible slide layouts instead of manually drawn text boxes
- Setting and checking reading order with the Selection Pane
- Slides people can follow: alt text on visuals, strong contrast, and less on-screen clutter
Check your work and keep it accessible
- Running Microsoft’s Accessibility Checker and telling errors, warnings, and tips apart
- Writing in plain, inclusive language so more people can follow your content
- Keeping files accessible as they’re updated, shared, and exported
This workshop is for anyone who creates, reviews, or shares Word documents and PowerPoint presentations for other people to read. It will feel especially relevant if:
- You’ve sent out a report or deck and had no idea whether someone using a screen reader could make sense of it.
- Someone has asked you to make a file “accessible” and you weren’t sure what that meant or where to start.
- You’ve opened the Accessibility Checker, seen a list of errors, and closed it again because you didn’t know which ones mattered.
There are no prerequisites for this course.
The advantages of team sessions
- Learn and grow together as a team
- Location and time of your choice
- Sessions can be customized to fit your objectives
- Surprisingly cost effective
Submit your interest