Check accessibility

A shared document should work for everyone who receives it, including people who use a screen reader or high contrast. InspectAccessibility() checks a loaded Word document or PowerPoint presentation and returns findings with a severity, a stable rule code and a location. Word also has FixAccessibility, which applies the fixes that can't change meaning.

Word

using OfficeIMO;
using OfficeIMO.Word;

using var document = WordDocument.Load("Proposal.docx");

OfficeAccessibilityReport report = document.InspectAccessibility();
foreach (OfficeAccessibilityFinding finding in report.Findings) {
    Console.WriteLine($"{finding.Severity} {finding.Code} at {finding.Location}: {finding.Message}");
}
Console.WriteLine($"{report.ErrorCount} errors, {report.WarningCount} warnings");

The checker covers the document body:

• a document title and a default language;
• alternative text on pictures, shapes, charts and SmartArt, unless they are marked decorative;
• heading levels that skip a level, and long documents with no headings;
• a header row on data tables, and tables that look like layout tables;
• links with no text or text such as "click here" or a bare URL;
• text below 4.5:1 contrast (3:1 for large text) against its background;
• floating pictures and runs of empty paragraphs used for spacing.

new WordAccessibilityOptions { Profile = OfficeAccessibilityPolicyProfile.Strict } turns heading, floating-object and spacing warnings into errors. Each check can be switched off on the same options object. The Word guide lists every rule code and severity.

Safe fixes

using OfficeIMO;
using OfficeIMO.Word;

using var document = WordDocument.Load("Proposal.docx");

OfficeAccessibilityReport remaining = document.FixAccessibility(new WordAccessibilityFixOptions {
    Title = "Office move proposal",
    Language = "en-US",
    MarkTableHeaderRows = true
});
remaining.EnsureCompliant();

document.Save("Proposal-accessible.docx");

FixAccessibility sets a missing title and default language and marks the first row of data tables as a header row. It skips tables that look like layout tables and never overwrites a title or language that is already there. It returns a fresh report; EnsureCompliant() throws an OfficeAccessibilityException while errors remain, so a pipeline can stop before it sends the document. Alternative text, headings and link wording need a person, so they are reported, not guessed.

PowerPoint

using OfficeIMO;
using OfficeIMO.PowerPoint;

using var presentation = PowerPointDocument.Load("Pitch.pptx");

OfficeAccessibilityReport report = presentation.InspectAccessibility();
foreach (OfficeAccessibilityFinding finding in report.Findings) {
    Console.WriteLine($"{finding.Severity} {finding.Code} at {finding.Location}: {finding.Message}");
}
report.SaveJson("Pitch-accessibility.json");

The presentation checker covers the title, slide titles, alternative text, table headers, link labels and tooltips, contrast and charts that rely on colour alone. InspectReadingOrder() lists every slide's shapes in the order a screen reader reads them.

Word and PowerPoint return the same OfficeAccessibilityReport: each finding has a Severity, a rule Code, a Message and a Location, and LocationIndex holds the slide or paragraph number where there is one. ToJson() and SaveJson(path) write it as JSON.

Before you send

Run the accessibility check after removing hidden data. The scrub removes the author and other identity properties but keeps the title, so a title you add for screen readers stays. The overview shows both steps in one pass.