Accessibility Tools in Word and Other Microsoft Office Applications

Transcribe

Available in:

• Word (online)
• OneNote (Windows platform)

Allows you to:

• Turn audio files into written transcripts
• Record and transcribe audio in real time

Useful for:

• Writing interview transcripts
• Pulling out key information from long videos and audio files
• Recording lectures or audio materials assigned to students

Dictate

Available in:

• Word (online and desktop)
• OneNote (online and desktop)
• PowerPoint (online)

Allows you to:

• Turn your speech into text
• Access certain text editing features with the sound of your voice

Useful for:

• Creating and editing essays
• Creating comments for classmates during peer review sessions
• Grading and feedback

Immersive Reader

Available in:

• Word (online and desktop)
• PowerPoint (online)
• OneNote (online and desktop)

Allows you to:

• Customize your Word interface when working on a document
• Change the color of the foreground and background
• Change column width and texts per line

Useful for:

• Close readings
• Preventing eye strain
• Focusing on a written piece line by line

Focus Mode

Available in:

• Word (desktop)

Allows you to:

• Block or hide everything except for your document
• Focus on what is important

Useful for:

• Drafting essays
• Editing and grading essays

Read Aloud

Available in:

• Word (desktop)

Allows you to:

• Have written texts read outloud to listen to them

Useful for:

• Non-visual reading
• Grading papers

Alt Text

Available in:

• Word (online and desktop)
• OneNote (online and desktop)
• PowerPoint (online and desktop)
• Excel (online and desktop)

Allows you to:

• Describe/caption an image
• Communicate the content of an image to users who rely on screen readers

Useful for:

• Making your content accessible to everyone, including people who use screen readers

Accessibility Checker

Available in:

• Word (online and desktop)
• PowerPoint (online and desktop)
• OneNote (online and desktop)
• Excel (online and desktop)

Allows you to:

• Automatically check if your document’s content is accessible to users who may rely on screen readers

Useful For:

• Finding and fixing accessibility barriers
• Ensuring anyone with low vision or blindness can access your document