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Microsoft Excel Accessibility Video Series

Modified on: Tue, Mar 25 2025 11:20 AM

Welcome to the How to Author and Test Microsoft Excel Worksheets for Accessibility series, brought to you by the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA).

This training is part of GSA’s accessibility program and is designed to help you create Section 508-compliant Excel Spreadsheets.You may be more familiar with WCAG—the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines—which form the basis of Section 508. By following these standards, you’ll improve readability, navigation, and compatibility with assistive technologies, ensuring your spreadsheets are accessible to all.


Excel iconAbout the Excel Series:

This 10-part series, developed by the Accessible Electronic Document Community of Practice (AED COP), covers essential steps to make your Excel spreadsheets accessible. Most modules are under five minutes, with the Module 1 being the longest at about nine minutes.


Looking for a Fast Track Read?

WebAIM offers a helpful article on Excel Accessibility covering the basics to get you started quickly.

Module 0: Introduction and Background

Get an overview of the AED COP and  key steps to make your spreadsheets accessible and conform to WCAG standards.


Module 1: Using Built-in Features to Organize Content and Ensure Logical Reading Order

Learn how to use built-in features (cell styles, heading levels, and data table formats) to ensure that spreadsheets and workbooks are structured in a logical reading order.


Module 2: Ensuring the Contrast Ratio Between Text and Background is Sufficient

When choosing the color palette for your slide designs, close attention must be given to ensure there is a strong color contrast between the foreground and background. See examples of good and bad color contrast, and the how to use tools to determine if your spreadsheet has sufficient contrast.


Module 3: Ensuring Color and Other Visual Characteristics are Also Described in Text

Discover how to use visual characteristics, such as color, size, shape, and location to convey meaning when creating your worksheet.


Module 4: Making Vital Background Information Accessible

Learn how to ensure that vital information, created as a watermark or placed in the Header or Footer of the slide, can be accessed by assistive technology.


Module 5: Using Built-In Features to Create Data Tables

Discover how to use the built-in table features so assistive technology can read the information in data tables in a meaningful manner.


Module 6: Adding Alternative Text to Images and Other Objects

Assistive Technology cannot infer meaning from images and other objects, such as pictures, images of text, images of tables, shapes, and icons with hyperlinks. Learn how to apply “alt text” to objects to ensure equal access to the information.


Module 7: Creating Links with Unique and Descriptive Names

Learn how to add links to a worksheet so that each link has a unique and descriptive name that allows assistive technology users to determine the destination, function, or purpose of links.


Module 8: Ensuring Descriptions of Embedded Audio, Video and Multimedia Files are Accurate

Learn how to embed audio-only, video-only or multimedia files into your worksheet so individuals with disabilities have comparable access to the information.


Module 9: Excluding Flashing Objects

Flashing objects cannot be considered accessible because they can cause seizures and, therefore, should never be used. Warning: This video demonstrates a type of flashing object that should never be used.


Module 10: Saving in the .xlsx Format with a Descriptive Filename

Discover how a descriptive file name identifying the worksheet or its purpose helps everyone, including people with disabilities, locate, open, and switch between documents.


Additional Resources:


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