Looking at the Obvious – Ensuring SharePoint is Accessible to Everyone

Looking at the Obvious – Ensuring SharePoint is Accessible to Everyone

Accessibility in SharePoint is crucial to ensure that all users, including those with disabilities, can navigate, interact, and consume content effectively. Microsoft provides various tools and best practices to ensure SharePoint is accessible, compliant with accessibility standards such as WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines), and usable by everyone.

Let’s look at some of the tools available for making SharePoint accessible and how to use them.

1. Accessibility Checker

The Accessibility Checker in Office applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) ensures that documents created and uploaded to SharePoint are accessible to all users.

How to Use:

  1. Open the document you plan to upload to SharePoint.
  2. Go to the Review tab.
  3. Click on Check Accessibility.
  4. Review the recommendations and warnings (e.g., missing alt text, poor contrast, improper headings).
  5. Fix the issues before uploading the document to SharePoint.

Benefits:

  • Makes uploaded content screen reader–friendly and more accessible for people with visual impairments.

2. Microsoft Immersive Reader

Immersive Reader improves readability for people with learning disabilities, vision impairments, or those who prefer alternative consumption modes. It reads text aloud and offers formatting adjustments.

How to Use:

  1. Navigate to a document or page in SharePoint Online.
  2. Select the document text or page content.
  3. Click the Immersive Reader icon in the toolbar.
  4. Use options for read-aloud, font size, line spacing, and background color contrast.

Benefits:

  • Helps users with dyslexia, low vision, or reading challenges.
  • Provides text-to-speech and focus mode for easier content consumption.

3. Screen Reader Compatibility

SharePoint Online is compatible with screen readers such as Narrator (Windows), JAWS, and NVDA. Screen readers narrate page content and structure for users with visual impairments.

How to Ensure Compatibility:

  • Use meaningful headings, proper HTML markup, and label all form elements.
  • Provide alt text for images, charts, and graphics.
  • Avoid text embedded in images—use HTML text whenever possible.

How to Test with Screen Readers:

Narrator (Windows):

  1. Press Windows + Ctrl + Enter to start Narrator.
  2. Navigate your SharePoint site and listen to how content is announced.
  3. Ensure content, buttons, and links are announced clearly and in logical order.

Benefits:

  • Ensures seamless access for screen reader users when best practices are followed.

4. Color Contrast Analyzer

A color contrast analyzer helps verify that text and background combinations meet minimum contrast requirements, benefiting users with low vision or color blindness.

How to Use:

  • Use third-party tools like WebAIM’s Contrast Checker or Microsoft’s Accessibility Insights.
  • Install the Accessibility Insights for Web browser extension.
  • Open your SharePoint page, run the contrast checks, and address any failures.

Benefits:

  • Improves readability and overall usability for users with vision impairments.

5. Accessible Templates in SharePoint

Start with accessible site templates. These are designed with accessibility in mind to ensure navigation, buttons, and layouts are screen reader–friendly and standards-compliant.

How to Use:

  1. In SharePoint Online, click Create Site.
  2. Choose a Communication Site or Team Site.
  3. Use simple layouts and themes with good color contrast.
  4. Favor built-in web parts (document libraries, forms, calendars) that are accessibility-minded.

Benefits:

  • Provides an accessible structural foundation, reducing rework later.

6. Keyboard Navigation

Many users rely on the keyboard to navigate. Ensure your SharePoint site is fully usable without a mouse.

How to Use (Test):

  1. Press Tab to move between interactive elements.
  2. Verify all elements are reachable and the focus indicator is visible.
  3. Press Enter to activate links or buttons.
  4. Press Space to toggle checkboxes or radio buttons.
  5. Use Shift + Tab to move backwards through elements.

Benefits:

  • Ensures users who can’t use a mouse can still interact with all site features.

7. ARIA (Accessible Rich Internet Applications) Landmarks

ARIA landmarks provide structure cues for screen readers, helping users jump between page regions.

How to Use:

Follow semantic HTML5 practices so SharePoint surfaces clear landmarks. Use elements like <header>, <nav>, <main>, and <footer>. Apply ARIA roles when necessary to supplement semantics.

Benefits:

  • Improves navigation for screen reader users by enabling quick jumps between sections.

8. Microsoft Accessibility Insights for Web

A free Microsoft tool for testing web accessibility, including SharePoint sites. It identifies issues, provides guidance, and suggests fixes.

How to Use:

  1. Install the Accessibility Insights for Web browser extension.
  2. Open your SharePoint site.
  3. Run automated checks for common accessibility issues.
  4. Review issues and follow recommendations.
  5. Use FastPass for quick validation of common barriers (contrast, keyboard nav).

Benefits:

  • Helps align with WCAG 2.1 and comply with accessibility regulations.

Conclusion

Ensuring SharePoint is accessible involves using the right tools, following best practices, and testing regularly. With Accessibility Checker, Immersive Reader, screen reader compatibility, color contrast analyzers, keyboard navigation, semantic/ARIA landmarks, and Accessibility Insights, you can build SharePoint experiences that are inclusive and usable for all.

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