Creating Accessible Excel Spreadsheets
Add clear titles and names
Title your Spreadsheet
The title of your spreadsheet should be clear and descriptive. Add the title for the spreadsheet in cell A1.
Name Tabs
Provide a clear name for each tab of the spreadsheet. Delete empty tabs.
Add File Metadata
Add Metadata for your file to clearly identify the author and the language.
Best Practices for Cells
Don't Merge Cells
Merging cells can cause confusion for navigation via assistive technology. Do not merge cells.
Avoid Empty Cells
Instead of empty cells, consider using "NA" or "no data."
Define Areas for Navigation
Identifying the relationship between data and successfully navigating a table via a screen reader (or other assistive technology) depends highly on being able to identify header cells which may indicate a row title or a column title or both.
- Place focus in the cell that is the intersection of the row and column headers you want screen readers to read aloud as they move around.
- Press Ctrl + F3 to display the “Name Manager.
- Press tab until you reach “new” and press enter.
- Type in the word “Title” without the quotes then press enter.
- Place focus in the row that contains the column headers.
- Press Ctrl + F3 to display the “Name Manager.”
- Press tab until you reach “new” and press enter.
- Type in the word “ColumnTitle” without the quotes then press enter.
- Place focus in the column with the row headers.
- Press Ctrl + F3 to display the “Name Manager.
- Press tab until you reach “new” and press enter.
- Type in the word “RowTitle” without the quotes then press enter.
Consider Color Choices
Use High Color Contrast
Choose a color for your text and other elements that has a high degree of contrast against the background color. For web content, the standard is 4.5:1 for most text. Avoid light text on light backgrounds and dark text on dark backgrounds.
How to check Color Contrast
Some of the automated accessibility checkers will alert you to color errors as you work. To test on your own, try downloading a desktop tool, such as the TPGi's Color Contrast Analyser.
Avoid Using Color Alone to Convey Meaning
Avoid using color alone to convey meaning, as your message may be missed or misunderstood by individuals who can't see color. Instead use color along with a secondary element, (such as shape or text differences) to ensure the meaning can be understood without the use of color alone.
Write Descriptive Links
Write link text so that it is unique, descriptive, and clear about where the link goes. If sharing documents for printing, consider including both a descriptive link and the full link text. Find additional guidance: How to Write Helpful Links.
How to edit Link Text
Select and highlight the text you would like to link. Right click and chose edit link text.
Add Alt Text to any Images
If images are used in the spreadsheet, be sure to write helpful Alt Text to describe images.
Avoid Watermarks
Watermarks and other background elements are not accessible to assistive technology. Do not put essential content in a watermark. If important consider adding that same information in the file name or spreadsheet title.
Use an Accessibility Checker
Use the Microsoft Accessibility Checker to review your content. The Accessibility Checker is available in Word, PowerPoint, and Excel. It is turned on by default for Harvard clients and keeps track of accessibility issues in real time. It is displayed at the bottom of the Microsoft program in the status bar. You can view issues found by selecting the Accessibility icon button in the status bar.
While automated checkers won’t catch every issue, they are a great tool to have in your tool set and are a good reminder that we should be thinking about accessibility when creating or editing content.
Further resources: Accessibility best practices with Excel spreadsheets