Creating Accessible Excel Files | University at Albany

Best Practices for Microsoft Excel

Keep your table structure simple and avoid merging or splitting cells. A complex table is more difficult to navigate with a screen reader.
Include a title above the first row and end of table message after the last row to assist screen reader navigation.
Be sure to include column header information, so that screen readers can keep track of their location in a table.
Include alternative text with all visual content to help the screen reader convey information to users who can’t see the image.
Add meaningful hyperlink text and ScreenTips to convey clear and accurate information about the destination.
Use appropriate color contrast between text and background colors for users with low contrast sensitivity and color blindness.
Give all sheet tabs meaningful names and remove blank sheets.
Use the accessibility checker to find common accessibility issues and make your Excel document accessible to people with disabilities.