Exploring NEW Microsoft Office 365 Accessibility Features 2025

In its ongoing effort to support accessibility, Microsoft introduced several new accessibility features across Office 365 applications. These tools, including immersive reading, dictation, and a robust accessibility checker, ensure a more inclusive digital experience for users with disabilities. A standout feature in this update is the enhanced ability to export documents to accessible PDF format, making Office files—whether Word documents, Excel charts, or PowerPoint presentations—much easier to navigate for screen readers and other assistive technologies.

Inspired by a post from Jenny Lay-Flurry, Microsoft’s Chief Accessibility Officer, these changes underscore Microsoft’s commitment to building accessible digital tools that make inclusive document creation easier for everyone.

Video Guide

Core New Features in Outlook

Outlook now offers a suite of new accessibility tools to support communication for all users, particularly those with disabilities:

• Immersive Reader allows users to customize text layout, font size, and background colors, enhancing readability for individuals with visual impairments.
• Dictation enables users to compose emails using speech-to-text, which is invaluable for those who may struggle with typing.
• Zoom Themes add more color and size options, making emails easier to read.
• Accessibility Checker identifies accessibility issues in real-time and guides users in resolving them before sharing documents.

These tools aim to improve inclusive communication across the Office suite, setting the foundation for accessible content creation.

Key PDF Export Enhancements Across Office 365

One of the most significant updates improves the accessibility of PDF exports from Office 365 applications. When users export documents to PDF format, Office 365 now includes accessibility tags that make navigation, readability, and screen reader support more effective.

Word and PowerPoint Updates

Microsoft’s updates enhance PDF exports for Word and PowerPoint files by focusing on structure, navigation, and visual elements:

• Structured Tags for Headings and Titles ensure that headings in Word documents convert to proper header tags (e.g., <h1>, <h2>) in PDFs, preserving the document’s structure and readability for screen readers.
• Improved Bookmark Support makes it easier to navigate PowerPoint presentations exported to PDFs. Bookmarks now mark sections clearly, and headings are correctly tagged in Word, improving structured navigation.
• Alt Text for Smart Art and Word Art improves accessibility for visual elements, allowing screen readers to interpret these design elements accurately. Although Word Art now appears as tagged text, some challenges remain with Smart Art in certain formats.

Excel-Specific Improvements

Microsoft’s updates to Excel files exported as accessible PDFs focus on structured data and complex formulas:

• Table Headers now include T-head tags, improving assistive technologies’ ability to read and interpret table data.
• Equation Tagging adds alt text to formulas, making complex data sets more accessible for users relying on screen readers.

Improvements in Document Elements and Tags

The PDF export enhancements now include over 100 improvements across all document elements. These updates improve how nested tags, alt text, and other critical accessibility elements translate from Office files to PDFs.

• Hyperlinks now appear independently tagged, which allows smoother navigation and better readability for screen readers.
• Table Spanning support enables row and column spans in tables, so multi-column data tables now maintain better structural integrity in exported PDFs.
• Endnotes and Footnotes receive individual tags with embedded links, helping users access additional information without breaking the reading flow.

These updates minimize obstacles for users relying on screen readers and assistive technology, creating a more intuitive and usable document experience.

Testing the New Accessibility Features

Accessibility Checker

Microsoft’s accessibility checker now serves as a critical tool within Office applications, helping users identify accessibility gaps—like missing alt text or table headers—before exporting to PDF.

Smart Art and Word Art Tests

When testing Word Art, the updated system successfully preserves it as text in PDF exports, making it readable and searchable. However, Smart Art still retains limitations, often rendering as paths that may challenge screen readers.

Equation Tagging

Microsoft has made progress in making mathematical equations more accessible, though some MathML-formatted equations may still require additional remediation to be fully readable in PDFs.

Platform-Specific Improvements

Microsoft also rolled out accessibility enhancements for Office on iOS and Mac, ensuring consistent functionality across platforms. Users on Mac can now export accessible PDFs with bookmarks and correctly tagged headers, previously a limitation on this platform.

Compatibility and Consistency Across Devices

These cross-platform improvements mean that documents created on any Office-supported device retain accessibility tags, providing a consistent and inclusive user experience.

Conclusion

With these updates, Microsoft has made significant strides in accessibility for Office 365. By enhancing PDF export processes across Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, the platform now better serves users with diverse needs. Challenges still exist, particularly with complex visuals and mathematical equations, but improvements in document structure, tagging, and alt text reflect Microsoft’s commitment to making Office tools inclusive. These changes not only support users who rely on assistive technology but also aid organizations aiming for better accessibility compliance.

Let me be your champion for inclusion. I offer tailored solutions (and self-paced courses!) to ensure your documents meet and exceed compliance expectations. For more detailed insights, tutorials, and in-depth discussions on accessibility and related topics, don’t forget to check out my YouTube channel: The Accessibility Guy on YouTube. Subscribe for regular updates!