Accessibility Resources for Microsoft Office 365

Microsoft 365 applications work seamlessly with screen readers and keyboards on most devices. To find instructions tailored for customers who use screen readers, go to Accessibility support for Office 365. Additionally, some Office 365 applications offer built-in Ease of Access settings and Learning Tools to enhance reading and writing experiences for people of all abilities. Live captioning is available in Teams Meetings and Channel Meetings.

Accessibility Checkers, Accessible Templates, autogenerated Alt-Text for images and captions for audio are available with Office 365 to make content and meetings more inclusive.

Captions should be, have or include:

• One new line for each new sentence, because it can be distracting to the meaning if a sentence ends on one line and then is followed by several words from the next sentence;
• Synchronized and appear at approximately the same time as the audio is available;
• Verbatim when time allows, or as close as possible;
• Equivalent and equal in content;
• Accessible and readily available to those who need or want them;
• Easy to read format;
• Appear on screen long enough to be read;
• Limit on screen captions to no more than two lines;
• Speakers should be identified when more than one person is on screen or when the speaker is not visible;
• Punctuation is used to clarify meaning;
• Spelling is correct throughout the production;
• Sound effects are written when they add to understanding;
• All words are captioned, regardless of language or dialect;
• Use of slang and access is preserved and identified;
• Nouns and verbs are not separated from their modifiers;
• Italics are effective when a new word is being defined or a word is heavily emphasized in speech;
• Translating speech to text sometimes requires creative use of punctuation, but always remember the rules of good grammar.

• Captions and Subtitles Vimeo Help Center
• MovieCaptioner Tutorial Videos
• E-Learning/Blackboard
• Blackboard Accessibility