How to Use Copilot in Word With the Accessibility Checker for Compliance

You need to make your Word documents accessible for people with disabilities. Manually checking every heading, image, and table for accessibility issues takes a long time. Copilot in Word can help you fix accessibility problems faster by suggesting alt text, fixing heading structures, and checking color contrast. This article explains how to use Copilot together with the built-in Accessibility Checker to meet compliance standards like WCAG and Section 508.

How Copilot and the Accessibility Checker Work Together

The Accessibility Checker in Word scans your document for issues that make content hard to read or navigate for people using screen readers or other assistive technology. It identifies problems such as missing alternative text for images, improper heading levels, insufficient color contrast, and tables without header rows. Copilot adds a natural-language layer on top of this checker. Instead of fixing each issue manually, you can ask Copilot to suggest or apply fixes directly. Copilot cannot replace every step of the Accessibility Checker, but it can automate the most time-consuming tasks like writing alt text and adjusting heading styles.

Before you start, make sure your document is saved to Microsoft 365 cloud storage. Copilot requires a live connection to the Microsoft Graph to read your document. You also need a Copilot for Microsoft 365 license. The Accessibility Checker is included in all desktop versions of Word for Microsoft 365, Word 2021, and Word 2019. The Copilot integration works only in Word for Microsoft 365 on Windows 11 or Windows 10.

Steps to Use Copilot with the Accessibility Checker

Run the Accessibility Checker First

1. Open your document in Word for Microsoft 365
   Make sure the document is saved to OneDrive or SharePoint. Copilot cannot access local-only files.
2. Go to Review tab > Check Accessibility
   Click Check Accessibility in the Review ribbon. The Accessibility Checker pane opens on the right side of the window. It lists errors, warnings, and tips.
3. Review the list of issues
   Scan the pane. Common categories include Missing alt text, Heading order, Color contrast, and Table header. Click each item to see where the issue occurs in the document.

Ask Copilot to Fix Missing Alt Text

1. Select an image that has missing alt text
   Click the image in the document. The Accessibility Checker highlights images with missing alt text in the Errors section.
2. Open the Copilot pane
   Click the Copilot icon in the Home ribbon or press Alt+I to open the Copilot pane.
3. Type a prompt for alt text
   Type “Write alt text for the selected image” or “Describe the selected image for accessibility”. Copilot generates a short description based on the image content.
4. Review and apply the alt text
   Read the generated text. If it is accurate, right-click the image, choose View Alt Text, and paste the description. Or ask Copilot to refine it: “Make the alt text more specific”.

Fix Heading Structure with Copilot

1. Check the current heading order in the Accessibility Checker
   Look for Heading order warnings. The checker flags skipped levels like H1 directly followed by H3.
2. Select the heading text
   Highlight the heading you want to change.
3. Ask Copilot to adjust the heading level
   In the Copilot pane, type “Apply Heading 2 style to the selected text” or “Fix the heading structure so it does not skip levels”. Copilot applies the correct style.
4. Re-run the Accessibility Checker
   Click Check Accessibility again. The heading order warning should disappear. If it remains, repeat the process for the next heading.

Improve Color Contrast Using Copilot

1. Identify color contrast issues in the Accessibility Checker
   The checker lists Color contrast warnings for text that is too similar to the background.
2. Select the text with low contrast
   Highlight the affected text.
3. Ask Copilot for a compliant color
   Type “Suggest a dark color for this text that meets WCAG contrast requirements against a white background”. Copilot responds with a hex code or color name like “#2E4057” or “Dark Slate Blue”.
4. Apply the suggested color
   Open the Font Color dropdown in the Home ribbon, choose More Colors, and enter the hex code. The Accessibility Checker should update the warning to resolved.

Common Issues and Limitations

Copilot Does Not Generate Alt Text for All Image Types

Copilot generates alt text only for images it can visually interpret. It cannot describe SmartArt, charts, or screenshots with embedded text. For these objects, write alt text manually by right-clicking the object and choosing Edit Alt Text. Describe the data or the key takeaway from the chart.

Copilot Cannot Fix Table Header Issues

The Accessibility Checker flags tables that lack a designated header row. Copilot does not have a command to mark the first row as a header. To fix this, click inside the table, go to the Table Design tab, and check Header Row in the Table Style Options group.

Copilot May Return Vague Color Suggestions

Sometimes Copilot suggests a color that still fails the contrast check. Verify the contrast ratio using the Accessibility Checker. If the warning persists, ask Copilot for a darker shade: “Give me a darker color than #2E4057”. Repeat until the checker shows no errors.

Copilot Changes Styles Across the Whole Document

When you ask Copilot to apply a heading style, it may change all similar text in the document if the prompt is not specific. Always select the exact text first. If Copilot applies a style globally, use Ctrl+Z to undo and rephrase the prompt with “only for the selected text”.

Copilot in Word vs Manual Fixes: Key Differences

Item	Using Copilot	Manual Fix
Alt text generation	Copilot writes a description based on image analysis	You type the description yourself
Heading structure	Copilot applies heading styles via natural-language prompts	You select the heading and pick the style from the Home ribbon
Color contrast	Copilot suggests a hex code that meets WCAG requirements	You use the Color Contrast Analyzer tool or manual guesswork
Table headers	Not supported	You check the Header Row option in Table Design
Speed	Faster for alt text and heading fixes	Slower but more precise for table headers and color verification

Copilot saves time on repetitive tasks like writing alt text and applying heading styles. Manual work is still required for table headers and final contrast verification. Use the Accessibility Checker to confirm that all issues are resolved after using Copilot.

You can now use Copilot in Word to fix the most common accessibility issues flagged by the Accessibility Checker. Start by running the checker, then use Copilot prompts to generate alt text, adjust heading levels, and improve color contrast. For a complete compliance check, manually verify table headers and re-run the Accessibility Checker. An advanced tip: save your Copilot-generated alt text in a separate document so you can reuse descriptions for similar images in future files.