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Optimize SharePoint site accessibility

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Improve the accessibility of your SharePoint pages. Enhance the SharePoint site experience for users with a variety of accessibility needs. Some published SharePoint sites might not take advantage of the accessibility features that are available, which can make them difficult for people with disabilities to use. This article provides information that will help you optimize your SharePoint site for accessibility.

More Accessible Mode

SharePoint provides a "More Accessible Mode". To activate this mode, open a SharePoint webpage and press the TAB key until you find the "Turn on More Accessible Mode" link. This feature recreates the webpage in standard HTML, which makes it friendlier for screen readers. In More Accessible Mode, JavaScript-based drop-down menus are converted to hyperlink lists and objects are converted to simpler HTML to allow screen readers to understand the content.

Landmarks

Landmarks are programmatically determined markers in your published pages that allow screen-reader users to understand where they are currently located in the webpage. Screen reader software can also create a list of all landmarks on a webpage, which allows a user to navigate the page more easily. Ensure that keyboard users can make use of landmarks to enhance the accessibility of the SharePoint site.

Alternative text

Alternative text is required for screen readers to read non-text content on the page. Provide alternative text (ALT text) for graphics and figures that includes a clear and useful description of the diagram or screen image. When you upload an image, the Site Image web part includes a field to enter custom alternative text. When you add images to the picture library, you can define custom ALT text for each image. Add alternative text to links and images that open in a new window. This way, screen readers can indicate to users that a new window will open.

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