Use group policy to set the Microsoft Office Accessibility Inspector to "check while you work" by default
The Accessibility Inspector in Office is a useful tool that helps content creators identify accessibility potential improvements while they create content in Word, PowerPoint, and Excel. The tool does not run by default. A user has to follow three steps to turn it on.
To promote the use of this tool we arranged to have the accessibility inspector run by default on University-managed desktops and laptops running Windows with Microsoft 365.
We have now successfully implemented this change. It's early days but feedback so far is positive. Here is a slightly anonymised implementation plan, with thanks to my colleague Nick Williams for sharing it.
This guidance is provided "as-is". Test in a pre-production environment first. No guarantees or assurances etc.
By the way, here's a recording, transcript and slides from our session that introduces the accessibility inspector.
Implementation plan
- Login to a management server
- Edit the Group Policy [this will be unique to your environment]
- Navigate to User Configuration > Preferences > Windows Settings > Registry
- Create a new Registry Collection called "Office Accessibility Checker"
- Inside the new collection (folder) create three new registry keys (Note that the Value Name for Word is different from that used for Excel and PowerPoint):
Word
General Tab:
- Action: Create
- Hive: HKEY_CURRENT_USER
- Key Path: Software\Microsoft\Office\16.0\Word\Options
- Value Name: enableacccheckerstatusbaritem
- Value Type: REG_DWORD
- Value Data: 1
Common Tab:
- Apply Once and do not reapply.
Excel
General Tab:
- Action: Create
- Hive: HKEY_CURRENT_USER
- Key Path: Software\Microsoft\Office\16.0\Excel\Options
- Value Name: enableaccchecker
- Value Type: REG_DWORD
- Value Data: 1
Common Tab:
- Apply Once and do not reapply.
PowerPoint
General Tab:
- Action: Create
- Hive: HKEY_CURRENT_USER
- Key Path: Software\Microsoft\Office\16.0\Powerpoint\Options
- Value Name: enableaccchecker
- Value Type: REG_DWORD
- Value Data: 1
Common Tab:
- Apply Once and do not reapply.
Post-implementation Testing
- Login to any GPO-managed Windows Workstation
- Run a "gpupdate /force" to pick up the new settings
- Open (in turn) Word, Excel and PowerPoint
- Create a new document
- Click "File" > "Options" > "Ease of Access"
- "Keep accessibility checker running while I work" should be TICKED (and can be unticked/re-ticked at will)
- There should also be "Accessibility: Good to go" in the bottom left of the application's window
Backout plan
- Login to a management server
- Edit the Group Policy [this will be unique to your environment]
- Navigate to User Configuration > Preferences > Windows Settings > Registry
- Navigate to the Registry Collection called "Office Accessibility Checker"
- Disable the three Registry items inside (to prevent any new deployment of the keys)
To revert the change completely (not recommended)
- Login to a management server
- Edit the Group Policy [this will be unique to your environment]
- Navigate to User Configuration > Preferences > Windows Settings > Registry
- Navigate to the Registry Collection called "Office Accessibility Checker"
- Disable the three Registry items inside (to prevent any new deployment of the keys)
- Copy and paste each key, in turn
- Change the "Create" to a "Replace"
- Change the Value "1" to a "0"
- Make sure "Apply Once and do not reapply" is still ticked on the "Common" tab
- Enable each newly created key, in turn