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Check a file for accessibility

Check a document, deck or design for things that make it hard to use with a screen reader, such as missing alt text, skipped headings and bare links.

All plansUpdated

People who use a screen reader rely on a file's structure: headings in order, descriptions of images, and links that say where they go. Check accessibility looks through a document, deck or design for the common problems and lists what it finds, so you can fix them before you share the file.

Before you start

  • Plans. The accessibility check is on every plan.
  • Which apps. PlexiDocs, PlexiSlides and PlexiDesign have the check.

Check a document

  1. Open the document in PlexiDocs.
  2. Choose Tools > Check accessibility.
  3. The Accessibility check window lists each problem. Problems that block a reader are marked with a red error icon; things worth fixing are marked with an amber warning.
  4. Close the window, fix what it found, and check again.

When there is nothing to fix, the window says No accessibility issues found.

What it looks for in a document

It reports Why it matters How to fix it
Images with no alt text (an error) A screen reader has nothing to say about the image. Describe what an important image shows in the text beside it, or remove images that are only decoration.
The first heading is not a Heading 1 (a warning) The outline a screen reader announces starts in the wrong place. Make the document's first heading the top level.
A heading that skips a level, such as from Heading 1 straight to Heading 3 (a warning) Readers use the heading levels to move around, and a gap looks like something is missing. Use the levels in order.
Links whose text is the web address itself (a warning) "https://…" read aloud does not say where the link goes. Select the link and type words that describe the destination, such as "the pricing page".

Check a deck

  1. Open the deck in PlexiSlides.
  2. Choose View > Check accessibility.
  3. The Accessibility check window lists any problems, or says No accessibility issues found.

It reports:

  • Images with no alt text. Select the image and type a description in Alt text (for accessibility) in the panel beside the slide.
  • Slides with no title text, by slide number. Give each slide a line of text that says what it is about.

See Text, shapes, images and tables on slides.

Check a design

  1. Open the design in PlexiDesign.
  2. Click Export in the toolbar, then Check accessibility.
  3. A line above the design says Accessibility: no issues found., or names the first problem.

A design is mostly pictures, so the check looks for images with no alt text. Select the image and fill in Alt text in the panel on the right.

Common questions

Does the check fix things for me? No. It lists what to fix, and you decide how. Nothing in the file changes when you run it.

Is a clean result a guarantee? It covers the most common problems. Read the file through once more for anything a check cannot judge, such as colour contrast in a design or tables used for layout.

Can I check a spreadsheet? PlexiSheets has no accessibility check. Give your columns clear names, so a reader knows what each one holds.

Still need help? Contact support at [email protected].