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If you use Microsoft Office programs to design presentations, Web pages, and other types of documents, you should make sure that the content you create is accessible (accessibility: The quality of a given system of hardware or software that makes it usable by people with one or more physical disabilities, such as restricted mobility, blindness, or deafness.) to all people, including those with disabilities.

These tips illustrate just a few ways to create accessible content:

• If you design Web pages or HTML (HTML: The standard markup language used for documents on the World Wide Web. HTML uses tags to indicate how Web browsers should display page elements such as text and graphics and how to respond to user actions.)-based documents, be sure to add alternative text to any graphics you use. Web browsers display alternative text while pictures are loading or if they are missing. Alternative text helps users who have graphics turned off in their browser or users who rely on screen review utilities (screen review utilities: Accessibility aids for people who are blind or have learning disabilities, such as dyslexia. These aids make on-screen information available as synthesized speech or a refreshable Braille display.) to interpret information on the screen.

• Don't rely on sound alone to convey important information. For example, if your Microsoft PowerPoint presentation contains audio, you can make text descriptions of the audio content available as part of the slide, in the notes pane (pane: A portion of the document window bounded by and separated from other portions by vertical or horizontal bars.). Making audio information available in an alternative form benefits users who don't have a sound card or who have sound turned off, or users who are deaf or hard-of-hearing.

• Don't rely on color alone to convey important information. For example, if your Microsoft Excel spreadsheet contains a color-coded chart legend, use additional cues, such as textual annotations, to supplement the use of color. Users may use a limited color scheme, or use a handheld computer with a monochrome display, or rely on screen review utilities, and these seldom convey information that is only represented by colors.

If you have access to the Web, you can learn more about creating accessible content for Web pages by referring to the accessibility standards developed by the World Wide Web Consortium. To learn more about accessibility in Microsoft products, visit the Microsoft Accessibility Web site.