Microsoft Excel: Accessible Excel Documents

Excel Training Series | Level 3

Course Details

Duration: 1 day (9 am – 4 pm)

Microsoft^® Excel^® Versions: 2010 | 2013 | 2016 | 2019 | 365 (Windows)

Delivery Methods (Instructor-led): Live classroom (LC) | Virtual classroom (VC)

Course Dates: TBA (Instructor-led virtual classroom) | View schedule 

Course Fee: $245 CDN per person + HST (Virtual classroom), $275 CDN per person + HST (Bring your own device for live classroom courses) or $325 CDN per person + HST (Avantix Learning provides device for live classroom courses)*

Timing: Public scheduled courses run from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm (Eastern Time).

Virtual classroom courses: Our instructor-led virtual classroom courses are delivered in a virtual classroom environment. Students will be sent a virtual classroom invitation prior to the course.

Live classroom courses: Our instructor-led live classroom (in-person) courses are held in downtown Toronto at the Toronto Star Building, 1 Yonge Street, Suite 1801. Some courses are also held at an alternate downtown Toronto location.

Custom training: This course may be delivered at your site or ours as an instructor-led or virtual classroom solution. Contact us at info@avantixlearning.ca for more information including savings for custom group training.

Course Overview

In this course, students will learn to create accessible Excel documents using best practices when creating Excel worksheets for users with disabilities. Various tools will be used in Excel to create accessible workbooks including appropriate formatting, tools for navigation, well-designed tables, hyperlinks and graphics such as charts with alternative text. Students will run the accessibility checker and save a file as a PDF (Portable Document Format) or in an alternative format.

Prerequisite: Microsoft Excel: Introduction or equivalent knowledge and skills.

Location and timing: Public scheduled courses are held in downtown Toronto and run from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm (Eastern Time).

Related training: View all Microsoft Excel courses >

Included in this course

• Comprehensive course manual (100+ pages)
• Keyboard shortcuts quick reference
• Sample and exercise files
• Refreshments (for classes conducted in Avantix Learning classrooms)
• Certificate of completion
• Follow-up email support

Course Outline

Key Concepts for Accessible Excel Documents

• Why make Excel files accessible
• How accessibility legislation impacts design of worksheets and workbooks
• Basics of accessibility for users with different types of disabilities
• Understanding how screen readers read digital Excel workbooks
• Integrating best practices when designing accessible files
• Common issues in Excel workbooks
• Naming sheets

Setting up an Accessible Excel Workbook

• Conventions for file names
• Setting a document title metadata using different strategies
• Specifying a document language

Formatting Using Styles

• Formatting using cell heading styles
• Modifying cell styles
• Formatting tables using table styles

Using Naming

• Benefits of naming
• Naming cells and ranges
• Using named cells and ranges to navigate

Working with Fonts

• Selecting fonts based on different criteria to ensure readability
• Best practices in terms of text formatting
• Recommended minimum font sizes
• Issues with specific fonts

Working with Colour

• Considerations when choosing colours
• Issues with colour
• Ensuring sufficient contrast
• Accessible sensory characteristics
• Selecting a colour theme
• Strategies for applying colours in Excel

Working with Images, Charts and Other Non-Text Elements

• Key concepts when working with non-text elements such as images, shapes and charts in accessible documents
• Issues with reading order
• Importance of including alternative text
• Writing alternative text
• Strategies when descriptions are too complex
• Issues with watermarks
• Key concepts when working with charts

Inserting and Formatting Tables

• Recommendations when working with tables
• Common issues with tables
• Formatting with table styles for accessibility
• Specifying a header row
• Including alternative text for tables

Navigating with Hyperlinks

• Inserting hyperlinks
• Best practices for accessibility when using hyperlinks
• Testing hyperlinks

Reading Order and Assistive Technology

• Understanding the importance of reading order
• Reading order issues
• Strategies to check and control reading order

Using Math Equations

• Creating accessible math equations

Creating Accessible Excel Forms

• Key concepts when creating forms in Excel for accessibility
• Alternatives to Excel for form creation

Running the Accessibility Checker

• Checking the document for accessibility issues using the Accessibility Checker in Excel
• Limitations of the Accessibility Checker

Converting an Excel File to PDF or HTML

• Saving a document as a PDF (Portable Document Format) natively
• Specifying options during the saving/export process
• Ensuring the final output includes tags
• Saving a PDF using Acrobat Pro (for users with Acrobat Pro)
• Viewing the PDF file in Acrobat Pro or Reader (for users with Acrobat Pro)
• Saving an Excel file in HTML format

Register Now for a public course at our downtown Toronto location at 1 Yonge Street, Suite 1801 (Toronto Star Building), Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Do you need more information? Contact us!

Related training: View Accessible Documents courses >

To request this page in an alternate format, contact our staff.

*Prices subject to change.

Our instructor-led courses are delivered in virtual classroom format or at our downtown Toronto location at 1 Yonge Street, Suite 1801 (Toronto Star Building), Toronto, Ontario, Canada (some in-person classroom courses may also be delivered at an alternate downtown Toronto location). Contact us at info@avantixlearning.ca if you'd like to arrange custom onsite training or an online course on a date that's convenient for you.

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