Microsoft 365 PDF Accessibility

Microsoft 365 Apps for Windows including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint allow users to export documents in PDF format. Furthermore, add-ins can use the object model to automate PDF export using either the exporter built in to each app or their own exporter that implements the IMsoDocExporter COM interface.

An important part of exporting to PDF is writing PDF/UA tags that provide the semantic information to preserve the accessibility of the content. This allows people with disabilities to consume the PDF using assistive technologies such as screen readers. This documentation provides details about the PDF/UA tags written by the exporter built in to Word, Excel, and PowerPoint as well as the APIs that add-ins need to implement to provide their own exporter.