Creating Accessible PowerPoint Presentations
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Accessibility Checker
Microsoft has a built-in Accessibility Checker to help you determine what may need to be made
modified or reconsidered for your presentation. The Checker is to be used as a guide. It may not catch
everything and may make a recommendation that requires you to determine if you are going to make a
change based on accessibility guidelines. This document explains how to use the Checker and some
basic guidelines.
To activate the Checker:
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Click File.
Click Info.
Click Check for Issues.
Click Check Accessibility.
The Checker will show you issues that may make it impossible or challenging for someone with a
disability and/or using assistive technology to navigate the document. After clicking the issue, the
Additional Information section explains why this should be fixed and/or how to fix it.
Alternative Text
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Images, charts, and tables need a text description. This is referred to as alternative text, alt text,
and/or image description.
The goal is to describe the same information in the image, chart, or table, as is shown in the
image.
The alt text must be meaningful. The context of what the image is used to convey is key to
determine what should be included in the alt text.
Example – Suitable alternative text for the image on the left would be “beach ball” because that
is all that is shown. Suitable alternative text for the image on the right would be “beach ball in
pool” or “beach ball in ocean” because the ball is in a body of water.
The alt text should not be redundant to information around it.
It is unnecessary to write “Picture of” or “Image of” at the beginning of the alt text unless this is
necessary to demonstrate a point.
If a table is inserted as an image, the alternative text should state everything in the chart.
If the image is considered purely decorative, it is appropriate to enter “” (double quotations also
referred to a null) so that the screen reader will skip this.
To insert alternative text into an image:
1. Right-click on the image.
2. Click Format.
3. Click Size and Properties.
4. Enter the alternative text in the description box.
Structure and Readability
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Avoid drawing text-boxes on to a slide because screen readers may not be able to access this.
Instead, pick a slide layout that has pre-built boxes.
Slide Title
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Each slide should have a title that is not the same as other slides. This helps users keep track of
the slide they are on.
If the slide continues information from a previous slide, an option is to title it (Example “Mesopotamia (Continued)” or “Mesopotamia – Part 2”).
Outline Panel
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This creates an outline of your PowerPoint presentation. It can be used to help you determine if
your presentation flows well and is in logical order.
The example below shows the Outline Panel of a PowerPoint presentation. The left side shows
the title of each slide, the slide number, and the contents of the slide.
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To use Outline View:
1. Click the View tab on the toolbar.
2. Click Outline View.
Notes
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Many people use the notes section beneath slides to put information. However, not all screen
readers can access them automatically. Therefore, this section should not be used to house
information if you plan to give it to someone as a standalone document.
Rather, consider putting this information on the slide or the next slide.
If you plan to give a hard copy of the presentation to someone, putting information in the notes
section can be a time-saving option because you can include the notes in that version.
Check Reading Order
The reading order is the order in which a screen reader will read each item on a slide. In the example
below, the author determined that the images above each word is decorative and did not include
alternative text for them. For that reason, only the words are read by a screen reader in this order: “Our
Approach” first because it is the title of the slide, then, “Watch”, then “Do”, then “Share.”
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Make sure that the reading order for all objects on a slide is logical. This will ensure that a
screen reader’s version of the slide makes sense to the listener.
On the Home tab, in the Drawing group, click Arrange and the choose Selection Pane.
The Selection Pane lists the objects on the slide. Objects will be read from the bottom of the list,
then upward. Correct any out of order items using the reorder arrows at the top of the pane. If you
are unsure which item is which, you can hide or unhide items with the show/hide button.
Colors
Some built-in backgrounds, which are located in the Design section and colors automatically selected for
PowerPoint charts, may not provide enough color contrast between the foreground and background
colors. In order to make your presentation accessible to all potential viewers, keep the following in
mind.
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Do not rely on color alone to convey meaning. Consider including text around this that
communicates the importance (Ex. – “Important: Quiz 1” or “Note: Due Thursday”).
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Use patterns in graphs, instead of (or in addition to) color, to highlight points of interest. This
makes it easier to differentiate the objects even if someone can’t differentiate the color.
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Avoid using orange, red, and green together in your template and text as these may pose issues
to people with colorblindness.
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If you’re unsure if the color contrast is high enough, especially between text and the
background, WebAim.org’s Color Contrast Checker can assist.
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You can also view the presentation in greyscale (View Menu, Color/Grayscale group, Grayscale).
Presenting
When presenting using PowerPoint, you never know who will be in your audience. Whether you are
presenting to a live audience or providing a presentation electronically for users to view on their own,
there are some tips to remember for accessibility.
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Keep animations and transitions to a minimum. Too many can detract from your message and
be distracting.
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Make sure that transitions aren’t too fast.
Screen readers will read each transitional element as a new slide! So, transitions can be a
problem for self-directed viewing.
Remember the basics of Cognitive Load Theory. An overload of either the visual or the auditory
channel can hinder learning. Do not overstimulate your audience with too much information on
the screen at any one time.
Article: Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning at learning.theories.com