Digitally Accessible Powerpoint Slides

The Accessibility Checker tool can be used at any time to assess the accessibility of your slides. 

If you prefer to fix things as you go, you can keep the accessibility checker tab open from the start as you build a new collection of slides. Simply go to the Review tab in the menu and select the "Check Accessibility" option - (see Fig. 1 below.)  This will open the Accessibility Assistant pane in the right column of your screen (see Fig 2), allowing you to view issues that pop up as you edit your content.

Fig 1.

Fig 2.

Each slide should have a unique title, and the title should be placed at the top of the slide in the Header field - (see screenshot below).

Alt text helps viewers with screen readers understand the visual elements of your slides (photos, charts, shapes, SmartArt graphics, etc.).  Viewers using screen readers will hear the alt text is read aloud to them as they navigate through the content.

BEST PRACTICES:

• Good alt text should be brief and descriptive.  
  Example: "Three employees sitting at a desk review a large map."
  
  
• Avoid simply using the name of the image file or typing in "image" for your alt text.
  
  
• For decorative images that don't contribute to the content on the page (e.g., a notebook icon used to next to a section listing course assignments), select the "decorative" checkbox in the Alt Text window.  The screen reader will skip over the image.

Whether you add a chart / diagram as an image file or construct one within Powerpoint, you'll want to include alt text that helps viewers using assistive technology understand what the chart / diagram shows.

Example 1: Pie Chart

Let's say you've created a pie chart using Powerpoint's chart tool.  You add arrows, lines, and text boxes to create additional labels. 
Once you have all of your diagram elements in place, you can use the arrow tool to select them all (see Fig 1 below), and then group them together (Fig 2 below).

Fig. 1
       

Fig. 2
 

Fig 3.

Example 2: Flow Chart

You've set up a flow chart using Powerpoint's native drawing tools. You'll want to group together the elements that relate to the "Yes" response to the initial question, and then separately group the elements that relate to the cascade of events that relate to the "No" response - (see Fig A below).

Fig. A.

You can then add descriptive alt text to each group that describes the flow of events that follow.  For example:

• • Alt text for Object 1:
    Initial question for this flow chart: "Does the patient now use tobacco?"
    
    
  • Alt text for Object Group 2:
    If the patient uses tobacco but is not ready to quit within a month, then the pharmacist should promote motivation. If the patient is interested in quitting within a month, the pharmacist should initiate treatment via the 5 A's.
    
    
  • Alt text for Object Group 3:
    If the patient doesn't use tobacco, but used tobacco in the past, the pharmacist should work to prevent a relapse. If the patient never used tobacco, the pharmacist should encourage continued abstinence.

Finally, you'll want to make sure that the reading order of the content on the slide is correct. In this way, a screen reader will read out the alt text for each section of the flow chart in the right order. 

Here's a helpful video with more detailed information about accessible flow charts: More accessible PPT flowcharts

When adding tables to your Powerpoint presentation, make sure to activate the check boxes for "Header Row" and "First Column" (see Fig 1 below).  This will ensure that when the screen reader reads out content in a data cell, the viewer will know what the data refers to.   

By default, the order in which you add content to your slide will become the reading order.  Once you've finished your slide presentation, make sure to check the reading order to ensure that viewers with screen readers hear your slide content read out in the proper order.  

Navigate to the Accessibility tab in the menu and click on the "Reading Order Pane" option (Fig A below).  This will open up the Reading Order tab on the right side of your screen, where you can drag and reposition text into the correct order (Fig B).

Fig. A

Fig. B

In some situations, you may encounter an image or shape in the Reading Order pane that has an error icon displayed next to it (see Fig C below).  This is usually because the image is missing alt text, and will therefore be confusing to a screen reader.  You can fix this issue by right-clicking on the image/shape, selecting the Alt Text option from the drop-down menu, and then either adding some alt text or designating the image as a decorative item.

Fig. C

If you plan to share your slides with students as a PDF file, here are some tips to smooth the process:

• Ensure that your Powerpoint has a Title. 
  
  You can add a title to your presentation by selecting "File" from the top menu:
  
  
  From within the Home page, select "Info" from the left navigation menu:
  
  
  On the Info page, look in the right column for the "Properties" area.
  With your mouse, click in the field located next to "Title" and type in the title of your presentation.  
  
  Once you've added your title, you can click back on the left-arrow button (top left corner of screen) to return to your slide deck.
  
  
• Make sure to Save as Adobe PDF.
  When you're ready to export your slides as a PDF file, make sure to choose the "Save as Adobe PDF" option -- this will ensure that all the accessibility formatting will be preserved. 
  
  Don't choose the "Print as PDF" option as doing so will strip out all the accessibility formatting.
  
  
  
• Run accessibility checker on your PDF file within Acrobat.
  
  See the "Checking a PDF for Digital Accessibility" KB doc for step-by-step instructions.
  
  
  • The most common issues that pop up when you run an accessibility check in Acrobat are (1) missing alt text; (2) missing title.
    (Acrobat also typically suggests that you double check the reading order of your content.)
  • If missing alt text or title issues pop up, you'll want to jump back into your Powerpoint file and address these issues, and then re-export as a PDF.