Since every slide must have a title it may interfere with the layout of your slide so instead of deleting the title, there is an option to hide the title. This will provide easy navigation while providing you with design freedom for your slide by visually hiding the title.
Video overview of how to hide a slide title in PowerPoint
This video will walk users through how to hide a slide title
Text Overview of how to hide a slide title
Open up the arrange panel
Under the selection area, choose which content you want to hide
Validating the order in the Arrange Panel
After you set the order in the Reading Order pane, ensure everything is also correct in the arrange panel. The arrange panel is in reverse, so the first item that will read is the one on the bottom. To get to the arrange panel – follow these steps:
On the Home ribbon select the arrange button
Select the Selection pane
Select the view icon next to the title to hide it
This will hide the title from the slide but maintain the accessibility
Do you need some hands-on PowerPoint accessibility practice? Below you will find a practice file and an answer key file. There is an introduction video and an answer key video to follow along with.
Practice Files and Introduction
Download the practice file and watch the introduction video.
This post will guide users through how to create an accessible pie chart in PowerPoint. Pie charts and bar graphs are inherently inaccessible when built within PowerPoint. There are additional steps that must be completed in order to make a pie chart accessible.
Need more PowerPoint accessibility guides?
Creating an accessible pie chart video overview
This video will provide a detailed walkthrough of how to make an accessible Pie Chart in PowerPoint.
An accessible pie chart includes the following elements:
Labels
Patterns
Do not rely on color alone
Alternate text
Data table is available
Example of accessible pie chart (image)
This image represents an accessible pie chart that includes labels and patterns.
Add labels to a pie chart
There is no reason to hide or confuse data in a pie chart. Be specific and direct and add data labels to all data points in any chart!
Right-click the pie chart
Select Format Data levels
Select the best options for the data labels
Add patterns to a pie chart
Patterns are more accessible to a wider array of people with disabilities. Instead of relying on color alone (which is an accessibility failure) – use a pattern and a color.
Right-click the Pie Chart
Select Format Data Series
Choose the appropriate pattern and color
Add alternate text
Right-click the entire chart object
Select alternate text
Enter a detailed alternate text
Do you plan on converting the PowerPoint to another file type like PDF?
You might consider inserting the Pie Chart as a flattened image and providing alternate text instead. Screen readers can have difficulty reading the contents of a pie chart within the PPT itself.
Table accessibility is an important aspect of creating accessible PowerPoint files. Be sure to follow all basic table accessibility features. Unsure of what those are? Keep reading.
Accessible tables should include the following elements:
Ensure the table has a header row or header column selected
Apply a table style
Avoid complex tables or merged cells
Avoid layout tables
Add alternate text
Did you know?
In MS Word you can make your tables even more accessible by applying alternate text, and repeating header rows within the properties menu! Each Microsoft product has different abilities when it comes to accessibility in general. Its all about the authoring program features. What you can do in word, is not the same as what you can do in PowerPoint, excel, or even PDF for that matter.
Table Accessibility Video Overview for PowerPoint
This video will walk users through how to create accessible tables in PowerPoint.
Text overview
The next section will provide a text-based method for making tables accessible in PowerPoint.
Add a heading row or column to the table
Select the table
Select Table Design
Select the appropriate header row or first column selection based on the data
This will change the visual look of the table but not any of the data.
Apply a Style to the table
Select the table
Select Table Design
Choose a Table Style
Add alternate text
Select the Accessibility Tab
Select Alt Text
Enter the Alt Text
Avoid merged cells and complex tables
Merged cells and nested tables cause nothing but problems for screen readers and other forms of assistive technology. Keep your tables simple and direct. If you have nested tables, consider creating multiple tables instead.
Avoid using “click here” or “more info” in your link description. Links should be clear and easy to understand. The link should tell the user exactly where they are going.
While screen readers can read a full page to a user, screen reader users may prefer to instead listen to a list of links. In that case, a screen reader may only read the link text and not the surrounding text.
Speech recognition software allows a user to avoid using a mouse. Users can speak the text of the link that they would like to follow.
Keyboard-only users may not be able to use a mouse to click links. They use a keyboard’s tab button to navigate through a page’s links, buttons, and form inputs. For such users, it is very important for them to see which item has a focus on at all times.
Colorblind users may not be able to perceive color cues. Typically, pages present links in a different color than their surrounding text. Adding underlines or other non-color indicators helps users who may not see color. Users who are not comfortable with technology may also appreciate having links underlined.
Make text a link in PowerPoint
Select some text
Right click the text you want to make a link
Fill in the address
Select ok
Make an Image a link in PowerPoint
The following directions will help you apply a link to an image within PowerPoint
Step 1
Select the image that you want to make a link.
Step 2
Right-click the image and select link
Step 3
Fill in the link location with the destination URL
Lists and PowerPoint accessibility are essential for Section 508 compliance. This post will cover the difference between unordered and ordered lists, and how to apply them in PowerPoint.
Lists and PowerPoint accessibility are essential for Section 508 compliance. This post will cover the difference between unordered and ordered lists, and how to apply them in PowerPoint.
This video is going to show users how to apply lists in PowerPoint for accessibility purposes.
Lists are great from an accessibility standpoint because they provide structured order to content in a linear fashion. Lists are recommended as potential replacements for simple tables, as tables can be more difficult to navigate, and sometimes, we provide info in tables that really would be better suited to lists.
You can use lists inside of lists, or nested lists, just check to make sure they are coded properly. Lists should always be checked to make sure that the list items are really contained within one list, check to make sure that spacing does not break a list into multiple individual points, and use the proper techniques described below to create lists. You should never rely on indentation to provide a visual list, use the proper structure instead.
Unordered lists or Bulleted lists are for when the order is unimportant
Items that can be used for a bulleted list are for when the order does not matter. The example I like to use is that of grocery items, here is an example:
Milk
Bread
Eggs
Lettered lists are primarily for unordered lists were referring to a specific item may be important.
Numbered lists are for lists where the order is important
Use numbered lists for when order is important. Here is an example:
Directions to Store
Turn left at Walnut Ave
Travel for 1 mile
Turn right at College Street
Travel for .3 miles
Turn right into parking lot
Things to consider with Lists
Avoid using nonrich content editor symbols like dashes or x’s to indicate a list
Use the proper numbered or bulleted list for the items
Need to review other PowerPoint content? Check out this guide.
How to apply lists in PowerPoint
The first step in applying a list in PowerPoint is to select some text.
Then, select the list option from the paragraph ribbon.
The reading order in PowerPoint is an important criterion for Section 508 and accessibility in general. The reading order will read from the top down, while the arrange panel will read from the bottom up or in reverse order.
Change the reading order in PowerPoint Video Overview
The video below will show how to set the reading order and arrange order in PowerPoint 365 Desktop version.
Read order vs. Arrange order
PowerPoint has two options for setting the reading order. On PC, the reading order should be set starting with the top and working down through each element.
The Arrange panel is similar to the Reading order panel and should also be set. On PC this content will read from the bottom element first moving up to the top. (Reverse order)
How to set the Reading Order in PowerPoint
The quickest method to open the correct menu item is to simply use the search feature at the top of PowerPoint. Type in Reading Order into the search box and select Display the Reading Order Pane.
Setting the order with the Reading order pane
Use the Reading Order panel to ensure the content matches as intended. If content does not match, use the arrows in the Reading Order panel to move objects to the appropriate location. In this example, the order is as follows.
The Heading
The content panel
another content panel
Validating the order in the Arrange Panel
After you set the order in the Reading Order pane, ensure everything is also correct in the arrange panel. The arrange panel is in reverse, so the first item that will read is the one on the bottom. To get to the arrange panel – follow these steps:
Slide titles should be unique. Every slide in the slide deck should have a purposeful name. It’s easy to use duplicate titles but do your best to avoid duplicates.
How to apply slide titles in PowerPoint Video Overview
Why should I have unique slide titles?
People who rely on assistive technology to review presentations will often navigate by the heading or title structure. If you end up converting the document to another format like PDF, the slide titles will come through as headings.
Failing Example
In the example below there are 5 different slides that share the exact same title.
Passing Example
In order to apply unique slide titles simply add a number to the end of each slide. The quickest method to change the title of a slide is to edit in outline view.
Select View
Select Outline View
Then simply add a number or change the title altogether. The image below shows an outline view of a presentation with numbers added to make slide titles independent.
Images need accurate descriptions for students who rely on screen readers. Avoid using text-heavy photos and the description should provide enough information within the context of the topic. Keep in mind the context of the picture, which may change the scope of the needed explanation.
Images should never start with a “picture of” or “image of” as the screen reader will identify it as an image. The one exception to this rule is if the context of that information actually matters.
Is this a photography course? Is this an art course? If so, then it might be ok to use “image of” in the description.
How to apply alternate text to an image in PowerPoint Video Overview
Image Context
Image context will change based on the audience and what you want them to learn about the image. The same image could have different descriptions depending on its intent.
Special Notes
Be sure to check all images as sometimes the file name is inserted as the alternate text area. For example, jordison.png might be the default value in the alt text area for an image – be sure to spot-check all images to ensure that the file name did not get inserted.
Keep alternate text less than 100 – 150 characters. If there is more text needed – be sure to include it next to the image on the page. You can also link to a longer description using a separate document!
When images are used that do not convey any meaning and are just for visual effect, it is possible to mark these elements as decorative with the latest versions of PowerPoint. After selecting the image and opening the Alt Text panel, select the checkbox “Mark as decorative”. This has the effect of making the image “invisible” to assistive technologies.
If an image does not include any alternate text information and is not marked as decorative, then assistive technologies may try to read out a file name or will announce the presence of a graphic, but with no additional information. This has the effect of informing the student there might be content, but the student does not have access to that information.
If sufficient information is described through text and images are used, consider marking the graphics as decorative to improve screen reader readability.
Text Overview of how to apply alternate text to images in PowerPoint?
Content should appear in the outline view. Sometimes using textboxes can interfere with accessibility, so only use them if they are a part of your accessible slide design theme.
Outline view and textboxes in PowerPoint Video Walkthrough
In order for content to be the most accessible to people who use screen readers it is recommended that all content appears in the outline view of PowerPoint. The outline view shows a text-based version of the content with your file.
Additionally, the outline view offers a snapshot of all of the major content types in your presentation. It is an excellent method for organizing and chunking your information. It is also a great way to create a quickly accessible version for people with disabilities!
To view the outline view
Select View
Select Outline view
Review titles and content to ensure all content from slide is located in outline view
Avoid using added text boxes
The textbox feature will allow you to add extra content to a slide but it might not be accessible and it will not appear in Outline View properly. Additionally, it will cause extra problems when adjusting the reading and arrange order.
How do I ensure my content is in outline view?
This is purely based on using a theme and a slide template.
On the home ribbon, select Layout
Select the template you would like use
The last step of this process is to actually use the content boxes to place your content. Do not add additional text boxes in this step. Simply click into one of the content boxes to add the desired information. Using a template will not only add all content to the outline view, but it will also be in the correct reading order!
Additional Information
Edit the slide master theme in order to develop custom templates and ensure all the content is in order and available in the outline view.
