Creating an Accessible PowerPoint: Step-by-Step Guide

Welcome to a comprehensive guide on how to create an accessible PowerPoint presentation. In this guide, you’ll learn the best practices for making a PowerPoint accessible and how to use the built-in accessibility checker to ensure your presentations are inclusive for all audiences.

Video Guide

Best Practices for Making a PowerPoint Accessible

Before diving into the process of making your PowerPoint accessible, it’s essential to understand some best practices:

1. Use a built-in theme.
2. Add alternate text to all images.
3. Give every slide a unique title.
4. Ensure list elements are properly identified within the PowerPoint.
5. Format links properly.
6. Use table headers in tables.
7. Set the reading order.

By following these practices, you can create a PowerPoint presentation that is more accessible and inclusive for all users.

Using the Accessibility Checker in PowerPoint

To begin, launch the accessibility checker in PowerPoint by selecting the File button, then Info, and then Check for Issues. Click on Check Accessibility, which will bring up a list of errors that need to be fixed within the document.

Go through each error, starting with missing alternate text for images. Add appropriate alt text to each image, describing what the image represents. For example, “A screenshot from Adobe Acrobat with a parent figure tag on display.”

Next, ensure that hyperlinks are properly formatted. While you may want to leave the full URL for presentational purposes, it’s better for accessibility to use descriptive link text instead.

Ensure each slide has a unique title and properly identify list elements as you go through your slides.Additionally, check that any tables are using table headers for added accessibility.

If images do not add significant information to the presentation, mark them as decorative. The accessibility checker will no longer flag them as errors.

After addressing all errors, check for warnings about the slide’s reading order from the accessibility checker. To fix this, open the reading order pane and rearrange the content for the correct reading order. For instance, make sure to read the slide number last.

With all errors and warnings resolved, your accessible PowerPoint is ready to go! Remember, while accessibility checkers are not always perfect, PowerPoint’s checker is more fine-tuned, and following its guidance will help you create more inclusive presentations.

Remember, creating accessible PowerPoint presentations not only benefits those with disabilities but also ensures your content is available to a broader audience, making your presentations more effective and inclusive.

Start from scratch

Sometimes it is easier to simply copy and paste the content from an inaccessible PowerPoint into a new accessible template. The video below shows a real-life practice of how to do just that.

Remember, I can be your accessibility expert. For more detailed insights, tutorials, and in-depth discussions on accessibility and related topics, don’t forget to check out my YouTube channel: The Accessibility Guy on YouTube. Subscribe for regular updates!