How to ensure PowerPoint accessibility

Section 508 compliance is essential to ensure that PowerPoint presentations are accessible to individuals with disabilities. This page starts with general guidelines for PowerPoint accessibility and concludes with links to detailed blog posts that satisfy each of the Section 508 standards.

Video Guide

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PowerPoint Accessibility Tips

Using a theme ensures that your presentation has a consistent visual design, which is crucial for accessibility. By using a built-in theme, you can automatically apply accessible colors, fonts, and layouts to your slides.
Ensure that all text content is viewable in the outline view. By doing so, screen readers can easily access and interpret the text. To achieve this, avoid adding text boxes and instead use the default placeholders provided in the slide layouts.
Ensure images have alternate text or mark them as decorative to ensure screen reader users understand their purpose. Provide descriptive alternate text to allow visually impaired users to comprehend the image’s content and context. Mark any image as decorative if it is purely decorative and doesn’t convey any essential information.
Each slide must have a unique title, which provides a clear and concise overview of the slide’s content. Unique titles help users navigate the presentation more effectively and allow screen readers to announce slide titles when transitioning between slides.
Ensure proper identification of all list elements within the list structure to enable screen readers to recognize and announce list items correctly.
Properly format hyperlinks with descriptive anchor text that accurately reflects the linked content. This helps users understand the purpose of the hyperlink without having to rely on the URL itself.
Tables must use table headings and avoid merged cells to ensure the content is accessible to screen reader users. Properly format tables with headings to allow users to understand the relationship between data points.
Finally, it’s important to set the reading order for each slide so that screen readers announce the content in a logical sequence. This helps users follow the flow of information and better understand the presentation.

Making Other PowerPoint Elements Accessible

For bar charts and pie graphs, ensure they are accessible within PowerPoint by providing descriptive text or captions explaining the data. Additionally, consider using patterns or textures in conjunction with colors to differentiate chart segments.
When using multimedia elements like audio or video, it’s crucial to provide captions or transcripts for individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing. Embed captions directly into video files or provide a separate caption file that users can access.
Ensure that users can access and activate all interactive elements, such as hyperlinks and embedded objects, using keyboard shortcuts to accommodate their needs.
Color contrast is another crucial factor in creating accessible PowerPoint presentations. Ensure that your text and background colors have sufficient contrast to make the content easily readable for users with low vision or color vision deficiencies. Use online color contrast tools to check the contrast ratio and make adjustments as needed.
Use animations and transitions judiciously, as excessive use of these elements can distract and potentially trigger seizures in individuals with photosensitive epilepsy. If animations and transitions are necessary, opt for simple, non-distracting options and avoid rapid flashing or strobing effects.

Additionally, it’s imperative to test your PowerPoint presentation with a range of assistive technologies. These may include screen readers and magnification tools. This process allows you to pinpoint and resolve any potential accessibility issues, guaranteeing full compliance with Section 508 standards.

PowerPoint Accessibility Checklist

In order for a PowerPoint file to be 508 accessible, it must contain the following elements:

Bonus material

Let me be your champion for inclusion. I offer tailored solutions (and self-paced courses!) to ensure your documents meet and exceed compliance expectations. 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!