Introduction

This information is part of a presentation created by Alexis Guethler in collaboration with the Accessibility Advisory Group at the University of Maryland School of Social Work. These resources are designed to support our faculty, students, and staff in understanding and implementing accessibility best practices in PowerPoint presentations.

As part of our commitment to Universal Design for Learning (UDL), we provide multiple ways to learn about and engage with our accessibility goals. PowerPoint presentations play a crucial role in delivering information visually, and ensuring their accessibility is essential for enabling all learners—regardless of their abilities—to fully engage with the content.

In this guide, you will learn how to create accessible PowerPoint slides by following best practices for:

• Using built-in templates and layouts

• Adding Alt Text to images and graphics

• Ensuring proper color contrast and font readability

• Structuring content logically with slide titles and bullet points

• Verifying accessibility with PowerPoint's built-in Accessibility Checker

By following these guidelines, you’ll enhance the inclusivity and effectiveness of your presentations, making them more engaging and accessible to all audience members

S is for Styles and Structures

When building a document, especially in Microsoft Word, using heading styles rather than manually formatting text is crucial. This approach not only simplifies document management (e.g., for creating tables of contents) but also enhances accessibility. For students and colleagues who use screen readers or have learning disabilities, consistent styles allow them to navigate documents efficiently, jumping from heading to heading without unnecessary reading.

However, in PowerPoint, "styles" apply to the overall slide layout and theme rather than individual font sizes and headers. PowerPoint uses themes to structure how your entire presentation looks, including the arrangement of elements like titles, body text, and images. Ensuring that your slide structure is accessible means using these themes and layouts effectively.

What to look for in PowerPoint?

• Best practice: Use the built-in placeholders for text and images on each slide. These placeholders are designed to maintain a logical flow of content for all users, including those using screen readers.

• Theme Selection: Choose a theme that offers a variety of slide layouts to meet your presentation’s needs. Many PowerPoint themes come with multiple layout options, and selecting one with enough flexibility to accommodate different content (such as titles, text, images, and charts) ensures a more organized, accessible presentation.

L is for Links

Links should provide context to users. Instead of using “Click here,” offer descriptive phrases like “Read more about accessibility standards on the ADA website.” A best practice is to list the name of the document, webpage or article that your reader will end up on.   This ensures that individuals using screen readers—and all users—can quickly understand where a link will take them.    For printed documents, provide shortened URLs in parentheses (e.g., LinkHere.com/Guide).

What to look for in PowerPoint?

• Ensure every link has descriptive text rather than vague phrases like "Click here."

• For video links, embed the video directly into the presentation whenever possible rather than linking to it.

What special linking practices should I use to make a PowerPoint accessible?

While we love described links.  Rather than linking videos in PowerPoint it is preferable to insert videos directly into the presentation if you intend to show it during your presentation.

You may need to delete the content placeholder if you are not uploading a video from your own computer. 

To Insert a web video from Vimeo, YouTube, Stream, or Slideshare.net:

• In your web browser, locate the video you want. Make sure it has closed captions available. 

• Copy the URL of the web page from the Address bar of your browser.

• Switch back to PowerPoint and select the slide where you want to place the video.

• On the Insert tab of the ribbon, select Video > Online Video.

• In the Online Video dialog box, paste the URL you copied in step 2.

• Select Insert.

• It is a great idea to include the web address in the notes section in case of any technical errors.

I is for Images

What is Alt Text?

• Definition: Alt text (alternative text) is a brief description added to images and graphics, allowing screen readers to convey content to visually impaired users.

• Why It Matters: Alt text ensures that everyone, including those using assistive technology, can understand the purpose of images in your presentation.

Engaging Audiences with Images

• A Picture is Worth 100 Words: Adding images helps people follow your presentation and remember key points. Images also support diverse learning styles.

• Use Word Icons or Stock Images: Consider Microsoft stock images, especially icons or images of diverse people, to represent ideas and enhance engagement.

• Why It Works: Icons are beneficial because they convey a lot of information without distraction.  On the other hand, some studies show audiences engage more with images of people, particularly when they reflect diversity and inclusion.

When to Use Decorative Images

• It’s OK to Use Decorative Images: Images that don’t add essential information can be marked as decorative, especially if they’re redundant with text.

• Keep It Relevant: Even decorative images should connect to your topic and enhance engagement. Sometimes, a cute cat picture might be relevant if it’s used to send well wishes to the audience.

• Alt Text vs. Decorative: When deciding whether to provide alt text or mark an image as decorative, consider if the image adds value for visually impaired users or if the message can be better conveyed in another way.

D is for Design

What to look for in PowerPoint?

Design plays a crucial role in making PowerPoint presentations accessible to all users. While it's important to focus on color contrast and fonts, as discussed on the Microsoft Word Slide training on this website in PowerPoint, one of the most important design elements is giving every slide a unique title. Titles serve multiple purposes that go beyond simply naming a slide. Here’s why they’re crucial:

Unique Titles: Each slide should have a unique and descriptive title. This helps people using screen readers navigate the presentation more easily.

1. Improving Accessibility: Unique titles ensure that people using screen readers or assistive technology can navigate your presentation smoothly. The titles act as markers, allowing users to understand where they are and what each slide represents.

2. Enhancing Organization and Flow: Titles give your audience an immediate understanding of what each slide will cover, helping them follow the narrative of your presentation. This also makes it easier for both you and your viewers to find specific information quickly during the presentation or later when reviewing.

3. Search and Navigation: PowerPoint has a built-in feature to view the slide outline, and titles are a key part of this structure. A consistent set of unique titles will let you and your audience navigate the presentation efficiently without having to scroll through every slide.

4. Clarity on Video Slides: Even on slides that primarily feature videos or media, a title still sets the context and explains what viewers are about to see. Skipping titles on these slides can cause confusion and make it harder to maintain focus during the presentation.

Evaluation Steps to Make Your Document Accessible

Titles on Every Slide:

Ensure that every slide has a unique and descriptive title. Titles are critical for navigation, especially for users relying on screen readers or those accessing the presentation in outline view.

• Even if content continues across multiple slides, provide each slide with a distinct title, or use "continued" when necessary.

• Titles help users understand what they will see on each slide, including images or data they will need to process.

Handling Missing Titles:

If your accessibility checker flags a missing slide title, check the Outline View in PowerPoint. This is an easy way to spot slides without titles and quickly add them.

• For example, if your slide is an overview of a topic, label the title appropriately (e.g., "Overview"). This provides clear guidance for users who are scanning or listening to your presentation via screen readers.

Title Management on Image and Video Slides:

Titles should be included even on slides that primarily feature images or videos. If the image needs to be large, and the title seems to clutter the slide, you can hide the title using the Selection Pane:

• In the Selection Pane, you can hide the title (by clicking the "eye" icon), but it will still remain in the title set, allowing screen readers to identify it. This ensures accessibility without sacrificing visual clarity.

Selection Pane for Reading Order:

The Selection Pane is a powerful tool for managing the reading order of your slide elements. Remember, the order in the Selection Pane is reversed: elements at the bottom are read first, and those at the top are read last.

• Use this tool to ensure that your slides are read by assistive technologies in a logical order.

Document Title and Metadata:

It’s important to provide an accurate document title and metadata.

• Go to File > Info, where you can edit the title of your presentation. This metadata will carry over to other formats, such as PDF or LMS (Learning Management System) uploads.

• Ensure that the correct author is listed, especially if you're using a template—replace any placeholder names with your own.

Publishing and Exporting

When exporting your presentation as a PDF or other format, always use the Export function, rather than Print as PDF. The Export feature preserves accessibility settings, such as Alt Text and reading order, while the print function can strip away some of this crucial information. 

Selected Resources

Date Last Updated/Reviewed: 9/26/2024