Follow these 10 simple steps to make your MS PowerPoints more accessible for people with disabilities and users of assistive technology.
Use Microsoft’s Accessible Templates
You can search for specifically designed accessible templates in PowerPoint by going to File, New, and then typing “accessible templates” into the search bar. The search results will display color-contrast compliant templates with accessible fonts and font sizes. To use one, select a template from the search results to open its preview, and then select Create. PowerPoint will open a new presentation with the template’s slide layouts, theme colors, and theme fonts already applied. Build your presentation from these layouts rather than changing the template’s colors and fonts, since edits to the theme can undo the contrast and readability that the template was designed to provide.
Note: While the search results will mostly be complaint, some inaccessible templates may still appear on occasion. To verify that the template you choose meets color contrast requirements, we recommend using the WebAIM Color Contrast Checker.
Syracuse University’s PowerPoint template uses accessible color combination and outlines the color palettes to use for university-branded PowerPoint presentations.
Avoid Inserting New Text Boxes
New text boxes can disrupt the reading order of a slide’s contents. Avoid creating them and always using native slide designs instead to ensure that the reading order and tag structure are not disrupted.
If you have moved, resized, or deleted placeholders on a slide, you can restore the slide to its original design by selecting the slide, going to Home, and selecting Reset. If none of the built-in layouts fit your content, you can create your own by going to View, then Slide Master, and selecting Insert Layout. Then use Insert Placeholder to add the text, picture, or chart placeholders you need, and select Close Master View when you are finished. Your custom layout will now appear under New Slide and Layout on the Home tab.
To quickly confirm that your text is in placeholders, go to View and select Outline View. Outline View only displays text that is in slide title and content placeholders, so any text that does not appear there is in a separate text box and should be moved into a placeholder.
Unique Slide Titles
Ensure that every slide has a descriptive, distinct title so that screen reader users can skim and navigate the slide deck easily. Without unique slide titles, non-visual screen reader users will not be able to know which slide contains the specific pieces of information they may be seeking. The simplest way to add a slide title is to type it into the slide’s “Click to add title” placeholder. If a slide lacks a title placeholder, go to Review, then Check Accessibility, and select Check Accessibility to open the Accessibility Assistant. Under the Document Structure category, select “Missing Slide Title,” then “Edit Slide Title.” Then type your slide title into the content placeholder.
If a topic continues across more than one slide, keep the titles distinct by adding words such as “Part 1” and “Part 2,” or “continued,” to each title. To review all your titles at once, go to View and select Outline View, which lists the title of every slide in the presentation. The Accessibility Checker will also flag any slides with missing or duplicate titles.
Verify Reading Order
For each slide, confirm that screen readers will process elements in the correct visual and logical sequence. To check the reading order for each slide and make changes to it as necessary, go to Review, then Check Accessibility, and select Reading Order Pane. Select the element you wish to move up or down in the reading order, and either use the up or down arrow buttons or drag and drop the elements to reorder them.
Reading Order Pane is in the drop-down menu under the Check Accessibility button. Screen readers read the elements in the order they are listed in the pane, from top to bottom, so the slide title should always be listed first. If an element, such as a decorative line or background shape, does not need to be read at all, clear the checkbox next to it in the pane to mark it as decorative and remove it from the reading order.
If several pieces belong together, such as the shapes and labels in a diagram, group them so that screen readers treat them as a single unit. Hold down Shift, select each piece, then go to Shape Format, select Group, and choose Group again. The group will appear as one item in the Reading Order Pane, where you can give it a single alt text description.
The Reading Order Pane is only available on PowerPoint for Windows. On a Mac or in PowerPoint for the web, go to Home, then Arrange, and select Selection Pane instead. Be aware that the Selection Pane lists elements in reverse order, so screen readers read the bottom item in the list first and the top item last.
Label and Visually Differentiate All Chart Elements
Pie charts, bar charts, line graphs, and other visual data representations must always have text labels for all their components. In addition, these elements should not rely on color alone to convey data. Use and vary gradients, patterns, and texture, in addition to colors and text labels. Also, consider displaying the data in multiple modalities; for example, consider displaying numerical data in both charts and tables.
To add labels, select the chart, go to Chart Design, and select Add Chart Element. From this menu, add a Chart Title, Axis Titles for each axis, and Data Labels so that the value of each bar, slice, or point is displayed directly on the chart. For pie charts, select Data Labels, then More Data Label Options, and check the boxes for Category Name and Percentage or Value so that each slice is labeled with both its name and its amount.
To add a pattern to a bar, column, or pie slice, right-click it and select Format Data Series, or Format Data Point for a single pie slice. In the pane that opens, select Fill and Line, then Fill, and choose Pattern fill. Pick a different pattern and foreground color for each data series so the series can be told apart without color. For line graphs, select each line, go to Format Data Series, then Fill and Line, and change the Dash type under Line, or the marker type under Marker Options, so that each line has its own style.
To display the numbers alongside the chart, go to Chart Design, then Add Chart Element, and select Data Table, which places a table of the chart’s values directly below it. You can also present the same data in a separate table on its own slide. Charts also need alt text, which PowerPoint will not generate automatically. Follow the steps in the Alt Text section below and summarize the main trend or takeaway of the chart in your description.
Alt Text
Add “alt text” to all meaningful images. Select the “decorative” checkbox for decorative images. For complex graphics, provide a text alternative in the document.
To add alt text, right-click the image and select View Alt Text, or select the image, go to Picture Format, and select Alt Text. The Alt Text pane will open on the right side of the screen. In the text field, type one or two sentences that describe the content and purpose of the image, as if you were describing it to someone who cannot see it. Do not begin your description with phrases such as “image of” or “picture of,” since screen readers already announce that the element is an image. The same steps work for shapes, icons, SmartArt, and charts, although the tab will be named Shape Format or Format instead of Picture Format. For a chart or SmartArt graphic, select the outer border of the graphic so that the alt text applies to the whole graphic rather than one of its pieces.
PowerPoint for Microsoft 365 may generate alt text for some photos automatically. Always review this text and rewrite it to fit the purpose of the image in your presentation and delete any added wording such as “Description automatically generated.”
Decorative images, such as borders, lines, and background designs, do not add information to the slide, and therefore should be marked as “decorative” to ensure that screen readers will skip over them. To mark an image as decorative, open the Alt Text pane using the steps above and check the box labeled Mark as decorative. The text field will turn gray, and screen readers will skip the image.
Complex graphics, such as flowcharts, maps, infographics, and detailed diagrams, contain more information than a short alt text can hold. For these, write a brief alt text that names the graphic and tells the reader where to find the full description, such as “Flowchart of the course registration process. A full text description follows on the next slide.” Then add the full description in the body text of the same slide or on the slide that follows. If an image contains text, such as a screenshot or a flyer, repeat that text on the slide or in the alt text so that it can be read by a screen reader.
To learn more about alt text, visit our Digital Accessibility 101: Alternative Text page.
Tables
Use simple tables. Set the header row in the Table Design tab. Avoid merging cells.
To insert a table, select the table icon inside a slide’s content placeholder, or go to Insert, then Table, and choose the number of rows and columns. Inserting the table into a placeholder keeps it in the slide’s built-in reading order. Use tables only for data, not to arrange text or images on the slide.
To set the header row, select anywhere in the table, go to Table Design, and check the Header Row box in the Table Style Options group. Then type a clear, descriptive heading in each cell of the first row. If the first column also contains headings, such as the name of each row’s category, check the First Column box as well. Screen readers use these headers to announce which row and column each cell belongs to.
Screen readers keep track of their place in a table by counting cells, so merged cells, split cells, and tables placed inside other tables can cause a screen reader to lose count. To undo a merged cell, select it, go to Layout, and select Split Cells. Avoid leaving cells blank, since a blank cell may lead a screen reader user to think the table has ended; type “None” or “Not applicable” instead. If a table is too large to read comfortably on one slide, divide it into smaller tables on separate slides, and give each table its own header row.
To learn more about creating accessible tables, visit our Digital Accessibility 101: Tables page.
Text
Use at least 28-point to 40-point+ text for titles and headings, and at least 18-point to 28-point text for main-body text. Ensure a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1 between text and its background. Never rely on color alone to convey meaning.
To set font sizes for the entire presentation at once, go to View, then Slide Master, and select the first and largest thumbnail at the top of the list on the left. Select the border of the title placeholder, go to Home, and type a size of 28 or larger into the Font Size box. Then select the border of the text placeholder and set the body text to 18 or larger. Select Close Master View when you are finished, and every slide that uses these layouts will update automatically. To change the size of text on a single slide, select the text, go to Home, and type a new size into the Font Size box. Choose a familiar sans serif font, such as Arial, Calibri, or Verdana, and avoid using all capital letters or long passages of italic or underlined text.
The Accessibility Checker will flag some text with low contrast, but it does not check text placed over pictures or over the slide background, so you should also check contrast yourself. To find the color code of your text, select the text, go to Home, select the arrow next to Font Color, choose More Colors, and open the Custom tab, where the color’s Hex code is listed. To find the color of the slide background, go to Design, select Format Background, and select the arrow next to Color, then More Colors. Enter both codes into a free tool such as the WebAIM Contrast Checker to confirm the ratio is at least 4.5:1.
When you use color to show meaning, such as red text to mark an overdue item, add a second cue that does not depend on color, such as a text label, bold text, or an icon with alt text. To test your slides, go to View and select Grayscale. If any information is lost when the colors are removed, add another cue. Select Back To Color View when you are finished.
To learn more about Color Contrast accessibility, visit our Digital Accessibility 101: Color Contrast page.
Caption videos and audio
Provide closed captions and transcripts for any embedded video or audio files. To do this, you will first need a caption file for each video or audio file. PowerPoint does not create caption files itself, so make one with a captioning tool or service and save it in WebVTT format, which ends in .vtt. Newer versions of PowerPoint for Microsoft 365 also accept SubRip Text files, which end in .srt. Review the caption file for accuracy before adding it, especially for names and technical terms.
To add the captions, go to View and select Normal, then open the slide that contains the video or audio file and select it. Go to Playback, select Insert Captions, and then select Insert Captions again from the menu. Choose your caption file and select Insert. You can also right-click the video and select Insert Captions. Play the video or audio file to confirm that the captions appear and line up with the speech. If you need to correct a caption file later, select the video, go to Playback, then Insert Captions, and select Remove All Captions. Then edit your original caption file and insert it again.
Caption files can only be added to video and audio files that are saved inside the presentation. If you insert an online video, such as one from YouTube, confirm that the video already has accurate captions available on the site where it is hosted. You can also opt to link to your video on Kaltura and play it on the webpage directly.
To provide a transcript, add a link to it on the slide with the media file, or place the full transcript on the slide that follows. Use descriptive link text, such as “Transcript of the welcome video,” rather than the web address or the words “click here.” If you present live, you can also display automatic subtitles of your speech by going to Slide Show and checking the box for Always Use Subtitles and then using Subtitle Settings to choose your spoken language and where the subtitles appear on the screen.
To learn more about video accessibility, visit our Digital Accessibility 101: Video & Audio page.
Run the Built-in Accessibility Checker
Go to the Review tab and select Check Accessibility. Work through the errors, warnings, and tips provided by the Accessibility Assistant before sharing or exporting your presentation to PDF. The pane that opens on the right side of the screen sorts issues by type and lists the slide and element where each one was found. Select an issue to jump to it on the slide, then use the recommended fix offered next to it, such as adding alt text or a slide title.
Errors make content very difficult or impossible for people with disabilities to access and should always be fixed first. PowerPoint also checks accessibility in the background as you work and will display a reminder in the status bar at the bottom of the window when it finds an issue. Select that reminder at any time to reopen the pane.
To learn more about accessible documents, please contact the ITS Digital Accessibility Services team at accessibleIT@syr.edu, or visit our Digital Accessibility Office Hours.