PowerPoint Accessibility Checklist

Note: All accessibility features mentioned below might not be applicable to your PowerPoint. Please read through the checklist and apply the accessibility requirements where necessary.

Additionally, be sure to use the built-in Accessibility Checker and to check the reading order of the slides.

PowerPoint Accessibility Features

The aim of the list below is that you can answer each question as it pertains to your current PowerPoint file with a resounding “Yes.” If any of the following pertain to your file and your answer is “No,” and you’d like assistance, please email TLi.

• Color Contrast
  • Did I use color with high contrast in my document?
• Hyperlinks
  • Are the links in my document descriptive and unique?
• Images
  • Did I include alternative text for any image or graphic?
  • Did I mark non-meaningful images or graphics as decorative? (e.g., blank alt-text)

• List Styles
  • Did I use the built-in bulleted or numbered list? (No lists were manually created.)
• Reading Order
  • Are the elements on my slide in the correct reading order?
    Note: To check the reading order in PowerPoint, use the Reading Order Pane found under the Review > Check Accessibility menu. This pane lists objects from top-to-bottom, allowing you to drag-and-drop items to ensure screen readers, such as those used by people with visual impairments, consume content in the correct, logical sequence.
• Slide Titles
  • Does each of my slides have a unique title?
• Tables
  • Does my table have descriptive column or row headers?
  • Did I mark my header cells in the table properties?
  • Did I provide alternative text or a caption for my table?

• Text Styles
  • Did I use more than one text feature (bold, color, size) to place emphasis on text? (Did not rely on color only for emphasis)
• Videos
  • Did I use videos with captions?

PowerPoint Accessibility Resources

The resources below will take you to Microsoft Support pages

• Videos
  • Making Slides Accessible (02:29)
    Put your PowerPoint slide content in proper reading order so screen readers read it correctly for users with vision or reading disabilities.
  • Making Images & Objects Accessible (02:40)
    Use these techniques to make your PowerPoint slides’ charts, graphs, and images accessible to users with vision or reading disabilities.
  • Using Accessible Colors and Styles in Slides (02:07)
    The colors and styles you use for slides, text, charts, and graphics improve the accessibility in PowerPoint presentations. Starting with a template can help.
  • Making Slides Accessible for People with Dyslexia (03:50)
    The elements that make presentations clearer and easier to comprehend for people with dyslexia also make them better in general. These tips help you do both.
  • Saving Presentations in Different Formats (03:50)
    To make a presentation more accessible to people with disabilities, save it in an alternative format that can be read by a screen reader. Your audience can open it on a personal device or port it to a Braille reader.
• Make your PowerPoint presentations accessible (Text-based guide)
  This resource will show you how to implement the following best practices, whether you are working in the Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Online (Office365), or Windows 10 app version of PowerPoint:
  • Include alternative text with all visuals and tables (including SmartArt graphics, shapes, and PivotCharts).
  • Add meaningful hyperlink text and ScreenTips.
  • Use sufficient contrast for text and background colors.
  • Give all sheet tabs unique names, and remove blank sheets.
  • Use a simple table structure and specify column header information (including adding headers to a new table and using headers in an existing table).

When working within Microsoft Office 365, you can also enable real-time, automatic closed captions to make your presentation more accessible.