Microsoft PowerPoint Accessibility

careya2 — Mon, 27 Oct 2025 18:25:01 +0000

Microsoft PowerPoint Accessibility careya2 Mon, 10/27/2025 - 13:25

Introduction

Creating accessible PowerPoint presentations ensures that all audiences, including those with disabilities, can engage with your content. This guide provides practical steps to make your slides inclusive, readable, and compatible with assistive technologies.

Special Considerations

When designing accessible PowerPoint slides, prioritize accessibility over sophistication or design. Visual elements should be clear and usable for individuals with low vision or color blindness—use high-contrast color combinations and avoid relying solely on color to convey meaning. All images, charts, and graphics should include meaningful alt text to support screen readers. Ensure slide titles are unique and descriptive to aid navigation. Keep animations and transitions minimal to avoid distracting or disorienting users.

PowerPoint Accessibility Checklist

Author
Title
Company (usually UIS)
Keywords, if needed
Document file name should be clear.

When possible, use slide templates built into PowerPoint to make titles and reading order clear.
Use 7x7 guideline when adding text to slides (maximum of 7 lines and 7 words per line).
Leave 20% of the bottom of the slide empty for presentations that will be video recorded (so that captions and PowerPoint text don’t overlap). This includes references on slides.

Each slide should have a unique title. When slides discuss the same topic, they should be numbered, like [Topic] 1 of 2.
Ensure that slide title is identified correctly.
If you do not want the slide title to be visible, it should still be included but can be moved off the slide.

All font hits font size minimum (no smaller than size 18 font).
Chosen font is easily readable (sans serif).
All text meets spacing minimum (Ensure that line spacing meets 10 pt minimum to help readability).
Color is not used for text emphasis solely (bold, italics, etc.).
Hit enter no more than once after each bullet point/etc.
When possible, references should be included on a separate slide at the end of the presentation and should meet all font size, color, style, and spacing requirements.
- If this is not possible, references on each slide should still meet font size, color, style and spacing requirements.
- Additionally, care should be taken to ensure that references do not interfere with captions by being too low on the slide.
- If references are on each slide, special care should be taken to ensure that reading order is logical.

Hyperlinked text should be descriptive (providing context like the name of the website, purpose for visiting website, or description of what is on the website).
Hyperlinked text should use consistent formatting to indicate it’s hyperlinked (e.g., underlined, blue text)
In situations where a document will need to be printed and the hyperlink needs to be visible in full, a separate document should be created for printing purposes.
Ensure that linked content meets web accessibility guidelines.

For text that is classified as large text (18+ font size or 14+ and bold), ensure that text and background adhere to contrast ratio of 3:1.
Use colorblind-friendly palettes when using multiple colors in the same slideshow.
Evaluate Microsoft-provided templates for color contrast compliance (not all templates meet color contrast requirements/not all added elements meet requirements, e.g., added tables).
When creating your own charts/graphs/etc., use means other than color to differentiate parts of a graph/chart (e.g., patterns, labels, shapes, etc.).

For all images/charts/graphs/etc. that are essential and contribute to the meaning, alt text should be included in the alt text field.
Alt text should be no more than 150 characters. For images that require longer descriptions, see image description checklist below.
Alt text should explain purpose and important context for understanding the image.
When longer image descriptions are provided, alt text should refer to where those descriptions can be found.
For images that are non-essential, mark them as decorative.

Image descriptions should be written where specified in the alt text.
When possible, image descriptions should exist on the same document as the image (ideally in the Notes section).
Image descriptions should explain purpose and important context for understanding the image.
All text in the image should be written out in the image description or near the image.
For graphs/charts, information about how to read the data should be written in the image description (e.g., what is measured on each axis, what percentages are represented in a pie graph, etc.).
Relationships between parts of the complex image should be described.

Tables should be created using the insert table function in PowerPoint; they should not be shared as images in the slideshow.
Tables should be used for data, not for layout purposes.
Tables must have a header row, header column, or both.
- If tables require a header row, check the header row box in the table design tab.
- If tables require a header column, check the first column box in the table design tab.
All cells in the table should have content (no blank cells). If a cell would not have data/content, specify that it’s not applicable/doesn’t apply/no data.
No cells should be merged.
No cells should be split.
The size of the cells/table should be adjusted using the cell/table resize function (not by clicking enter a bunch of times in a cell to make it bigger, for example).
Tables should have alt text.
Tables should have captions that specify the purpose of the table.
Guidelines for font size still apply; if a large table with many cells needs to be shared, break the table into smaller sections on separate slides for readability.
If you are working with a table and are not able to meet the above requirements, please set up a meeting with the Office of Digital Accessibility.

If content should be organized in columns, choose a slide template that makes use of multiple columns. This includes slides where there is text on one side and other content on the other side (e.g., image).
Lists should be started by clicking the Bullets or Numbering buttons in the toolbar.
- Use numbered lists for content where order is important (e.g., step-by-step instructions).
- Use bullet points for content where order is not important (e.g., packing list).

Save the document as a .pptx file.
If exporting to PDF, click “Save As,” then choose “best for electronic distribution and accessibility.” Please note that anything included in Notes will not be part of the PDF and should be shared separately.
Remove restrictions so that users have access to all parts of the document.
If file size is large, use Compress Pictures action to reduce file size.

For transitions between slides:
- Avoid using automatic transitions.
- Keep transitions short (under 3 seconds).
- Avoid complex animations that flash, spin, rotate, etc.
For animations on slides:
- Avoid complex animations that flash, spin, rotate, etc.
- Animations should not remove or cover existing content on a slide.
- Keep animations short (under 3 seconds).
- Avoid animation within textboxes.
- Don’t use animation as the sole means of conveying information.

If the PowerPoint is for a course and uses audio recorded directly in PowerPoint:
- Export the file as an MP4 and upload into Kaltura. Follow instructions for captioning videos in Kaltura.
- Create a version of the file without audio recordings to be shared in Canvas, if necessary.
If the PowerPoint is not for a course and uses audio recorded directly in PowerPoint, reach out to the Office of Digital Accessibility to discuss options for ensuring content accessibility

Use a screen reader (NVDA for Windows, VoiceOver for iOS) to ensure that slideshow is being read correctly.
If slideshow is not being read in the correct order, please set up a meeting with the Office of Digital Accessibility.

Additional Resources

Accessible PowerPoints (video, English)
Documentos PowerPoint accesibles (video, Spanish)

Resource type

Microsoft Office, PowerPoint

Microsoft Office, PowerPoint

Microsoft PowerPoint Accessibility

Introduction

Special Considerations

PowerPoint Accessibility Checklist

Metadata

Slide Format

Slide Title

Font Size, Color, Style, and Spacing

Hyperlinks

Color Contrast

Alt Text for Images

Image Descriptions

Tables

Special Formatting Considerations

File Type

Limiting Slide Transitions/Animations

Captions/Audio Files (Recorded Audio)

Screen Reader Usability

Additional Resources