How do I make a PowerPoint accessible?

How do I check to see if my PowerPoint is accessible? 

Learn more about the Microsoft accessibility checker.

  1. In the Review ribbon, select Check Accessibility. 

  2. Review and remediate any found issues in the Inspect pane. 

Use pre-built slide layouts.  

When possible, use pre-built slide layouts already available in PowerPoint instead of creating your own. These slide layouts already have many accessibility features added. 

Add a title.

Your title is added in the metadata of your document and is separate from your save title. 

On Mac: 

  1. In the top menu, select File. 
  2. Select Properties. 
  3. Select Summary. 
  4. Add your title. 

On Windows: 

  1. In the top menu, select File. 
  2. Select Info. 
  3. Add your title. 

Add alt-text to your images. 

All images will need to have alt-text added or be marked as ‘decorative’. Learn more about alt-text.

  1. Select your image.
  2. In the Picture Format ribbon, select Alt Text.
  3. Add your alt-text in the opened pane.

Make sure your links are descriptive and meaningful. 

Let your user know where they are going when they select a link. Don’t use ‘Click Here’ or ‘Read More’ for your link text. Learn more about descriptive links.

Check the reading order in your slides. 

If you make your own slide template, or move text boxes in a pre-build slide template, you will need to make sure your content is being presented in the correct order. 

Review your reading order:

  1. In the Home tab, select Arrange > Selection Pane
  2. Review your Reading Order. Drag and drop your content items as needed. 

Add descriptive slide titles. 

Make sure each slide has a unique, descriptive title. This helps people more quickly and easily navigate through your presentation.

Learn more about how to add a title to a slide.

Make sure your tables are formatted correctly. 

All tables should include a table header and alternative text. Tables should only be used to format tabular information, not to add structure to your document. Learn more about table accessibility. 

To add a header row: 

  1. Select your data table and then select the Table Design ribbon. 

  2. Make sure that the Header Row box is checked. 

To add alternative text: 

  1. Select your data table and then select the Layout ribbon in the Table Design tab.

  2. Select Properties.

  3. Select Alt Text.

  4. Add information about your table in Title and Description.

Check your color and color contrast. 

Images and text are required to meet WCAG 2.1 AA standards. You can check your content with WebAIM’s Contrast Checker(link is external). Avoid light colored text on a light colored background. Learn more about color and color contrast

Use easy-to-read fonts and designs. 

Use easy-to-read fonts, like Ariel or Verdana, in your presentation. Make sure your font is at least 18 points or larger. Avoid slide transitions and animations, because these can distracting for users. 

More Resources