Why Presentations Need Special Attention

PowerPoint is a common source of accessibility issues because of one problem: reading order. Screen readers read slide content in the order objects were added — not necessarily the visual order you see. This means a screen reader user might hear the bullet points before the title, or the chart description before the main heading.

Additionally, color contrast and fonts that look fine on a computer monitor can be worse on a projector in a well-lit classroom.

Step-by-Step: Making a PowerPoint Accessible

Step 1: Use Accessible Templates

Start with either a built-in template with proper reading order and structure — or a properly formatted outline (Microsoft support site). Avoid making slides from scratch with blank layouts, as content boxes you add manually may not be in the correct reading order.

Step 2: Set the Reading Order

The most important step for PowerPoint accessibility.

1. Home → Arrange → Selection Pane (or Review → Check Accessibility → Reading Order Pane)
2. Pane lists all objects on the current slide
3. The bottom item in the list reads first — this is counterintuitive!
4. Drag items to reorder them so the reading sequence, bottom to top, is: 
   • Title first
   • Main content second
   • Supporting elements (images, charts) in correct order
5. Repeat for every slide

Step 3: Add Alt Text to Images

For every image, chart, or graphic:

1. Right-click the image → Edit Alt Text
2. Write a brief description of the image's meaning
3. If the image is decorative, check "Mark as decorative"

Step 4: Use Built-In Slide Layouts

Don't add text boxes manually to slides — use the built-in layout placeholders:

• Home → Slides → Layout  → Select the layout that suits your content

If you must insert text boxes, remember to check the position in the Selection Pane reading order.

Step 5: Give Every Slide a Unique Title

Screen reader users navigate by slide titles. Every slide needs a title, and titles should be unique and descriptive.

• If a slide doesn't need a visible title, you can still add one and move it off-screen or hide it
• The Accessibility Checker will flag slides missing titles

Step 6: Check Color Contrast

Ensure at least 4.5:1 contrast between text and slide background. Be especially careful with:

• Light text on light backgrounds
• Dark text on dark backgrounds
• Brand colors that may not meet contrast requirements

Test with the WebAIM Contrast Checker.

See Color & Contrast for requirements.

Step 7: Caption Embedded Video

If your presentation includes video:

• Use videos that already have accurate captions
• If you're embedding a YouTube video, ensure captions are correct and enabled
• See Audio & Video for available captioning resources

Step 8: Set the Document Language

Review → Language → Set Proofing Language → English (or the appropriate language)

Step 9: Run the Accessibility Checker

Review → Check Accessibility

Review every item and fix all issues. The checker will flag:

• Missing alt text
• Missing slide titles
• Reading order issues
• Low contrast

Reading Order Deep Dive

The Selection Pane is the key to fixing reading order. Here's how it works:

To fix: Drag "Title" to the bottom of the list so it reads first, then "Bullet points" above it, then "Chart 3" at the top.

You can also use the Reorder Objects button in the Accessibility Checker to drag items into the correct visual reading order (top-to-bottom), which may be more intuitive.
 

Common Issues & Fixes