Accessible PowerPoints are slide presentations that can be used and understood by everyone. They have an accessible visual style, text descriptions of images, and good document structure.
PowerPoints can be made accessible by following basic best practices each time you create a presentation, and using accessible slide templates.
- Learn more in Presentations and Slides Accessibility Basic Training (U-M Canvas)
- Review instructions to make your PowerPoint presentations accessible to people with disabilities (Microsoft)
Best Practices
Slide Titles
- Give every slide a unique, descriptive title
- Following the instructions on Microsoft's Title a Slide page
Formatting
- Select fonts that are easier to read, such as simple sans serif fonts
- Use 18pt or larger font sizes
- Create lists with proper list formatting
- Ensure there is good color contrast between your background colors and fonts
- Use the U-M Colors - Brand and Visual Identity resource to select colors
Images
- Add alternative text to images
Tables
- Avoid tables when you can
- If you need to include tables, make them accessible using table headers
Slide Content Reading Order
Some people may navigate your presentation with assistive technology, such as a keyboard or screen reader. It’s important that items in your slides are in a logical order.
- Use the Check Accessibility tool to find problems with reading order
- Set the reading order of slide contents
Checker
- Use the Check Accessibility tool to find and fix issues
Once you have created an accessible PowerPoint, you can use it as a template to create additional accessible slides in the future.
Presentation Accessibility
Having an accessible PowerPoint is just one part of giving an accessible presentation.
- Learn more in Presentations and Slides Accessibility Basic Training (U-M Canvas)