---
title: "How to Create Accessible PowerPoint Presentations"
canonical: "https://kb.uconn.edu/space/IKB/26992771108/How%20to%20Create%20Accessible%20PowerPoint%20Presentations"
format: markdown
---
For creating accessible PowerPoint presentations this is a checklist as well as detailed steps/explanations that can be followed.


<details>
<summary>Document Title & Author</summary>

1. Click on File found in the Word menu
2. Click Info
3. Under Properties, add the Title and Author if needed
</details>

<details>
<summary>Accessible Fonts</summary>

- Good Choices are:
  - Arial
  - Calibri
  - Verdana
- Try to use font size 12 and higher
- Use **Strong **style for bold and *Emphasis* style for Italics
</details>

<details>
<summary>Alternative (Alt) Text</summary>

- Do not start alt text with “picture of“ or “graphic of”
- Validate auto-generated alt text
- Include enough information for end user
- Exclude information found near the image (example: caption below image)
- Include alt text for images with hyperlink
- Tip: You can turn on/off the Automatic Alt Text setting found in File > Options > Ease of Access > Accessibility
</details>

<details>
<summary>Descriptive Hyperlinks</summary>

- Write link text where it is going, for example [IT Accessibility](https://accessibility.its.uconn.edu/)
- Do not use “click here”, “learn more”, “read more”
- Do not underline text that is not a link because keyboard users may think it is a link that is inaccessible
</details>

<details>
<summary>True Tables</summary>

- Use only data for tables
- Designate top row as the header for each column
- Turn on Repeat Header Row (found under Layout menu item when table is highlighted)
- Add Alt Text to the table
- Cannot create accessible table if using split cells, merged cells, or nested tables in Word when exporting to PDF
- Tab through each cell to check for navigation (left to right and down)
</details>

<details>
<summary>Adequate Color Contrast</summary>

<u>[Detailed information and steps](https://uconn.atlassian.net/wiki/pages/resumedraft.action?draftId=26989166615&draftShareId=e2bd18f0-247f-428f-994e-558c1f20d030)</u> to ensure adequate color contrast.
</details>

<details>
<summary>Give every slide a unique title (heading level 1)</summary>

- Make each slide title unique
- Title will be presented as a heading to screen reader uses and will be the first thing read on each slide.
</details>

<details>
<summary>Ensure the reading order is correct</summary>

- By default screen reader will read:
  - slide title first
  - followed by other content defined by slide layout
  - then any added content
- If content is added, be sure the reading order is correct
- Two ways to check reading order:
  - Home > Arrange > Selection Pane (this is reversed order)
  - Review > Check Accessibility > Reading Order Pane
- Tips on Reading Order Pane:
  - Read in order listed
  - Uncheck decorative elements
  - If you have complex diagrams or illustrations made of many objects, group the objects into logical units
  - More information on [Reading Order Pane](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/make-slides-easier-to-read-by-using-the-reading-order-pane-863b5c1c-4f19-45ec-96e6-93a6457f5e1c)
</details>

<details>
<summary>Avoid animations & automatic slide transitions</summary>

Animations and automatic slide transitions should be avoided because they can be a disturbance for people using screen readers.
</details>

<details>
<summary>Captions for Live Presentations</summary>

Live Present:

- End user chooses to turn off/on
- Save file to OneDrive
- Slide Show > Present Live drop-down arrow and set Audience Settings
- Present > Present Live
- Language can be changed by end user

Live Captions:

- Everyone sees the captions
- Use desktop version of the PowerPoint
- Slide Show > Always Use Subtitles
</details>

<details>
<summary>Captions for Embedded Video/Audio</summary>

- Use VTT Captions
- Kaltura creates SRT captions
  - Edit video > Captions > Download icon
- Use [Happy Scribe](https://www.happyscribe.com/subtitle-tools/convert-srt-to-vtt) to convert captions
- Click video, Playback > Insert captions
</details>

<details>
<summary>Accessibility Checkers</summary>

- [Microsoft Office](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/improve-accessibility-with-the-accessibility-checker-a16f6de0-2f39-4a2b-8bd8-5ad801426c7f)
  - Review > Check Accessibility
  - Turn on Navigation Pane
- [HuskyCT/Blackboard Ally](https://ally.ac/)
  - For courses and websites
</details>