Creating Accessible PowerPoint Documents

Overview 

This guide outlines best practices for creating accessible PowerPoint presentations in alignment with WCAG 2.1 and Section 508 requirements 

Topics covered in this guide include: 

• File Properties
• Layout Design and Reading Order
• Color and Contrast
• Alternative Text and Hyperlinks
• Tables, Lists, and Columns
• Embedded multimedia and flashing content 
  
  

File Properties 

A presentation's accessibility starts with how it is initially prepared. The document properties, or metadata, are identifiers embedded within a file, such as title, author, and language. 

Saving a File

To save a file, locate the File tab and select Save As. Choose PowerPoint Presentation (.pptx) as the file type, then enter a descriptive file name in the "Enter file name here" field. 

File Title

The file title should not be confused with the external file name used when saving a presentation or the title on the first slide. The external file name is used within applications such as File Explorer and Finder to search for files. A file name can be easily changed by anyone with the file downloaded, but the title embedded within the presentation's properties will remain unless deliberately edited. This helps preserve the creator's intended label for the content, regardless of how the file is renamed externally. 

To edit the title of a presentation: 

1. Go to the File tab and select Info. 
2. In the Properties section find the Title field. 
3. Enter the title of the presentation. 
   
   

When reviewing the document properties, ensure that the title describes the content within the presentation accurately. For example, the file name can be "QEP_Forum_3_2026" while the document properties title is "Quality Enhancement Plan Forum March 2026." 

Set Language 

Assistive technology uses the document's set language to determine how to pronounce the words.  

To set the language: 

1. Go to the Review tab 
2. Select Language 
3. Set Proofing Language and choose English language.
   
   

If any portion of your presentation is written in a different language than the rest, highlight the text and set its language separately. 

Layout Design and Reading Order

When creating PowerPoint presentations, accessibility should be built into the process from the start rather than addressed after the fact. The goal is to create presentations that are simple, impactful, and accessible to everyone. 

Slide Layout

Slide layouts establish visual structure and determine the order in which assistive technology reads the content on each slide. Complex layouts can make it difficult for users to understand how sections of content relate to one another.  

Choosing a well-structured layout from the beginning reduces the need to manually adjust reading order later. PowerPoint provides built-in layout templates that can be customized in the Slide Master to fit your design needs while maintaining an accessible structure.  

How to Apply an Accessible Slide Layout

1. Select the slide. 
2. Go to Home > Layout. 
3. Choose a built‑in layout (for example, Title and Content).
4. Enter content inside placeholder boxes.
   
   

Avoid starting from a blank slide and inserting text boxes manually. 

How to Format Slide Backgrounds

To format a slide layout background: 

• Right‑click a slide and select Format Background, or 
• Open View > Slide Master, select the desired layout, choose Background Styles, and then select Format Background. 
  
  

When customizing backgrounds in Slide Master, changes will apply to every slide using that layout, helping maintain consistency and accessibility throughout the presentation. 

Avoid the Following: 

• Patterned or textured backgrounds
• Watermarks placed behind text
• Background images that interfere with readability
   

These design choices can obscure content and create contrast issues that make slides difficult to read for users with low vision or color blindness. 

Verifying Background Accessibility

Review each slide and confirm that all text is clearly distinguishable from the background. Slides should be easily readable without requiring users to strain, zoom excessively, or rely on color perception alone. 

Vital Background Information

Vital information embedded in watermarks, headers, and footers may not be read during normal screen reader navigation and could be missed by users relying on assistive technology. Common examples include confidentiality notices or time-sensitive details that appear in headers, as well as watermarks. To ensure that all users can access this information, duplicate the vital information and place it within the body of the slide. 

Font

Use fonts that are easy to read. Avoid using serif and script fonts for body text. Script style fonts can cause eye fatigue and are challenging for some individuals with cognitive disabilities or visual impairments to read. Additionally, script fonts can be difficult for assistive technology to pick up on. 

Reading Order

Assistive technologies, like screen readers, move through a document from top to bottom, based on the underlying document structure. This structure isn't necessarily what things look like on screen.  

For example, if you have an inserted text box for a callout to the reader that's visually after a heading of a major section but is positioned before it in the document structure, a screen reader will read the text box content first, then the heading, which is confusing for users expecting the heading to introduce the section. Additionally, give each slide a unique title to make navigation easier for screen reader users. 

How to Check Reading Order 

1. Select the slide.
2. Go to Home > Arrange > Selection Pane.
3. Review the list of objects. Screen readers read items from bottom to top.
4. Move items until the order matches the visual layout. 
   
   

Verifying Reading Order

If elements in the Selection Pane does not match the visual order, the slide fails to meet accessibility requirements. 

Color and Contrast

People who are blind, with low vision, or colorblindness won’t have full access to information without sufficient contrast ratios between foreground and background present. This applies to images and graphical objects in addition to text.  

To meet WCAG standards, standard text (12pt) and images of text require a minimum contrast ratio of 4.5:1. Large scale text, images of large-scale text, graphical objects, and user interface components must have a contrast ratio of at least 3:1. 

Use of Color to Convey Information

When elements such as color, size, and shape alone are used to convey meaning, a barrier to information is created for people who are blind, low vision, or colorblind. Text should always be the default for conveying information, so if you are going to use color for meaning, ensure that information is not lost for users who cannot perceive color as intended. 

Testing Color Contrast

When using color for content, remember to check the contrast ratio using verification tools. Check contrast ratios using the WebAIM Contrast Checker for a reliable tool that gives accurate readings based on up-to-date WCAG standards. If contrast does not meet a ratio of at least 4.5:1, adjust your colors until your contrast ratio meets the required standards. 

Alternative Text and Hyperlinks

Alternative Text

Images, links, or other non-text content need alternative text for assistive technology. Non-text content that is purely decorative and doesn’t convey meaningful information should be marked as decorative, so assistive technology skips over them entirely.  

When writing alternative text, use proper punctuation and capitalization. Punctuation tells assistive technology when to pause or stop, helping the description flow naturally when read aloud. 

How to Add Alternative Text

1. Select the image, object, or shape. 
2. Right click or hold shift and press F10 and select Edit Alt Text.
3. Enter a description of the image’s purpose, not just its appearance.
4. For decorative images that add no additional information, mark as Decorative.
    

Verifying Alternative Text

View the alt text alone to see if it appropriately conveys the meaning of the image. Visit our guide on Authoring Alternative Text for more information. 

Hyperlinks

When creating links, avoid using phrases like “click here” which can confuse users, especially if there are multiple instances of this link text throughout the document. Instead, create meaningful links by determining the purpose of the destination and providing that within the link text. 

How to Create Accessible Links

1. Highlight link text.
2. Right‑click and select Link.
3. Paste the destination URL. 
   
   

Verifying Link Text

To verify the accessibility of a hyperlink, view the link text out of context to see if it describes the destination or purpose of the link. 

Tables, Lists, and Columns

Table 

In PowerPoint, content can be made to visually resemble a table using text boxes, shapes, borders, and alignment. However, without using PowerPoint’s built‑in Table feature, this content lacks the proper structure needed for assistive technologies to interpret relationships between headers and data cells. 

Images of tables should be avoided whenever possible, as screen readers cannot accurately convey the information they contain. Additionally, merged or split cells can create an illogical reading order and make tables difficult or impossible for assistive technologies to interpret correctly. 

Note: Tables should be used only for tabular data, not for visual alignment or layout purposes. Content used solely for layout should be structured using standard text and slide layouts instead. 

How to Create a Table

1. Go to Insert > Table.
2. Select the number of rows and columns.
3. Enter data directly into table cells.
4. Select the first row and ensure the header row is active going to Table Design > Header Row. Use the first column for row headers when applicable. 
   
   

Avoid the following:

• Use text boxes to simulate tables
• Insert tables as images
• Merge or split cells 
  
  

Verifying Tables

Use the following checks to verify table accessibility in PowerPoint: 

• Table Structure: Select the table. If the Table Design and Layout tabs appear in the ribbon, the table is properly structured. If only Picture Format appears, the content is an image and is not accessible.
  
  
• Table Headers: Review the first row and first column to confirm headers are descriptive and clearly identify the associated data.
  
  
• Reading Order: Use the Selection Pane to verify the table is positioned logically in the slide’s reading order. 
  
  

Lists and Columns 

Do not use manual formatting practices like using graphics or symbols to create lists and text boxes to make columns. These methods interfere with reading order and prevent assistive technology from recognizing the intended structure. Use the built-in tools instead. When a list item contains sub-items, avoid manually typing letters or numbers inline such as A, B, or 1, 2. This may look structured visually, but assistive technology reads it as plain unstructured text with no hierarchy.

How to Create Lists and Columns

Use PowerPoint’s built‑in formatting tools to ensure lists and columns are recognized correctly by assistive technology. 

To create an accessible list: 

• Select the text you want to format as a list.
• Go to the Home tab.
• In the Paragraph group, choose Bullets or Numbering.
• Use the Increase Indent or Decrease Indent buttons to create nested list levels when needed. 
  
  

To create accessible columns: 

• Highlight the text you want to display in columns.
• Go to the Layout tab.
• Select Columns.
• Choose the desired number of columns from the menu.
• Review the slide to confirm content flows logically from left to right. 
  
  

Avoid using spaces, tabs, shapes, or separate text boxes to simulate lists or columns, as these methods are not recognized as structured content by assistive technology. number. 

Verifying Lists and Columns

Place the cursor within the list or column content and open the relevant formatting tools. 

• For lists, go to the Home tab and confirm that Bullets or Numbering is active in the Paragraph group. 
  
  
• For columns, highlight the text, go to the Layout tab, and confirm that the Columns setting reflects the intended number of columns. 
  
  

Embedded Multimedia Descriptions

If you embed audio, video, or multimedia files containing meaningful information into your PowerPoint presentation, you must provide additional support so that individuals with disabilities have comparable access to that information. 

• Videos with audio must provide synchronized captions and audio descriptions.
  
  
• Video-only content with no audio requires a descriptive transcript that includes visual information. Captures actions, movements, on-screen text, and visual events. A deaf user doesn't need it, but a blind user does.
  
  
• Audio-only media such as podcasts must provide at least a basic transcript. Provides speaker dialogue and meaningful sounds like music or sound effects. A blind user doesn't need it, but a deaf user does.  
  
  

Reminder: Flashing objects can cause seizures and should never be used. 

This guide was developed using Section 508 accessibility guidelines and related training resources. It is intended as a practical reference to support accessible design practices.