Microsoft PowerPoint

Use Accessible Templates

Microsoft has many templates available for use that have accessibility features already built in, so long as the formatting of the slide is not adjusted. Make sure to pick a template slide that suits the content you want to present (i.e. text only, text with graphic, etc.) There are also UVA Branded templates available to download.  

Note: When using templates, please delete any older versions you already have and download new versions for the latest updates.

Use Tables Wisely

Tables should only be used for tabular data (column and row structured content), not as a way to format your slide for visual purposes.

Use Microsoft’s Built-in Features

To ensure accessibility with information that is presented on the slide, only use native Microsoft formatting such as bullets, lists, and columns.  

Use Microsoft’s native Accessibility Checker. This tool is built into all Microsoft products, and catches most of the common accessibility issues found in Microsoft documents. The “Check Accessibility” button, which can be found under the “Review” tab, is one of the options in the upper left corner of the screen. 

It is recommended to use this as you are building out content, (i.e. on each slide) rather than at the end when your project is complete. Errors will be shown in the “Accessibility Assistant” to the right side of the screen when using this function.  

Add Alt Text to All of Your Images

Alternative text (“alt text”) is important to convey visual information to those who use assistive technology, like screen readers, and may be blind or low-vision. To add alt text to your images, right click on the image, and then click on “View Alt text” to view and edit the image description. 

Descriptions should be “short and sweet” and no more than 250 characters). When describing a photo of a person,  avoid assuming gender, ethnicity, or other identity-based information; instead, use neutral terms like "person" or "individual" when the subject is unknown.. The alt text  does not need to say, “Image of…”, “Graphic of...” as screen readers will automatically say “Image” when reading it aloud.

Ensure Correct Reading Order

Reading order controls how screen readers and other assistive technology reads the information on a slide. For example, the title of a slide should be the first thing read, followed by any text boxes, or images. Reading order on PowerPoint is shown in reverse order, meaning the title of the slide should be at the bottom of the reading order window

Use Descriptive Hyperlinks

Hyperlinks need to accurately and succinctly describe what they are linked to. For example, instead of saying “click here” or “learn more” about our programs,. Tthe hyperlink title and associated sentence could be “Learn more about our “Programs” with “Learn More about our Programs” being the hyperlink title.

If a link opens a type of document, ensure that you note that in the slide, such as “End of Year Report [Word]”.

Color Contrast

Ensure that you have an appropriate contrast between text and background colors, which is typically 4.5:1. Online contrast checkers can help you ensure that you pick the right colors for your slides, and again, the built-in accessibility checker will also flag potential contrast issues. A common contrast issue we see at UVA is the UVA Orange on a white background. This color combination,  often fails contrast requirements, unless it is bolded or large font, so it is recommended to not use orange and white together for presentations. For graphs or info graphics, avoid using color as the only way to convey information add patterns to help users process the data you are sharing.

Every Slide Needs a Unique Title

Each slide must have a unique title to allow for screen readers to navigate to individual slides. If you like using the same title for multiple slides, you can add a hidden title. In the accessibility tab, select Add Hidden Slide Title. Because the title is positioned off-slide, it will be invisible during a slide show, but the title is available to help users navigate or select the slide.

Use Proper Text Font, Style, and Size

Use a Sans Serif (without any decorative or ornamental features) font and ensure that it is at least 24pt font for slide text. Think of presenting this information, and whether someone at the back of the room would be able to read your slide information.

Use Captions for any Videos or Multimedia with Audio

All videos should be captioned. If a video is shown without audio, the caption should still have an appropriate caption, such as “[Music]” or “[No audio for this video]”. UVA has captioning vendors available to assist if you need assistance with captioning for presentations; there are additional resources also available for captioning of academic content. Please refer to UVA’s Deaf and Hard of Hearing Coordinator page for more information and resources.

• Add links to the resources at the end of this section
• Plain Language: Use concise, clear language and avoid jargon.
• Avoid animations that cause flashing or rapid movement of text or visuals.
• For slide layouts, avoid clutter and text-heavy slides.  

• Summarize key points in bullet points and expand verbally as needed (this is another reason why captioning and microphone use is critical, as some important information may not be shown as text on the slide layout).