Microsoft PowerPoint Accessibility Checklist

Automated accessibility checking tools in Microsoft Office applications do not adequately identify accessibility issues. This document provides a checklist for manual review of Microsoft Excel documents. (Additional applications will be added as their documentation is completed.) This article will link to related and supporting articles as they are added.

Summary

The automated accessibility checking tool included in Microsoft Office (called Accessibility Assistant in PowerPoint) does not adequately identify accessibility issues. This document provides a list of items for manual review for Microsoft PowerPoint. (Related articles covering other Microsoft Office applications will be added as their documentation is completed. This article may link to other articles for further explanation.) A model document is attached. If the Accessibility Assistant shows all clear, you should then manually check the following.

Mandatory

The following must be checked to ensure accessibility:

• Each slide must have an accurate, unique, & informative Title as the first element in the slide.
• Reading order of each slide must represent the order in which you want your audience to read the text. If you us a simple template, this will usually be true by default.
• Images, floating objects, and graphs and charts must be reviewed to assess their alternative text:
  • All images and other non-text objects must have appropriate, descriptive alt-text. 
  • All automatically generated alternative text must be reviewed for accuracy and appropriateness.
  • If an image or object will not have alternative text, it must be marked as 'decorative.'
• Graphs and charts must be clearly labeled in a way that makes them understandable without relying on color.
• Users must be able to understand meaning without relying on color. 
• Color contrast must be adequate to allow colorblind or low-vision users to read text and understand important visuals. (PowerPoint's Accessibility Assistant will usually assess color contrast of text and afford a way to fix poor contrast.)
• Minimum font size must be 18 point or greater.
• Tables:
  • Do not use the Draw Table tool to insert tables. (The Draw Table tool inserts the table as an object that is very difficult for users to navigate.) Instead, use the Insert Table tool.
  • Tables must have headers, as with Word documents.

Desirable

The following should be reviewed and assessed. 

• Slide transitions should be avoided. 
• Images, floating objects, graphs and charts:
  • If an image, object, or chart would require a large amount of alternative text (referred to as a long description), it should be supported by additional explanation that can be visible to users.
  • If users are meant to interact with the presentation directly, long descriptions can be provided by linking to an external file.
  • If a long description is linked, the link should be visible to all users, and not just linked via an image.
• Graphs and charts:
  • Can be explained by a long 
• Animations should be simple
  • "Appear" transitions are fine.
  • Animations that transform text (e.g. rotate, distort, move) should be avoided.
  •  
• Hyperlinks:
  • Should be rendered as underlined text, preferably with the default link colors (blue for unvisited, purple for visited). 
  • If the presentation will only be made available as print, URLs should be visible; if the presentation will be accessed as a document over the web, they can be hyperlinked text.
  • Hyperlinks to other slides should be avoided if users will interact with the presentation directly. 
• Font styling:
  • Underline should not be used for formatting. Underlined text in a document is often perceived by users as a broken hyperlink.
  • Do not rely on bold, italic, or strikethrough to convey meaning. Font styling may not be included when presentations are rendered for some views, such as screen readers.
• Speaker notes and comments are accessible and should be reviewed for suitability prior to publishing the presentation for access by users.

Tips for Manual Review

Note that not all tips below will be useful for everyone. Use them as they benefit you.

• Add commonly used features to your Quick Access toolbar.
• Keep the Accessibility Assistant (also referred to as Accessibility Checker) displayed while you work.
• Experiment with the 'Show only issues on current slide' toggle to see what helps you most.
  

Further Information

• See MS PowerPoint Accessibility Techniques at Deque University for specific instructions and more detailed recommendations, including less commonly used PowerPoint features and a more detailed checklist. (Note that you must have an account to access Deque University lessons.)