Accessibility

Accessibility Quick Tip: Slide Deck Accessibility

By Regan Harper: Published on
Accessibility

Slide presentations are a common mode of communication, whether you are teaching or leading a webinar or meeting. Making presentation slide decks accessible is crucial to ensuring that everyone, including individuals with disabilities, can effectively engage with and understand the content, and you the presenter.

Slide Deck Accessibility Considerations

Like all digital content, you should ensure you have implemented fundamental accessibility practices into your work. Use readable text, provide Alt Text for images, structure content with headings and lists, use meaningful hyperlinks, ensure you are using accessible charts and graphs, and ensure color accessibility for all slides in your deck. But slide decks bring with them other accessibility needs which we will flesh out more.

Use Descriptive Slide Titles

One simple step towards enhancing the accessibility of your slide deck is to have a unique, descriptive title on each slide. As all content should include appropriate headings, slide title elements are read to screen reader users as headings, which can be applied using slide layout options within your content creation platform. If you feel a visible slide title negatively impacts the aesthetic of a slide (one with only an image, the slide is a continuation of a previous slide, etc.), you can hide it from view. Microsoft has some great detailed information about accessible slide titles that is worth checking out at the Microsoft Support Site.

Additional Slide Title Guidance:

  • Every slide should have a unique and descriptive title. This helps users with screen readers navigate the presentation more easily.
  • Keep titles short but informative, making sure they clearly describe the content of the slide.
  • Avoid using text boxes to mimic headings using visual style, such as increased text size, bolding, etc. Screen readers will not recognize these visual styles as headings.
  • If you have multiple slides with the same title/heading, include numbers, such as “2” or words like “continued,” to let users know when a new slide is present and continuing the same topic.

Add Speaker Notes for Context

Use speaker notes to provide additional context, especially if you’re using images or charts that can’t be fully described in alt text. Screen readers can access speaker notes, providing users with more information. Include any narrative that you would typically convey verbally during the presentation in the speaker notes.

Provide Closed Captions or Transcripts for Multimedia

Video Captions: If your presentation includes videos or audio, make sure they are captioned. Captions should be accurate and synchronized with the media.

Transcripts: For audio-only content, provide a text transcript either within the presentation or as a separate downloadable file.

Use Simple Slide Transitions and Animations

Complex transitions or animations can be distracting and overwhelming for users with cognitive disabilities. If animations are necessary, use simple, non-distracting effects. Ensure that automatic transitions allow enough time for users to process the information, and avoid rapid transitions between slides.

Check Keyboard Accessibility

Make sure that all content can be accessed using a keyboard. Avoid content that requires mouse-only interactions (e.g., dragging elements). Ensure that interactive elements (like links or buttons) follow a logical tab order. The flow should move from left to right and top to bottom across the slide.

Slide Reading Order

Reading order determines the order in which assistive technology will read the content on each slide. Setting the reading order allows assistive technology, especially screen reading software, to read information sequentially, typically left to right, top to bottom.

To test the reading order on either PowerPoint or Google Slides, place your cursor on your slide (outside of any elements on the slide), then press the Tab key. The order in which the elements are selected is the order in which they appear to a screen reader.

Microsoft PowerPoint Reading Order: The most important thing to note regarding reading order in PowerPoint is that each content element should be organized from top to bottom for assistive technology to read it in its logical reading order. The item at the top of the reading order list will be the first one read by assistive technology, which should typically be the slide title. The item at the bottom of the list is the last item read, which should typically be the text or graphic elements. Check out the Microsoft Support resource for detail information on reading order for PPT.

Google Slides Reading Order: Elements in each slide will be read beginning with the one that is furthest back on the page, and ending with the one that is furthest forward. For written instructions on editing Google Slides reading order, visit Michigan State University’s Google Slides Reading Order Tutorial (video).

Test the Presentation with Accessibility Tools

Use built-in accessibility checkers (available in programs like Microsoft PowerPoint and Google Slides) to identify potential issues. These tools can guide you in fixing errors related to screen reader compatibility, alt text, and more.

If possible, test your slide deck with a screen reader like NVDA or VoiceOver to ensure that the content is accessible to visually impaired users.

Provide Accessible Slide Handouts

  • Accessible Formats: If distributing your slides, offer accessible versions in PDF or HTML formats. Make sure the PDF is tagged for accessibility and that text can be selected and read by screen readers.
  • Alternate Formats: Consider providing an outline or transcript of the slides to users who may find reading slides difficult.

Additional Considerations

Ensure all text on each slide is in a font size large enough to read easily. Use a simple, standard, and readable font (avoiding ambiguous, nonstandard font types) in at least 18-point font. This is particularly important in live presentations where not all audience members may be seated close to the projector.

Make sure there is a strong contrast between the text and the background. Use dark text on light backgrounds or light text on dark backgrounds. Tools like the WebAIM contrast checker can help ensure compliance with accessibility guidelines.

We also recommend providing enough white space to improve your audience’s experience. Avoid cramming too much information onto one slide, as seeing less content at once can decrease the cognitive load for your audience and enhance comprehension.

Considerations for Google Suite Applications

While all the previously mentioned practices are essential for creating accessible slides, the platform you use to create your slide deck should also be considered. Because Google Slides functions differently than PowerPoint, we wanted to draw attention to some additional items you should consider if using Google Slides as your medium. The considerations are as follows:

  • Be prepared for alternate format requests from users. To effectively use Google Suite products with some assistive technology (AT), users may have to edit their AT and the system’s settings and relearn the ecosystem to access the material.
  • If you need to convert to another file type, converting or downloading as a PDF won’t make it accessible. There may be some fixes to enhance accessibility if you download it as a PowerPoint file.
  • And most importantly, be sure to ask the requestor’s file type preference before converting.

Slides are powerful tools. Make sure your audience can access them. Prioritizing accessibility in your slide decks is essential for ensuring inclusivity and reaching a broader audience. By incorporating these accessibility practices and considerations, you can create presentations that are accessible to all users.

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Regan Harper
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