Accessible Documents

Edit document properties

• Click File menu
• Choose Info
• Document properties are on the right
• Make sure the document has a title and author listed
  • Tags can help files be identified and found

Opening the Reading Order Pane

Method one

• Click on Review ribbon
• Click the down arrow by Check Accessibility
• Click reading Order Pane

Method two

• If Accessibility ribbon is open,
• Click Reading Order Pane in the ribbon

Using Reading Order Pane

• This examines each slide individually
  • Slides are read in the order they appear
• Reading order shows elements on the page
  • Within a content box, the individual lines or paragraphs are not separated
• To show what each element on the reading order is on the page, click on that element
• To move an item, click on it to highlight it and use the up and down arrows in the reading order panel to move it

Existing Text

• Show the Accessibility Checker to see if there are any problems in your page
• If nothing is shown as a problem, all your text has enough contrast
• If there is a problem, click on the Color and Contrast issue
  • Options for either background or font color changes are offered
  • Choose one of the offered options or choose another color option yourself
    • Font, text highlighting, shape fill, and shape outline options are available in the Accessibiltiy ribbon

New Text

• Unlike Word, PowerPoint does not have the high contrast font option

Accessibility Checker

• Accessibility checker's Inspect without Color button turns the slide into shades of grey to see what it will look like to someone who is color blind

Adding Alt Text

• Right click on the image or table
• Select View Alt Text
• Choose one of these three options
  • Type a short description of the image
  • Click Generate alt text for me to use AI
  • If the image is just decorative, click in that box
    • The decorative box can be used if there is an adequate description given in the text of the page, don't duplicate the information!

Tips

• Don't use images to convey information, just illustrate content given in the body of the document
  • Don't include the text in an image unless it is vital
• Make the alt text short, give necessary details but but don't include unnecessary information
• Explain the content and function of the image as quickly as possible
• Don't use "image of" or "picture of"
• If you use a diagram in a larger document, inlcude the diagram as an image rather than a group of items
  • For instance, include an image of an organizational chart or a flowchart to maintain proper reading order of the document
  • An alternate text based version may be linked rather than using a very long alt text

Headings

• PowerPoint does not use headings like other programs
• Headings are created through the formatting of slides rather than as styles
• To replace headings, separate segments of a slide and make sure the reading order is logical
• Slide titles are used as the heading for the slide
• Some presentations have slide layouts that include subtitles that are equivalent to a second level heading

Layout

• Use slide numbers
  • Click Insert ribbon
  • Click Slide Number
  • You can skip the slide number on the title slide
  • You can also add the date in several formats to each slide
  • You can also add a footer to each slide

Structure

• If you add elements such as images or text boxes to slides, they will often be out of order so change the reading order of that slide

Headers

• Row and column headers must be indicated in the table formatting ribbon

Banded rows or columns

• Banded rows or columns are rows or columns that alternate background color
• Helps visual users read the table by making rows or columns easier to follow
• Use table formats provided in PowerPoint, do not create your own
  • You can edit a table style to use your colors
  • Make sure color contrast still meets accessibility standards

Merged or blank cells

• Do not use merged cells
• Do not leave cells empty
• Repeat data if needed

When to use a table

• Use table to present data
• DO NOT use tables for layout
• DO NOT use one row tables

Best Practices

• Make sure the slide title describes what is in the table
• Provide a summary of the information contained in the text surrounding the table

Links

• Use a description of the link's content or the page title rather than "Click here" or "Learn more"
• Add ScreenTips that appear when your mouse hovers over a link 
  • In this example, SDSU is spelled out in a ScreenTip 

Lists

• Do not break a list up with something in the middle of it
  • If paragraph content needs to go in the middle of a list, try to reformat your content so the paragraph goes before or after the complete list
• Use a numbered list if the order of the list matters
• Use a bulleted list if the order of the list does not matter
• Use simple bullets rather than fancy images

Fonts

• Use familiar san serif fonts such as Arial or Calibri
• Avoid excessive use of all capital letters or italics
• If color is used to convey content, use a shape with it
  • For instance use a checkmark in a green box  to indicate one thing and an x in a red box  to indicate another
  • Include a legend of shape/color combinations

Watermarks

• Be cautious using watermarks that they do not create an issue with color contrast
• Make sure that watermarks do not disrupt a screen reader in an inappropriate place