Creating Accessible Content: Presentations

Presentations such as PowerPoint should be easy for everyone to view, understand and navigate. Clear slide titles, readable text, descriptive links and alternative text for images improve accessibility for people using assistive technologies and improve clarity for all audiences.

Use the guidance on this page to help create accessible presentations for instruction, communication, marketing and other university purposes.

Who Is Responsible?

Anyone who creates, uploads, edits or shares presentations for instruction, communication, marketing, promotion or other academic or business purposes is responsible for helping ensure those materials are accessible.

What Standards Must Be Met?

Presentations should align with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 Level AA and support the requirements of Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

What to Do

Use the following best practices to help ensure presentations are accessible to all users.

1. Use built-in slide layouts: Use PowerPoint’s built-in slide layouts rather than manually placing text boxes. This helps preserve reading order and structure.
2. Add alt text to images: Provide concise, meaningful alternative text for images, charts and graphics. Mark decorative images as decorative when appropriate.
3. Ensure sufficient color contrast: Use enough contrast between text and background, and do not rely on color alone to communicate meaning.
4. Create descriptive links: Use link text that clearly describes the destination or action instead of pasting raw URLs or using vague phrases such as “click here.”
5. Use readable fonts and formatting: Choose clear, legible fonts and use font sizes large enough to read comfortably. Avoid excessive italics, all caps and underlining used only for visual emphasis.
6. Make multimedia accessible: Ensure embedded videos include captions and that audio-only content has a transcript when appropriate.
7. Use clear slide titles: Give each slide a unique, descriptive title to help users navigate the presentation.
8. Make tables accessible: Keep tables simple, define header rows and avoid merged or split cells when possible.
9. Provide text alternatives for complex visuals: For charts, graphs and diagrams, include a text summary on the slide, in speaker notes or in supporting materials.
10. Use the Accessibility Checker: Run PowerPoint’s built-in Accessibility Checker and correct identified issues before sharing the file.

Support

Support is available to help ensure presentations meet accessibility expectations:

• Academic departments: Contact the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL) for guidance on instructional presentations and course materials
• Administrative departments: Contact University Communications for guidance on presentations used for public-facing communications and digital content
• Technical support: Contact IT Support for assistance with PowerPoint, presentation tools or technical questions

What Tools Are Available?

• PowerPoint Accessibility Checker
• Accessible Web WCAG Color Contrast Checker

Live Captions and Transcripts

Live captions can improve access during classes, meetings and events. When available, use captioning features built into your platform and review captions for accuracy when recordings are shared later.

• Live captions for Windows
• Live captions for Mac

Training and Resources

• Make your PowerPoint presentations accessible
• Use more accessible colors and styles in slides (video)
• Create slides with an accessible reading order (video)
• Improve image accessibility in PowerPoint (video)
• WebAIM: PowerPoint Accessibility