Creating Accessible Presentations

Training Guide

Recommended Approach

• Accessible features & functions are consistent across Microsoft platforms (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)

• Start with MS Word > then branch out to PowerPoint and Excel

• Good Resources– Creating Accessible Documents: An Interactive

Training Guide– Learning and Development Centre Website

Make Content Easier to See

• Font style – Choose Sans Serif Styles

• Font Size – The larger the better (30 pt. min)• Use adequate contrast (test print in greyscale) • Avoid ‘patterned’ backgrounds• Avoid Transitions• Avoid using

Make Content Easier to Understand

• Keep slides simple• Avoid using lots of different colours, fonts,

images

• Provide context for hyperlinks• Use lots of ‘white space’• Limit number of points per page to six

Use Built-in Style Layouts

• Style layouts include text and graphical placeholders which are understood by adaptive technology

• Exercise 1: Changing Slide Layouts– Right click > Layout– Look at options available

Create or Customize Master Slides

• Slide Masters allow you to add/change existing layouts and create a personal template

• Exercise 2: Customizing Master Slides– View > Slide Master– Add page numbers to the slides– Insert > Slide Number– View > Normal

• Efficiency Tip: Create a template for future use:– File > Save as type > PowerPoint template

Have you ever created images,

text, or objects that were not inserted

into a ‘placeholder’?

• When place holders are not used, the logical tab order for slide elements must be set manually.

• Exercise 3: Create ‘Logical Tab Order’

• Home > Arrange > Selection Pane…– Organize the elements of

this slide in reverse order (bottom - top)

Special Note: Floating Text and Images are not

reformatted when changing design templates!

Floating Objects

Use “Real Lists”

Ordered ListsRead RecipeGather IngredientsBakeIceEat• Exercise 4 – Make the list

above a numbered list

Unordered ListsSleeping BagTentFoodClothingToiletries• Exercise 5 – Make the list

above a bulleted list

Use Slide Notes

• Slide notes can be read by assistive technologies, and can also be included in exports to PDF format

• Use notes to explain and expand on slide contents

• Add notes while you create your material• Exercise 6– Add some notes to this slide – Click to add notes

Alt Text for All Images & Objects• Alternative text should:– present the content and

function of the image– be succinct

• Alternative text should not:– be redundant (the same as

adjacent or body text)– use the phrases "image of…" or

"graphic of…".

• Exercise 7 – Add Alt Text – Add alternative text to the image – Right Click > Format > Alt text

Creating Charts - 1

1. Choose a Slide Layout with image placeholder2. Select ‘Insert Chart’ option3. Select ‘Chart Style’ (Bar, Pie, Line, etc.)4. Enter data in the Excel window that pops up5. Close Excel Window (Click on x top right)6. Use Chart Tools to format chart7. Add Alternative Text– Right Click > Format > Chart Area > Alt Text

Creating Charts - 2

• Exercise 9 – Creating Charts

• Use the placeholder to the right to create a chart.

Creating Tables - 1

• Choose a Slide Layout with an image placeholder

• Select ‘Insert Table’ option• Enter # of rows & columns, and click OK• Enter table data and format as desired• Add Alternative text– Right Click > Format Shape > Alt Text

• Flag Heading Row– Table Tools > Header Row

Creating Tables - 2

• Exercise 10 – Creating Tables

• Use the placeholder to the right to create a table.

Accessibility Checker

• The built in accessibility checker will identify any potential issues with your presentation and will provide guidance on how to correct.

• Exercise 12 – Run Accessibility Checker• File > Check for Issues > Check Accessibility• Correct identified errors• Save file

Export to PDF

• Files exported as PDF can include the ‘Accessibility Features’ if the appropriate flags are set.

• Exercise 11 – Save as PDF• File > Save As PDF > Options• Check the options as shown

on the sample• Press OK

Questions?

Thank you for your time