{"id":3381,"date":"2020-11-20T18:29:32","date_gmt":"2020-11-20T18:29:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-publicspeaking\/?post_type=chapter&p=3381"},"modified":"2021-08-30T23:37:34","modified_gmt":"2021-08-30T23:37:34","slug":"accessibility","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-publicspeaking\/chapter\/accessibility\/","title":{"raw":"Slide Accessibility","rendered":"Slide Accessibility"},"content":{"raw":"
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Learning Objectives<\/h3>\r\nConsider questions of accessibility in using audio-visual presentation aids.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\nIf you distribute PowerPoints electronically, important considerations include text formatting, alt text for images, reading order, design, and sharing the notes section, if applicable. As with all text documents, use built-in heading styles rather than changing the size and style manually and use bulleted lists rather than dashes in front of text that look like bullets.\r\n

Use Slide Layouts<\/h3>\r\nA key theme to remember when creating accessible documents is to use the built-in features and provided layouts rather than going rogue. For instance, use the slide title box that is provided in PowerPoint to convey the main concept on the slide.\r\n\r\n\"PPT\r\n

PowerPoint Design<\/h3>\r\nDesign your slides simply and avoid images that do not add meaning to your slide and are for decoration only, both because they distract viewers and because they take up valuable space on your slide.\r\n\r\nEnsure that there is adequate contrast<\/strong> on your slides\u2014for instance, black text on a white background. Contrast is even more important in a setting where the presentation is projected than if being viewed on a computer screen.\r\n\r\nAvoid the colors orange, red, and green because they are difficult for people who have color deficiencies to see. Also, avoid using color as the only way to signify meaning<\/strong>. Some alternatives include boldfaced or italicized text.\r\n

Reading Order<\/h3>\r\nReading order refers to the sequence in which a screen reader reads the information on a slide or webpage. If you're using the pre-built templates in PowerPoint, the reading order should be straightforward: it will read the title first, followed by other elements\u00a0in the slide. If you've adding other \"floating\" objects, you'll want to check the reading order to make sure it will make sense to screen-reader users. Choose\u00a0Home > Arrange > Selection Panel.\r\n\r\n\"Shows\r\n\r\n\"Shows\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nThe elements on the page are listed in the Selection Panel on the right. The reading order is from bottom to top<\/strong>. Another way to think about it is that the element at the bottom of the list is in the front of the slide.\r\n\r\n\"Once\r\n\r\nBelow, we've made the title invisible<\/strong> by clicking on the eye icon in the Selection Panel. It's still there to help the user of a screen reader know what this slide is about, but it's not visible in the slide.\r\n\r\n\"Shows\r\n\r\nPerhaps because the bottom-to-top reading order is counterintuitive, PowerPoint also offers another view if you choose Arrange > Reorder objects.\r\n\r\n\"Shows\r\n\r\nIn this view, we can see that the title, \"Owl,\" which was at the bottom of the\u00a0Selection Panel list, is the front layer<\/strong> here\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
\"Shows<\/td>\r\n\"Shows<\/td>\r\n\"Shows<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n

Avoid Using Text Boxes<\/h3>\r\nAll of your text should show up under Outline view. If you notice text is missing, it may be in a text box rather than the title box. Text boxes are found under the Insert tab. Unfortunately, screen readers cannot consistently access text in a text box and they are often not in a logical reading order.\r\n\r\n\"Shows\r\n

But I Like Text Boxes\u2026<\/h3>\r\nAn alternative would be to use one of the layouts that provide multiple content areas. \u201cTwo Content\u201d will give you a title and two accessible text boxes while \u201cComparison\u201d gives you four accessible text boxes. You can also add additional \u201cplaceholders\u201d for more text or content areas in the Slide Master (see page 2 of\u00a0California Disability Access Services<\/a>).\r\n\r\n\"Shows\r\n

Alt Text for Images<\/h3>\r\nAll your images need alt text. Alt text is a description of the image that a screen reader will read.\u00a0WebAIM\u2019s alt text article<\/a>\u00a0is highly recommended.\r\n\r\nTo add alt text to an image in a PowerPoint, select the image and then right click and choose Format Picture (or click on Picture Format in the ribbon). Write your alt text into the box. Don't use the \"Generate description for me\" feature!\r\n\r\n\"Shows\r\n

SmartArt<\/h3>\r\nSmartArt is a function in Microsoft Office products that helps represent ideas visually. Treat SmartArt graphics like an image and make sure to add alt text as they are not screen reader friendly. Add alt text to the entire object rather than each individual element.\r\n

The Notes Area<\/h3>\r\nText in the notes area below the slide will not automatically be read by a screen reader. This lack of automation is one reason it is preferable to share a PowerPoint file in a different format, such as PDF. The screenshot below shows where the notes are in PowerPoint.\r\n\r\n\"Shows\r\n

Tables<\/h3>\r\nWhen inserting a data table, it's important to\u00a0identify row and column headers to make the table more accessible to screen-reader users. In PowerPoint you can\u00a0specify a single row of column headers and a single column of row headers.\r\n\r\n\"Shows\r\n\r\n\"Ahows\r\n

Links<\/h3>\r\nAccessible links are descriptive (rather than just saying \"Click Here\" or giving a full URL) because\u00a0a screen reader user needs to know where the link leads.\u00a0 When inserting a link into your slide, you'll see a dialogue box that allows you to change the display text to make it descriptive.\r\n\r\n\"Shows\r\n

Check Accessibility<\/h3>\r\nTo run an automated accessibility checker in Windows, choose File > Info. Select Check for Issues > Check Accessibility. On a Mac, go to the review tab and select Check Accessibility.\r\n\r\n\"Shows\r\n\r\nFor more on PowerPoint Accessibility, see WebAIM's PowerPoint Accessibility guide<\/a>.\r\n

Digital Accessibility Checklist<\/h3>\r\n

Organizing content<\/h4>\r\n