Creating Accessible Presentations

Text and Formatting Tips

• Use the University's branded template where appropriate.
• As per AHEAD guidelines, your headings font size for titles should be 36-44 pt; font style for all other text should be at least 24-28 pt.
• Avoid italics, as they can be difficult to read.
• Minimise the amount of text on each slide by using bullet points, for instance. If you have slides with a lot of text, consider using a separate references file instead.
• Ensure that there is a strong contrast between text and background. If you have any doubts about the legibility of text, check with a contrast checker.

Reading Order

Consider how you read a newspaper or a magazine: in western countries, we primarily consume information from left-to-right and top-to-bottom. However, as flagged in the Creating Accessible PDFs section, don't assume that PowerPoint will follow suit. For users who rely on screen readers, their software may read the elements of a slide in the order they were added to the slide, which might be very different from the order in which things appear visually.

To remedy this, use the Accessibility Checker (Tools > Check Accessibility). It's is crucial to put objects (text, images etc) in a logical reading order for screen reader users to understand the slide. To see the order in which the screen readers read the slide contents, you can also click on the Home tab, click Arrange and choose Selection Pane. You can then drag the different items in the correct order.

Sharing Your Slides

When possible, make slides available online via Canvas in advance of teaching. This will give students who rely on assistive technologies an opportunity to access your presentation and flag any issues that they may encounter. It will also give all students the opportunity to prepare, allowing them to take notes alongside slides and prepare better revision materials.

You may also wish to consider using PowerPoint Live - consult the Accessibility in the Classroom on the benefits of doing so.