Introduction to Creating Accessible PowerPoint Slides

In Module 1 of the How to Author and Test Microsoft PowerPoint Presentations for Accessibility video series, discover how to use slide layouts, themes, and customized master slides to establish a logical reading order.

Structuring and Formatting Presentations for Accessibility

Creating accessible presentations isn’t just about adding content—it’s about organizing content so everyone can follow along. Proper structure makes slides easier to navigate, especially for people using assistive technologies.

Why use Slide Layouts?

Layouts provide a hierarchy with placeholders for titles and content so screen readers can understand reading order. Every slide should have a unique title.

How to use Slide Layouts (macOS)

Screenshot showing the Layout menu in PowerPoint for Mac

Select Home > New Slide, then choose a layout from the dropdown.
To change a slide layout, select Home > Layout, then choose a layout from the dropdown.

How to use Slide Layouts Windows?

Screenshot showing the New Slide menu options in PowerPoint for Windows

Select Home > New Slide, then choose a layout from the dropdown.
To change a slide layout, select Home > Layout, then choose a layout from the dropdown.

Check Slide Reading Order (macOS)

Check the accessibility assistant and click Check Reading Order.

Accessibility settings screen showing document structure options

In the Reading Order Panel, the order is displayed from top to bottom. Click and drag or use the Move Up or Move Down buttons to change the order.

Close up of Move Up and Move Down buttons

Check Slide Reading Order (Windows)

Screenshot of the Selection Pane in Windows

If you insert other content (like a text box), it is read in the order it was added. To fix this, select Home > Arrange > Selection Pane. Note: In the Selection Pane, reading order is bottom to top.

Sources

Microsoft. Make your PowerPoint presentations accessible.
NCDAE. PowerPoint 2016 Cheatsheet (Mac).
NCDAE. PowerPoint 2016 Cheatsheet (Windows).
Section508.gov. Module 2: Use Styles to Create Headings.

Content provided by NCDAE and Section508.gov. Learn about copyrighted government works.