Accessibility is becoming an increasingly important topic for both private and public organizations. One example of creating an “accessible” presentation is building in accommodations for visually impaired individuals who use screen-readers, or software that speaks text aloud. Certain elements of presentations, such as images or graphics, should have alternate text added that describes the image or concept being depicted.
Microsoft PowerPoint 2013 provides a helpful tool to detect potential accessibility issues in your presentation. It will review your presentation, provide a list of errors for objects that are not adequately accessible, and provide advice on how to correct the error.
- Start by selecting the File tab.
- Choose the Info option in the left-hand menu.
- Click the Check for Issues button and select Check Accessibility.
- Review each error in the Accessibility Checker pane that appears on the right side of the screen. Errors, Tips, and Warnings will appear under Inspection Results at the top of the pane. When you click on an error, you’ll receive information on why and how to fix the error in the Additional Information box, which is below the Inspection Results.
- Once you’ve corrected all of the errors listed, a notification will appear in the Accessibility Checker pane indicating that no accessibility issues were found. To exit, click the X in the right corner of the pane.
The Accessibility Checker is also available in Microsoft Word and Excel, so you can ensure your presentation, document, and spreadsheet viewers are able to benefit equally.
Additional Resources
- To learn about upcoming full-day classes on PowerPoint 2013, please visit our Course Schedule page.
- Microassist also incorporates accessibility into its elearning offerings. Visit Accessible Elearning Development to learn more.
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