Best Practices for Creating PowerPoint Slides

Focus: Slide layout, titles, fonts, and visual structure

Tips & Guidance:

• Use built-in slide layouts (Title Slide, Title & Content, etc.) to maintain logical reading order; this ensures screen readers navigate slides correctly.

• Add unique slide titles to every slide; verify titles in the Selection Pane to ensure proper reading order.

• Maintain consistent font size and style: use sans-serif fonts (Calibri, Arial, Verdana) with a minimum of 24 pt for body text and 32 pt for headings to improve readability for all users.

• Use high contrast text and background colors; avoid relying on color alone to convey meaning.

• Add Alt Text to all meaningful visuals (images, charts, diagrams) and mark purely decorative graphics as decorative.

• Use accessible tables and charts with header rows and simple structures; avoid merged or nested cells.

• Enable live captions/subtitles during presentations (Slide Show → Always Use Subtitles) to support students who are Deaf, hard-of-hearing, or English learners.

• Keep slides organized with concise bullet points or numbered lists and avoid overcrowding slides with too much text.

Focus: Live captions and real-time text accessibility

Tips & Guidance:

• Enable live captions/subtitles for spoken content (Slide Show → Always Use Subtitles) so students who are Deaf, hard-of-hearing, or English learners can follow along.

• Set the Spoken Language (your language) and Subtitle Language (display language) to ensure accuracy.

• Choose caption position (below slide is recommended) to avoid covering important slide content.

Focus: Video accessibility and inclusive media use

Tips & Guidance:

• Provide captions or subtitles for all videos embedded in slides to support students who are Deaf, hard-of-hearing, or English learners.

• Include a transcript of video content when possible; this benefits all students and improves accessibility.

• Ensure video player controls are accessible via keyboard (play, pause, volume, captions).

• Avoid using videos that contain critical information solely in audio without captions.

• Keep video clips short and focused to maintain clarity and reduce cognitive load.

• Test videos before class to ensure captions display correctly and audio quality is clear.

• Consider alternative text or descriptive narration for visually complex videos to support students with low vision.

• When sharing slides, provide videos in accessible formats (MP4 for video, MP3 for audio) for download or offline viewing.

Focus: Hyperlinks and navigational clarity

Tips & Guidance:

• Use descriptive hyperlink text rather than “Click here” or “Read more.”

  • Example: Use High Point University Accessibility Resources instead of “Click here.”

• Ensure all links are functional and open in a predictable way (same tab/window or clearly indicate if a new window opens).

• Keep navigation consistent across slides:

  • Use Home, Back, Next buttons or consistent internal links for multi-slide content.

  • Avoid confusing or hidden navigation elements.

• Maintain logical reading order: screen readers follow the order of slide objects; check in Selection Pane to ensure it flows correctly.

• Use color and text cues together to indicate links or interactive elements (do not rely on color alone).

• Test slides with keyboard navigation to ensure users can access links and interactive elements without a mouse.

• Avoid placing multiple links too close together to prevent accidental selection, especially for users with motor challenges.

• Provide a slide or section overview when using multiple interactive elements or branching slides, so students know what to expect.

Microsoft Accessibility Support:

• PowerPoint Accessibility Resources
  • PowerPoint Accessibility Overview – Step-by-step guidance from Microsoft on creating accessible presentations.

  • Use Alt Text in PowerPoint – How to add alternative text to visuals.

  • Check Accessibility in PowerPoint – How to run the Accessibility Checker.

• Live Captions & Subtitles Guidance:

  • Use live captions & subtitles – Official Microsoft guide for enabling real-time captions.

• Inclusive Presentation Tips:

  • Accessible Templates – Pre-designed accessible templates for PowerPoint.

• Video & Multimedia Accessibility:

  • Make your videos accessible – Captions, transcripts, and video formats.

Additional Tips:

• • Bookmark these resources for quick reference when preparing slides.

  • Encourage faculty to test slides and media in slide show mode with captions and alt text active.

  • Use Microsoft’s accessibility checker regularly to ensure new content meets standards.