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Students may view recorded slide presentations on small screens. You may make different design choices depending on whether you are recording your presentation or presenting using a classroom projector. If you are sharing your slide deck, you will need to make sure the slides are accessible to screen reader users.

Slides with a lot of text or many images can be hard to understand.

• Use bulleted lists to make your slides more readable.
• Limit block text to two lines.
• Include only one image per slide unless you are doing a visual comparison.
• Do not use animations or transitions in your slides unless necessary. Unexpected movement may be especially distracting for neurodivergent students.

Slides often have insufficient color contrast. Choose a dark background with white or off-white text or a white or off-white background with black text.

Check color contrast for text, even if you're using a standard design or theme. Aim for a contrast of at least 4.5:1, even if you are using larger text.

Text on slides should be no smaller than 18 points. Remember that your text may look smaller when it is projected or when it is viewed on a small screen.

Default slide layouts generally include titles, which are necessary for accessibility. They also likely have a logical reading order by design.

If you do not use an element of a default design, delete it from your slide. Empty elements will be read by screen readers.

The design options for slides in Microsoft PowerPoint are not always accessible. This is especially true if you choose alternative color palettes. Use the default Office Theme with a dark or light background, or check the color contrast on your selected design carefully.

• Check color contrast.

The default slide layouts are best for accessibility. If you need to modify a slide layout, be sure to do an accessibility check to make sure it is accessible.

• Because each slide must have a unique title, we suggest using the Title Only slide layout rather than the Blank slide layout. If you add further content to a slide with a Title Only layout, be sure to check the reading order.
• If you do not use an element of a default design, delete it from your slide. Screen readers will read empty elements.

Unique slide titles help all students, including students who use screen readers, easily navigate your slides.

• Every slide must have a unique title. If you have multiple slides on the same topic, use numbers or other information in your titles to make your titles unique.
• Add a title by typing it into the slide title placeholder.
• If you prefer that the slide title not be visible on the slide, drag it outside of the slide area. It will still be announced by a screen reader.

Slides must have a logical reading order in order for users of screen readers to understand them. Default slide layouts usually have a logical reading order. If you start with a Blank slide layout, or if you add anything additional to the slide, be sure to check the reading order.

• To check your slide reading order, open the Review menu.
• Choose the Selection Pane from the drop-down menu next to Check Accessibility. The Selection Pane will open on the right.
• The items on the slide will appear in the selection pane in the reverse order from how they're read by a screen reader. In other words, a screen reader will read the bottom item first, and the top item last. Your title should always be at the bottom of the Selection Pane. Footer information, such as a slide number, should be at the top of the Selection Pane.
• Drag and drop items in the Selection Pane to correct reading order.
• Remember to delete any blank placeholders from your slide.

All images that convey information must have alternative text to be accessible to people using screen readers. Images that do not convey information should be marked as decorative.

• Add alternative text in PowerPoint.

A document title helps all users identify your document. In PowerPoint, the title is different from the file name.

• To add a document title in PowerPoint, choose Properties from the File menu.
• Add your title in the summary tab, and select OK to save it.

Microsoft products include accessibility checkers to help you create accessible files. While the PowerPoint accessibility assistant is helpful, it does not identify all accessibility issues. Make sure you check your work manually as well.

• Choose Check Accessibility from the PowerPoint Review menu.
• The accessibility checker will open in the right panel, and the Accessibility toolbar will open at the top of the screen.
• Select areas for improvement in the accessibility assistant to fix issues. Further instructions and options will appear at the bottom of the Accessibility Pane.

The theme options for slides in Google Slides are not always accessible. Use the Simple Light or Simple Dark options, or check the color contrast on your selected design carefully.

• Check color contrast.

The default slide layouts are best for accessibility. If you need to modify a slide layout, be sure to check the reading order of that slide.

• Because each slide must have a unique title, we suggest using only slide layouts with title placeholders. Use the Title only layout rather than the Caption, Big number, or Blank layouts. If you add additional content to the Title only slide, be sure to check the reading order.
• If you do not use an element of a default design, delete it from your slide. Screen readers will read empty elements.

Unique slide titles help all students, including students who use screen readers, easily navigate your slides.

• Every slide must have a unique title. If you have multiple slides on the same topic, use numbers or other information in your titles to make your titles unique.
• Add a title by typing it into the slide title placeholder.
• There is no way in Google Slides to create a slide with an invisible title.

Slides must have a logical reading order in order for users of screen readers to understand them. Default slide layouts usually have a logical reading order, but Google slide layouts often assume the addition of images. If you add anything additional to the slide, be sure to check the reading order.

• To check your slide reading order, select the thumbnail of a slide from the left hand pane.
• Use the tab key to move through the items on the slide. Screen readers will read items in the same order.
• If you need to move an item, select Arrange from the menu, and then select Order.
• From the drop-down menu, choose either Bring forward to make the item be read later in the order or Send backward to make an item be read earlier. Note that items in the back are read first!

All images that convey information must have alternative text to be accessible to people using screen readers.

Note that it is not possible to mark images as decorative in Google Slides, so it is best to avoid using images for decoration only.

• Add alternative text in Google Slides.