How do I check whether my presentation is accessible before sharing it?

Start with the accessibility checker in the software you used to make the slides. If you’re using PowerPoint, choose Review > Check Accessibility, then work through the flagged items. Microsoft identifies missing alternative text, missing slide titles, reading order, meaning conveyed only by color, and text contrast among the issues to examine. [S1]

Treat the checker as a way to find possible problems, not as proof that every slide will work for every reader. Make a short list of anything it flags, decide whether the issue applies, and review the whole slide—not just the warning. For another presentation program, look for its accessibility review feature and guidance; the PowerPoint steps here may not match its menus.

Visual placement and the order a screen reader encounters slide objects can differ. In PowerPoint, Microsoft says the Reading Order pane shows the sequence in which objects are read. To review a flagged slide, select its reading-order warning and check the objects in that pane; move items if the sequence does not make sense. [S2]

For example, suppose a slide has a heading, a chart, and a note explaining the chart. Ask whether someone hearing those items in the listed sequence would understand the point. This example is a guide for your review, not a required order for every slide. After changing the order, inspect the slide again: reordering can affect overlapping objects. [S2]

For each image, chart, or other visual, ask what information a reader would miss if they could not see it. If it contributes meaning, provide alternative text that communicates the relevant point. In PowerPoint, the Reading Order pane lets you add or review alt text and mark decorative items to exclude them from the reading sequence. [S2]

For a chart, a useful description might state its takeaway rather than list every visual feature. If exact values matter, consider whether they are also available as text on the slide or in accompanying material. That is a practical review choice, not a guarantee that one description suits every audience.

Use this copyable review note for each presentation:

Slide / issue: [slide number and concern] Checker result: [flagged item or none] What I inspected: [title, reading order, visual meaning, contrast, other] Change made or reason no change was needed: [brief note] Reviewed again: [yes / not yet]

Then make a final pass through the slides. Check that each has a useful title, that visuals carrying meaning have suitable text alternatives, that meaning is not conveyed only through color, and that text contrast is worth reviewing. Microsoft recommends trying slides with a screen reader because the order objects were added may differ from their visual order. [S1] If the checker finds nothing, still do this human review: the checker is a review aid, not a guarantee. [S1]

Keep a note of any unresolved concern and the slide where it occurs. If you change the reading order, revisit the slide’s appearance and animations: reordering may affect overlapping objects, and grouping animated objects can remove their animations. [S2]