Digital Accessibility Resources

Step One: Begin with Structure from the Beginning

• Draft your outline in Microsoft Word before importing it into PowerPoint.
• Use Microsoft's accessible templates to get a head start on a well-structured slide deck.
• Avoid blank slide layouts whenever possible, as they often lack the built-in structure of screen readers to rely on.

Starting with structure makes accessibility easier to manage from the beginning.

Step Two: Give Every Slide a Unique Title

Every slide must include a unique and descriptive title. Screen readers announce slide titles when navigating during Slide Show mode, so repeated or missing titles can make navigation confusing and frustrating for users who rely on them. Make sure each title clearly reflects the content of that slide.

Step Three: Check and Correct the Reading Order

Screen readers read slide elements in the order they were added to, not necessarily in the order they visually appear. Use the Reading Order pane to verify and correct this.

To check reading order:

1. Select the slide you want to review. Go to the Review tab.
2. Click Check Accessibility.
3. Open the Reading Order Pane.
4. Reorder items so content flows logically from top to bottom. Ensure the title is listed first (top), body text second, and visuals last.

Step Four: Use Simple, Clear Layouts

A clean, simple layout helps students focus on the content rather than the design. When building your slides, keep these principles in mind:

1. Limit the amount of text and visuals on each slide to only what is necessary to support your message.
2. Group related items together so ideas feel connected and easy to follow.
3. Use PowerPoint's built-in slide layouts and SmartArt tools instead of manually placing and sizing text boxes. This maintains structure and supports proper reading order.
4. Choose clean, sans-serif fonts like Calibri or Arial for better readability on all screen sizes.

Step Five: Make Charts and Graphs Accessible

Charts and graphs present a unique accessibility challenge. Take these steps to make sure everyone can interpret your data:

1. Add data labels directly to chart elements, so values are visible without hovering.
2. Include a supporting data table when possible, so learners can access exact figures. Avoid relying on color alone to differentiate categories.
3. Use patterns, shapes, or clear labels as well.

Accessible charts aren’t just a compliance requirement; they make your data clearer and easier for everyone to understand.

Step 6: Check Color Contrast

To ensure your content is readable for all learners, follow these minimum color contrast guidelines:

• 4.5:1 ratio for normal-sized text
• 3:1 ratio for large text

These ratios help text stand out clearly against its background, especially for individuals with low vision or color vision differences. You can check your contrast levels by using a free color contrast analyzer tool or by running PowerPoint’s built-in Accessibility Checker before you share your slides.

Step 7: Add Alternative Text (Alt Text) to Images and Visuals

Alt text is a short description that screen readers announce in place of an image. You should add alt text to all images, charts, SmartArt, icons, and videos in your slides.

To add alt text:

1. Right-click the image and select View Alt Text.
2. In the Alt Text box, write a meaningful description that explains what the image shows and why it is relevant. You can also select "Generate alt text for me," then approve the suggested alt text.

If the image is purely decorative and adds no informational value, select Mark as decorative instead.

Step Eight: Use Descriptive Link Text

When creating links, use clear and descriptive text so readers know exactly where the link will take them. Avoid vague phrases like Click here. Instead, write meaningful link text such as Access to the Library Research Guide or Download the Case Brief Template. This improves clarity and makes your content more accessible for everyone.

Step Nine: Make Data Tables Accessible

Screen readers navigate tables from left to right, row by row. To ensure your tables work correctly:

1. Keep the structure simple. Avoid merging or splitting cells, which can disrupt how assistive technology reads on the table.
2. Always designate a header row, so column labels are clearly identified.

To designate a header row in PowerPoint:

1. Select your table on the slide, then go to the Table Design tab in the ribbon.
2. In the Table Style Options group, check Header Row.

Note: Unlike Word, PowerPoint does not automatically repeat header rows across slides.

Step Ten: Run the Accessibility Checker

Before You Share Always run PowerPoint's built-in Accessibility Checker as your final step before distributing any slides. It will catch issues you may have missed and provide suggestions for fixing them.

1. Select Review.
2. Click Check Accessibility.
3. Review and resolve any flagged issues.
4. Make this your final step before distributing slides.

Accessibility Quick Checklist

• Every slide has a unique title
• Reading order is logical
• Color contrast meets minimum standards
• Alt text is added
• Links are descriptive
• Videos include captions
• Tables use header rows
• Accessibility Checker reviewed

Accessibility is not just about compliance; it’s about clarity. When your slides are structured for screen readers, they become clearer and more organized for everyone.

More Resources

For more information on making your PowerPoint presentations accessible, visit Microsoft's PowerPoint Accessibility Support page.

These steps help everyone read and use your Excel file, including people who use screen readers or have low vision.

Step One: Name Things Clearly

• Give each sheet a clear name (for example: “Fall Enrollment,” not “Sheet1”)
• In cell A1, write a short title or sentence explaining what the sheet is about (screen readers always start reading at A1)

Step Two: Use Tables for Data

• Highlight your data
• Click Format as Table
• Make sure the top row has column names
• Keep tables simple (one header row only)

Step Three: Keep the Layout Simple

• Do not merge cells
• Do not leave empty rows or columns just for spacing
• Use row height or column width instead
• If data is missing, type “No data” or “0”

Step Four: Use Easy‑to‑Read Text and Colors

• Use a simple font like Calibri, Arial, or Verdana
• Make text at least 12‑point size
• Make sure text stands out clearly from the background
• Don’t rely on color alone to explain something (add words or symbols too)
• Review UMB's Color Contrast Checker

Step Five: Add Descriptions to Images and Charts

• Click on an image, chart, or shape
• Choose Edit Alt Text
• Write a short sentence explaining what it shows
• If an image is just decoration, mark it as decorative

Step Six: Write Clear Links

• All links need to explain where they go
• Correct: “2025 Graduation Data”
• Incorrect: “Click here”

Step Seven: Run the Accessibility Check

• Click Review → Check Accessibility
• Fix any issues Excel points out

Step Eight: Final Check Before Sharing

• Make sure everything is readable and labeled
• Save the file as .xlsx
• Sheets have clear names
• Cell A1 has a title or description
• Data is in tables
• No merged or empty layout cells
• Images have alt text
• Accessibility Checker shows no errors

Below are easy, concise, step‑by‑step instructions based on widely accepted guidance from WCAG and Adobe for creating accessible PDFs. These steps apply whether you’re working in Word, Google Docs, or a similar tool and then export to PDF.

Step One: Start in Word, Google Docs, or PowerPoint

It’s much easier to make a PDF accessible before you turn it into a PDF.

While you’re writing:

• Use the built‑in heading styles (Heading 1, Heading 2, etc.)
• Use real bullets or numbered lists (don’t type dashes or numbers)
• Add descriptions (alt text) to images that matter
• Use clear link text (say what the link goes to)
• Keep tables simple and give them header rows
• Don’t use scanned images of text unless you convert them to real text

Step Two: Give the Document a Clear Title

The title helps screen‑reader users know what the document is.

• Set a document title (not just a file name)
• Go to File > Info > Properties > Title.
• Click “Add a title” and add an easy-to-read title for your document

Step Three: Save the File as a PDF the Right Way

Acrobat Pro has tools to check accessibility. If you do not have it, please ask a person on your team that has access to this tool.

Step Five: Run the Accessibility Check

This finds common problems automatically.

• Use the Accessibility Checker
• Review the list of issues it finds

Step Six: Fix the Reading Order

Content should be read in the correct order.

• Make sure headings, text, lists, and tables flow logically
• Headings should be marked as headings, not just big text

Step Seven: Add or Fix Image Descriptions

• Add alt text to important images
• Mark decorative images as decorative

Step Eight: Check Colors and Text

Make sure everyone can read it.

• Text should be easy to see against the background
• Don’t rely on color alone to show meaning
• Check UMB's Color Contrast Checker

Step Nine: Check Tables and Forms (if you have them)

• Tables should have headers
• Form fields should have clear labels
• Users should be able to move through fields using the keyboard

Step Ten: Do a Quick Final Check

Before sharing:

• Try using the Tab key to move through the document
• Re‑run the accessibility checker

Digital displays are the large screens behind the security desk and in the cafe on the first floor of the law school. They are also several of these displays across campus. It is a wonderful way to promote an event to students, faculty, and staff either in the law school, or to a wider UMB audience.

In order to make these images accessible, please use the following steps:

• The 3x5 Rule: Use either three lines of five words or five lines of three words per slide. Avoid dense blocks of text that are difficult to read in the 10–15 seconds a slide is typically visible.
• High Contrast & Sans-Serif Fonts: Stick to simple fonts like Arial, Helvetica, or Verdana. Maintain a contrast ratio of at least 3:1 (ideally higher) between text and background.
• If creating in Canva, please use the accessibility tools.
• Use UMB's color contrast tracker.
• If you use a QR code, you must have text describing where that QR code leads. For example, put text above the QR code that says, "Scan the QR code to register."

Canva is a design tool to help people without graphic design background to create assets for flyers, social media, and more.

Canva has several accessibility tools to help you create ADA-approved designs:

Design Accessibility

Use this tool to identify and implement accessibility improvements across your designs. It helps detect issues related to color contrast, typography, alternative text (alt text), and more. Learn more about Design Accessibility in Canva.

Alt text for images and elements

Ensure that all users can understand key visual elements in your design. Add descriptive alt text manually or use AI-generated suggestions. Learn more about alt text in Canva.

PDF Accessibility

When downloading designs as PDFs, Canva ensures files are readable by screen readers. Learn more about improving PDF accessibility in Canva.

Captions for audio and video

Make spoken-word audio and video content more inclusive by enabling captions. Turn on auto-captions for individual designs or across all Canva projects. Learn more about captions in Canva.

Learn more about all accessibility settings in Canva.