Creating Accessible Presentations

1. Creating Accessible Presentations Training Guide

2. Recommended Approach • Accessible features & functions are consistent across Microsoft platforms (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) • Start with MS Word > then branch out to PowerPoint and Excel • Good Resources • Creating Accessible Documents: An Interactive Training Guide • Learning and Development Centre Website

3. Make Content Easier to See • Font style – Choose Sans Serif Styles • Font Size – The larger the better (30 pt. min) • Use adequate contrast (test print in greyscale) • Avoid ‘patterned’ backgrounds • Avoid Transitions • Avoid using Word Art

4. Make Content Easier to Understand • Keep slides simple • Avoid using lots of differentcolours, fonts, images • Provide context for hyperlinks • Use lots of ‘white space’ • Limit number of points per page to six

5. Use Built-in Style Layouts • Style layouts include text and graphical placeholders which are understood by adaptive technology • Exercise 1: Changing Slide Layouts • Right click > Layout • Look at options available

6. Create or Customize Master Slides • Slide Masters allow you to add/change existing layouts and create a personal template • Exercise 2: Customizing Master Slides • View > Slide Master • Add page numbers to the slides • Insert > Slide Number • View > Normal • Efficiency Tip: Create a template for future use: • File > Save as type > PowerPoint template

7. Floating Objects Have you ever created images, text, or objects that were not inserted into a ‘placeholder’? • When place holders are not used, the logical tab order for slide elements must be set manually. • Exercise 3: Create ‘Logical Tab Order’ • Home > Arrange > Selection Pane… • Organize the elements of this slide in reverse order (bottom - top) Special Note: Floating Text and Images are not reformatted when changing design templates!

8. Use “Real Lists” Ordered Lists Unordered Lists Sleeping Bag Tent Food Clothing Toiletries Exercise 5 – Make the list above a bulleted list Read Recipe Gather Ingredients Bake Ice Eat • Exercise 4 – Make the list above a numbered list

9. Use Slide Notes • Slide notes can be read by assistive technologies, and can also be included in exports to PDF format • Use notes to explain and expand on slide contents • Add notes while you create your material • Exercise 6 • Add some notes to this slide • Click to add notes

10. Alt Text for All Images & Objects • Alternative text should: • present the contentand functionof the image • be succinct • Alternative text should not: • be redundant (the same as adjacent or body text) • use the phrases "image of…" or "graphic of…". • Exercise 7 – Add Alt Text • Add alternative text to the image • Right Click > Format > Alt text

11. Creating Charts - 1 • Choose a Slide Layout with image placeholder • Select ‘Insert Chart’ option • Select ‘Chart Style’ (Bar, Pie, Line, etc.) • Enter data in the Excel window that pops up • Close Excel Window (Click on x top right) • Use Chart Tools to format chart • Add Alternative Text • Right Click > Format > Chart Area > Alt Text

12. Creating Charts - 2 • Exercise 9 – Creating Charts • Use the placeholder to the right to create a chart.

13. Creating Tables - 1 • Choose a Slide Layout with an image placeholder • Select ‘Insert Table’ option • Enter # of rows & columns, and click OK • Enter table data and format as desired • Add Alternative text • Right Click > Format Shape > Alt Text • Flag Heading Row • Table Tools > Header Row

14. Creating Tables - 2 • Exercise 10 – Creating Tables • Use the placeholder to the right to create a table.

15. Accessibility Checker • The built in accessibility checker will identify any potential issues with your presentation and will provide guidance on how to correct. • Exercise 12 – Run Accessibility Checker • File > Check for Issues > Check Accessibility • Correct identified errors • Save file

16. Export to PDF • Files exported as PDF can include the ‘Accessibility Features’ if the appropriate flags are set. • Exercise 11 – Save as PDF • File > Save As PDF > Options • Check the options as shown on the sample • Press OK

17. Questions? Thank you for your time