Contents
         This resource is based on Microsoft’s accessibility guide and accessible PowerPoint template. It is designed to be used as 
         a template as well as a guide to make your own accessible templates. 
         Contents of this guide are listed below: 
         •   Start with an Access Check
         •   Color accessibility rules for Charts and SmartArt
         •   Alt text accessibility rules for Pictures
         •   Alt text accessibility rules for Charts
         •   Alt text accessibility rules for SmartArt
         •   Accessibility rules for Tables
         •   Basic Accessibility Rules
         •   More Basic Accessibility Rules
         •   Learn more about PowerPoint Accessibility
        Start with an Access Check
        Plan in advance to make it easier for learners with diverse abilities to follow along and participate. For example: Describing 
        wayfinding and physical access and when replying to questions about adapting content for user needs.
          1.  Start sessions with an access check. Share                         4.  Announce yourself and check your volume and 
              information about accessibility features                               speaking speed with learners. Inform everyone only 
              available for the session and any changes.                             one person at a time will be speaking. Ask learners 
              For example: ASL interpretation, live                                  to identify themselves before speaking. Mention to 
              captions, transcript availability, accessible                          virtual participants that they should mute 
              documents, accessible video, platform                                  themselves when they are not speaking.
              accessibility, captions, subtitles, recordings                     5.  Remind all participants to describe images, videos 
              and facilities maintenance.                                            and slides in plain language without relying on 
          2.  Provide learners opportunities to privately                            learners being able to see the content or perceive 
              ask for help with accessibility.                                       colour and with explanations that make sense when 
                                                                                     read aloud by screen readers or when speech is 
                                                                                     converted to text in transcripts or captions. Mention 
                                                                                     opportunities to use chat to participate.
        Color Accessibility Rules for Charts and SmartArt
               1.  Some people can’t see certain colors, so               2.  If colors need to be changed to pass the analyzer, 
                   text, tables, and SmartArt need to pass a                  change the chart design or color scheme instead of 
                   test that measures these color differences.                changing the colors directly. To change these, 
                   You can download a color contrast                          select your chart and go to Chart Tools > Design 
                   analyzer from the web. To test using this                  > Chart Styles or Change Colors.
                   tool, just select the color foreground and 
                   background you need and see if it passes!
                  Failing color contrast      Passing color contrast
        Alt Text Accessibility Rules for Pictures
        All your pictures and tables need appropriate 
        descriptive alternative text (known as “alt 
        text”) that doesn’t use the words “photo” or 
        “graphic”. 
        To add alt text, right click on your picture and 
        select Format Picture, then go to Size & 
        Properties > Alt Text and add alt text only to 
        the Description field.
        Alt text examples for pictures on this slide:
          1.  A women and girl gardening                                1
          2.  Sand dune in light and shadow
                                                                                                    2
          3.  Basketball players raising hands together
                                                                                                                                3
        Alt Text Accessibility Rules for Charts
         All charts also need to have alt text. To add alt                    Alt text examples for two different chart types on 
         text to a chart, right click on the chart and select                 this slide:
         Format Chart Area which will open the Format                          1.  Line chart showing values of three series for 
         Chart Area pane, then go to Size & Properties >                           four categories
         Alt Text and enter your alt text only into the                        2.  Clustered column chart showing values of 
         Description field.                                                        three series for four categories
             6
             5                                                                6
             4                                                                5
             3                                                                4
             2                                                                3
             1                                                                2
             0                                                                1
          Category 1    Category 2     Category 3     Category 4
                       Series 1    Series 2    Series 3                       0
                                                                                  Category 1   Category 2   Category 3   Category 4
                                                                                             Series 1  Series 2 Series 3