Microsoft PowerPoint Accessible Manual

First-time keyboard guide

Use this short routine before following the Microsoft PowerPoint Accessible Manual procedures. It explains exactly how the keyboard directions in this manual work.

Press a single key

1. Find the named key without pressing it if possible.
2. Press and release the key one time. Do not hold it unless the step specifically says to hold it.
3. Stop and listen to the full screen-reader announcement before pressing another key.

Press a keyboard combination

1. When a command contains a plus sign, such as Ctrl+S, hold down the first key.
2. While continuing to hold the first key, press and release the final key once.
3. Release the first key. The plus sign is not a key and should not be pressed.
4. Listen for the expected result described in the procedure. If nothing changes, verify that the correct application or webpage has focus and try the command once more.

Press a sequence of keys

1. When keys are separated by commas or the word “then,” press and release them in order instead of holding them together.
2. After each key, listen for a menu, tab, control, or new screen before continuing.
3. If the announcement does not match the step, press Escape once to close the current menu or dialog and restart that procedure.

Know which navigation key to try

• Tab and Shift+Tab: move forward and backward among buttons, links, fields, and other controls.
• Arrow keys: move inside menus, lists, groups of choices, text, and many screen-reader reading views.
• Enter: opens the selected item or activates the focused command.
• Space: activates many buttons and checks or clears checkboxes. In a text field, Space types a space.
• Escape: cancels or closes the current menu, list, or dialog without intentionally accepting a change.

Verify before moving on

1. Listen for the window, page, or application name so you know where focus is.
2. Perform only one numbered step.
3. Compare what the screen reader announces with the “What should happen” information in the procedure.
4. If the result is wrong, stop. Use the procedure’s recovery directions, Escape to cancel, or Ctrl+Z to undo when that command is supported.
5. Continue only after you can identify the result. Save completed work with Ctrl+S whenever the application supports saving.

First complete PowerPoint presentation workflow

Create, review, present, and save a short accessible presentation using built-in layouts.

1. Open PowerPoint and press Ctrl+N. Choose a blank presentation if the start screen remains open.
2. On slide 1, move through placeholders with Tab. Enter Community Technology Workshop in the title placeholder and Practice presentation in the subtitle.
3. Press Ctrl+M to add slide 2. Use the Home ribbon’s Layout command to choose Title and Content.
4. Enter Workshop Goals in the title placeholder. In the content placeholder, type three short goals, pressing Enter between bullets.
5. Press Ctrl+M for slide 3 and choose a layout that provides a title and content area. Title it Schedule.
6. Insert a simple table using the Insert ribbon. Give every column a clear header and keep the table small enough to read linearly.
7. Add slide 4 with the title Contact Information. Insert a meaningful hyperlink whose displayed text describes the destination.
8. If you add an informative image, open its context menu, choose Edit Alt Text, and describe the image’s purpose concisely. Mark purely decorative images decorative when PowerPoint provides that choice.
9. For each slide, press F6 or use the Selection Pane to inspect object names and reading order. Move objects only after confirming which object is selected.
10. Open the Notes pane and add speaker notes that expand on the slide without repeating every displayed word.
11. Run Accessibility Checker from the Review ribbon. Repair missing titles, missing alt text, unclear link text, and reading-order warnings.
12. Press Ctrl+S, choose Documents, name the file Community Technology Workshop Practice, and verify PPTX format.
13. Press F5 to start from slide 1. Use Space or Right Arrow to advance and Escape to end the slide show.
14. After presenting, use Slide Sorter or the thumbnail pane to confirm slides 1 through 4 are in the intended order and each title is unique.
15. Export a PDF copy only after saving the editable PPTX. Open the PDF and verify its text, page order, links, and image descriptions as far as the reader exposes them.

Recovery: Use Ctrl+Z after changing the wrong object, Escape to leave a menu or slide show, and Ctrl+S after confirming the active filename.

About this manual

This manual targets PowerPoint in Microsoft 365 desktop on Windows. PowerPoint contains several work areas, including the thumbnails pane, slide editing area, notes pane, and ribbon. Press F6 to move among these areas and Tab or Shift+Tab to move among objects on a slide.

Use built-in slide layouts whenever possible. Layout placeholders provide structure that is easier to navigate and maintain than manually positioned text boxes. Give every slide a unique, descriptive title.

Keyboard quick reference

Accessible slide practices

• Use built-in slide layouts and give every slide a unique title.
• Keep text concise and use real bulleted or numbered lists.
• Maintain strong contrast and do not use color as the only way to communicate meaning.
• Add concise alternative text to meaningful pictures, charts, shapes, and other visual objects.
• Mark objects decorative only when they add no information.
• Use the Reading Order pane to arrange objects logically, with the title before related content.
• Use simple tables with a designated header row. Avoid merged or split cells.
• For charts, retain source values and add a plain-text summary of the important result.
• Use meaningful link text that identifies the destination.
• Add speaker-note prompts to describe visuals aloud during a presentation.
• Avoid flashing content and unnecessary animation.
• Run Check Accessibility and test the entire deck with the keyboard.

Reading order

Screen readers follow the slide's object order, which may differ from the visual arrangement. Open the Reading Order pane through Alt+Q or an Accessibility Checker recommendation, then move objects into a logical sequence. Test that sequence by pressing Tab through the slide.

Images, tables, and charts

Alt text should explain why a visual matters in the presentation. It should be concise, specific, and based on the presentation context. A chart needs alt text plus access to exact source values and a short text summary. A table needs clear headers and a simple structure.

Presenting accessibly

Start the slide show with F5, move with the Arrow keys, and press Escape to finish. Speak important information shown in images, charts, and demonstrations. Do not ask the audience to identify information only by color, position, or appearance.

Basic and advanced step-by-step procedures

These procedures make the manual usable on its own. The separate lessons provide assignments and progress tracking when you want a course experience.

Ten-lesson course sequence

1. Lesson 1: PowerPoint Basics: Slides, Placeholders, and Saving — Create a basic presentation, move among slide placeholders with the keyboard, and save the file.
2. Lesson 2: Slide Layouts, Titles, and Organizing a Presentation — Use built-in slide layouts and meaningful titles to create a clear presentation structure.
3. Lesson 3: Text, Bullets, and Clear Slide Content — Create concise, structured slide text that works for screen-reader users and visual audiences.
4. Lesson 4: Images, Alternative Text, and Decorative Objects — Insert an image and make its meaning available to people who cannot see it.
5. Lesson 5: Reading Order and Keyboard Navigation — Arrange slide objects so a screen reader encounters them in a logical order.
6. Lesson 6: Accessible Tables and Charts — Present structured data with clear headers, accessible descriptions, and a text summary.
7. Lesson 7: Meaningful Links and Contact Information — Add links that clearly identify their destination and work with keyboard navigation.
8. Lesson 8: Color, Contrast, Fonts, and Accessible Design — Apply a professional design that remains readable with low vision and does not communicate by color alone.
9. Lesson 9: Speaker Notes and Presenting with the Keyboard — Prepare concise speaker notes and deliver a presentation using keyboard commands.
10. Lesson 10: Final Accessible Workplace Presentation — Independently create, check, and practice a professional accessible presentation.

Begin PowerPoint Lesson 1

Official references and further learning

• Microsoft: Create accessible Office documents
• Microsoft: Making documents accessible
• Microsoft: Add alternative text to objects
• Microsoft: Accessibility Checker
• Freedom Scientific: JAWS documentation