How to make accessible PowerPoints and Google Slides

Readers will be able to structure PowerPoint and Google Slides decks so screen readers and slide-list navigation work correctly, by giving every slide a unique descriptive title, using built-in layouts instead of manual text boxes, checking reading order with the Selection Pane or Tab key, and keeping tables to a single header row or column. They will also be able to improve visual and contextual accessibility by checking color contrast with the WebAIM Contrast Checker, using at least 24-point body text and 32-point headings, adding speaker notes and page numbers, and starting from the ready-made accessible PSU template in the Google Slides Template Gallery. They will additionally understand the deadline pressure behind this work, since the 2024 update to ADA Title II adopts WCAG 2.1 Level AA for public universities and sets PSU's compliance date at April 26, 2027.

Task

Accessible materials

Time

about 10 minutes to read, plus time to apply the checks to an existing deck

Level

beginner

Cost

Needs a licence — Requires a licence your institution may or may not hold.

Tools

PowerPoint, Google Slides, WebAIM Contrast Checker, PSU accessible slide template (Google Slides Template Gallery), PSU Instructional Digital Accessibility Training (Canvas)

Published

2026-02-26