How To Create Speaker Notes In Powerpoint 2010

Creating Accessible Microsoft PowerPoint 2007/2010 Presentations (Windows)

This resource is designed to be printed as a one page PDF file. An HTML version is also available below.

Slide Layouts

Using slide layouts provided within PowerPoint will ensure that files have correctly structured headings and lists, and proper reading order.

Screenshot of the New Slide menu options on the default PowerPoint toolbar

Creating Slide Layouts

Select Home > New Slide, or select the New Slide button from the default toolbar.
Choose from the slide options menu the desired layout.

Alternative text for Images

Images can be given appropriate alternative text in PowerPoint. This Alt text is read by a screen reader in a PowerPoint file and should remain intact when exporting to HTML or PDF.

PowerPoint 2007

screenshot of Alt text tab in Word 2007. The word logo.gif appears in the field by default.

Right-click on the image and select Size and Position. A dialog box will appear.
Select the Alt Text tab, and replace the filename with appropriate alternative text.

PowerPoint 2010

Screenshot showing alternative text added to the image Description field.

Right-click on the image and select Format Picture. A dialog box will appear.
Select the Alt Text tab on the sidebar. Enter appropriate Alt text to the Description field, not the Title field.

Data Tables

PowerPoint can style rows and columns so they appear as data tables, but there is no way to add content in a way that will be identified by a screen reader.
If your presentation contains more than the simplest tables, and if you have Adobe Acrobat, consider saving your presentation to PDF and adding the additional accessibility information in Acrobat Pro.

Outline and Notes Panels

PowerPoint contains two panels that can be used to enhance accessibility: the Outline panel and the Notes panel.

Outline Panel

The Outline panel contains a text outline of the content that appears in your slides.
Reviewing this panel can help ensure the content on the slides is logically sequenced, that slide titles are unique and meaningful, and that reading order is appropriate for any user.

Notes Panel

The Notes panel allows the speaker to add notes and information that will not appear on the slides. This information may not be accessed by a screen reader, so do not put important information in this area.

PowerPoint 2010 Accessibility Checker

PowerPoint 2010 includes an accessibility resource that identifies and repairs accessibility issues.

Running the Accessibility Checker

Select File > Info > Check for Issues > Check Accessibility.
The checker presents accessibility errors, warnings, and tips on how to repair the errors.

Other Principles

Ensure that font size is sufficient. If your presentation will be viewed on a projector, font size may need to be even larger.
Provide sufficient contrast. If your presentation will be viewed on a projector, sometimes the contrast needs to be even more pronounced.
Do not use color as the only way to convey content.
Avoid automatic slide transitions.
Use simple slide transitions when possible.
Use simple language.
Check reading order of text boxes that are not part of the native slide layout. They are usually the last thing read by a screen reader.
If you have embedded video, ensure that the video is captioned, and that the player controls are accessible.
If you have embedded audio, include a transcript.
If your slides contain animations, ensure that they are brief and do not distract from the most important content on the page.

Made possible by a grant from the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE), US Department of Education. No official endorsement implied.