Five issues to avoid for accessible presentations

Learn how to duck them with these techniques.

You spent a lot of time creating and rehearsing your presentation. So why would you automatically exclude up to 20% of your audience by not ensuring that it’s accessible?

Five common accessibility presentation problems — the frustrating five — can thwart your attempts to enlighten your listeners. Rest easy. This article identifies these troublesome issues, then details the techniques you can use to avoid the issues, whether you are using IBM® Symphony® or Microsoft® PowerPoint®.

Identifying the ‘Frustrating Five’

These are the five accessibility issues you must be aware of when using presentation software:

Image grouping: Images can look like a single graphic, but may be actually composed of many smaller objects. Screen readers speak each object which can be annoying and confusing.
Images: Screen readers cannot recognize images. You should supply a description called alternative (alt) text and the screen reader reads that.
Data tables: Tables created using the Tab key can’t be easily navigated or read by a screen reader.
Text formatting: Text formatting such as bold, italics, underlining, or color is meaningless to a screen reader. You should avoid using formatting as the only way to convey information (e.g., highlighting important information in red).
Reading order: Items are read in the order in which you add them to a page. So, unless you’re a bit careful and a lot mindful, someone using a screen reader may hear your message in a way you never intended.

Use the following techniques to avoid these “frustrating five.”

1. Grouping images

Sometimes an image may look like a single item on the page but it’s actually comprised of multiple items. To tell if an image is really many smaller items, focus on the image and press the Tab key. If the image is grouped properly, the focus will move to the next item on the page. And, you will see only one bounding rectangle for that image. An improperly grouped object shows multiple bounding rectangles and causes the focus to move to all the smaller items as you continue to press the Tab key.

To fix this problem in Symphony:

Select all objects in the group.
Select Layout then Group then Group.

To fix this problem in PowerPoint:

Select the image.
Press Shift + F10.
In the Context Menu, select Grouping, then Group.

Alternatively, you can save the image as a .jpg file and import or insert it in the presentation.

2. Adding alt text

Screen readers read text. They cannot “read” images. You can help your audience by providing a description (alt text) of the image that the screen reader can speak.

Add alt text if an image adds meaning to your presentation. Do not add alt text if the image is word art or if the image is used just for visual effect.

To add alt text in Symphony:

Select the image.
Select Graphic Properties, then select the Alternative Text tab.
Tab to the Alternative Text field and enter a brief description of the image.
Tab to the OK button and press Enter.

To add alt text in PowerPoint:

Select the image.
Press Shift + F10.
In the Context Menu, select Format Picture or Format Object.
Select the Web tab.
Tab to the Alternative text field.
Enter a brief description of the picture or image.
Tab to the OK button and press Enter.

3. Creating accessible tables

Users must be able to understand the purpose of a table, and navigate the data within the table. Sighted users can see what data matches to column and row headers. But, because screen readers read in a certain order, someone using assistive technology may be confused if the table is not created correctly.

Notes:

Do not use patterned backgrounds. These make it difficult for people with low vision to distinguish the text from the background.
Images inserted “in” a table are not recognized by screen readers; they appear to be “on top” of the table instead. So, the screen reader will read the table, then the images. To fix this, add alt text in the cell and cover the cell with the image or don’t use the image and add what you would use as the alt text within the cell.

To create accessible tables in Symphony:

Do not use tabs or spacing to create tables.
Use Create > Table for simple tables that are accessible without any modification.
Add a caption above or below the table to summarize the purpose of the table.

To create accessible tables in PowerPoint:

Press Alt + A to select Table from the file menu.
Select Insert.
Select Table.
Make selections for table size and autofit options.
Tab to the OK button and press Enter.

4. Avoiding using text formatting or color to convey meaning

Presentations that use text formatting or color alone to convey meaning can be inaccessible. Always provide a redundant way to get the same information.

Incorrect example: “Refer to my comments in bold.”
Accessible example: “Refer to my comments in bold, prefaced with my initials SK.”

Incorrect example: “Verify you have completed items in green.”
Accessible example: “Verify you have completed the items with the green asterisk.”

In these examples, a sighted user is able to use color as a cue. A person who has a vision impairment can use the redundant clue, whether it’s the initials or the asterisk.

Also, use high contrast between the page text and background in your document. For example, black text on a white background works well, but light gray text on a white background does not.

5. Setting the reading order

Objects on a presentation page are read by screen readers in the order in which they are added to the page. To see the reading order, go to a page in your presentation and start pressing the Tab key. Where the focus lands is what will be read.

To set the reading order in Symphony:

View the slides with the Navigator by pressing Ctrl + Shift + F5. The screen reader reads Symphony objects in the order shown in the Navigator.
Tab to the last item to be read.
Right-click the object border and select Arrange > Send to Back.
Continue the same process until all objects on the page have been ordered.

To set the reading order in PowerPoint:

Focus on the last item you want to be spoken. (You’re going to do this in reverse order, so you start with the last item that should be read).
Press Shift + F10.
In the Context Menu, tab to Order.
Select Send to Back.
Continue this process until all items on the page have been ordered.

Tab through your presentation to verify the reading order is correct once you’ve completed this process. Remember to set the order for page titles and sub-titles.

Summary of techniques

Here’s a little cheat sheet of techniques.

Feature	Accessibility Technique
Grouping Images	Use the Grouping-Group or Layout-Group menu option to group multiple objects into a single image
Images, Graphs, Charts	Add alt text for important images; don’t for images used for visual effects When alt text is not sufficient, add a description of the image in surrounding text
Data Tables	Use the “Insert Table” or “Create Table” function to create accessible tables Never use Tab to create data tables Do not use patterned backgrounds in tables
Text Formats & Color	Provide a redundant method when using text formatting to convey meaning Use styles (lists) to create document structure Provide a redundant method when using color to convey meaning
Reading order	Explicitly specify the reading order of objects on the page using Order-Send to Back or Arrange-Send to Back. Another option is to create a new slide and add the objects in the correct order Use unique titles for each slide or add “cont.” or “1 of n”