Before you export a PowerPoint presentation to PDF or distribute it to a wide audience, you must verify that all content is accessible to people with disabilities. PowerPoint includes a built-in Accessibility Checker that scans slides for common issues such as missing alt text, low color contrast, and improper reading order. This article explains how to open the Accessibility Checker, interpret its results, and fix identified problems before exporting your file.
Key Takeaways: Running the Accessibility Checker Before Export
- Review > Check Accessibility: Opens the Accessibility Checker pane that lists all issues and warnings in the current presentation.
- Alt Text for All Images: Every picture, shape, and SmartArt must have a descriptive alt text for screen readers.
- Slide Reading Order Pane: Arrange slide elements so screen readers read them in the correct sequence.
What the Accessibility Checker Does and Why It Matters
The Accessibility Checker in PowerPoint scans your presentation against a set of rules defined by the Microsoft Accessibility standard. These rules cover four categories: errors, warnings, tips, and intelligent services. Errors are items that make the file difficult or impossible for people with disabilities to consume. Warnings indicate content that may be hard to read or navigate. Tips are suggestions for improving the overall experience.
When you export a presentation to PDF or distribute it via email, the accessibility issues remain embedded in the file. Screen readers, braille displays, and other assistive technologies rely on properly structured content. Missing alt text on images, merged table cells, and slides without titles are among the most common failures found by the checker. Running the checker before export ensures your final file is compliant with accessibility standards such as WCAG 2.1.
Steps to Run the Accessibility Checker and Fix Issues
- Open the Accessibility Checker pane
Go to the Review tab on the ribbon. In the Accessibility group, click Check Accessibility. The Accessibility Checker pane opens on the right side of the PowerPoint window. - Review the inspection results
The pane displays a tree list with three categories: Errors, Warnings, and Tips. Expand each category by clicking the arrow icon. Each item shows a brief description, such as “Missing alt text” or “Check reading order.” - Select an issue to see its location
Click any item in the list. PowerPoint highlights the specific slide element that triggered the issue. The pane also shows a short explanation of why the issue matters and a recommended action. - Fix alt text on images
Right-click the image and select Edit Alt Text. In the Alt Text pane, type a concise description of the image content. For decorative images, check the “Mark as decorative” checkbox to hide the image from screen readers. - Fix slide titles
If the checker reports a missing slide title, go to that slide and add a title placeholder via Home > Layout > Title Slide or manually insert a text box at the top of the slide. Set the text box reading order to appear first using the Reading Order Pane. - Fix table issues
For merged or split cells in tables, the checker flags them as errors. Avoid merging cells in table headers. Instead, use separate columns for each header value. To fix an existing merged cell, select the merged cell and click Table Tools > Layout > Split Cells. - Fix reading order
Open the Reading Order Pane by clicking Review > Check Accessibility > Reading Order Pane. Drag slide elements up or down in the list to match the visual reading order. The topmost item is read first by screen readers. - Re-run the checker after fixes
After applying all fixes, click Check Accessibility again. The pane refreshes and shows only remaining issues. Repeat until the list is empty or contains only warnings and tips that you have reviewed.
Common Accessibility Issues and How to Avoid Them
Missing alt text on shapes and SmartArt
Many users add alt text only to pictures and forget about shapes, grouped objects, and SmartArt graphics. The Accessibility Checker treats all non-decorative visual elements the same. Right-click each element and choose Edit Alt Text. If the element is purely decorative, mark it as decorative to remove it from the scan.
Low color contrast in text and backgrounds
The checker does not automatically measure color contrast, but it warns about insufficient contrast when it detects a text color that may be hard to read on a given background. Use the Color Contrast Analyzer tool from the WebAIM website to verify your color combinations meet the WCAG ratio of 4.5:1 for normal text.
Hyperlinks with generic text like “Click here”
Screen readers often list all links on a slide. A link that says “Click here” gives no context about the destination. Use descriptive link text such as “Download the 2024 Annual Report” instead. To change link text, right-click the link, select Edit Hyperlink, and update the Text to display field.
Slides without a title
Every slide should have a unique title. The Accessibility Checker flags slides that have no title placeholder or an empty title. Even if you hide the title visually by making it white on a white background, the title text must exist in the slide outline. Add a title via Home > Layout and choose a layout that includes a title placeholder.
Complex tables with merged cells
Merged cells in tables confuse screen readers because the row and column structure becomes ambiguous. Instead of merging cells, use separate columns for each data point. If you must merge, ensure the merged cell contains only a single logical value and that the table headers are clear.
Accessibility Checker Limitations You Should Know
| Feature | Accessibility Checker | Manual Check Needed |
|---|---|---|
| Alt text detection | Flags missing alt text | Verify alt text describes the image accurately |
| Color contrast | Warns about potential issues | Use a third-party contrast tool for exact ratios |
| Reading order | Lists elements in reading order | Manually reorder elements in the Reading Order Pane |
| Table structure | Flags merged cells | Restructure table to avoid merging |
| Video captions | Does not check embedded video | Add closed captions manually before export |
The Accessibility Checker is a powerful tool, but it does not catch every issue. For example, it does not verify that alt text is actually descriptive or that video content has captions. Always combine the checker with manual review of your slides. Use the Reading Order Pane to confirm the logical sequence and test the presentation with a screen reader like Narrator in Windows 11 or NVDA.
After you have resolved all errors and reviewed warnings, you can export the presentation to PDF or distribute it as a PPTX file. Go to File > Export > Create PDF/XPS Document. In the Options dialog, ensure the “Document structure tags for accessibility” checkbox is selected. This embeds the accessibility metadata into the PDF, preserving the fixes you applied in PowerPoint.