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PowerPoint differs from Word in one very significant way: floating objects are easy to navigate and make up the very nature of the entire slide. The title field in a slide, for instance, is a text box. However, unlike in Word, where navigating text boxes with a screen reader is tedious, in PowerPoint, a user Users just needs to tab around the hit the tab button to navigate slide and each object will be selected, announced, and the alt text (if present) will be read.
You do not need to add alt text to text boxes, since the contents are directly read by a screen reader, but you MUST add alt text to other non-text objects, including shapes and icons (and of course, images, graphs, charts, etc.).
Its better to not use any floating objects in PowerPoint. Floating objects are not part of a documents structure. When they are brought into an essay or article, they can disrupt the flow and make it very difficult to read. JAWS 18 and newer can read some floating objects at their anchor or insertion point. However, they cannot read text boxes (the alt text is not automatically read). JAWS users can also use Control>Shift>O to access a list of floating objects. The issue here though is that they can easily be read out of order or violate the flow of the text. NVDA can also read some floating objects in the drawing layer, but only if they are inline with the text.
Inline Objects are more accessible for readers. The only way you can use Floating Objects, is by making sure they are inline with the text. If this cannot be done, do not use Floating Objects.
How to make Text Boxes Accessible
Generally, screen readers cannot access the text box. Despite this, there are still ways of making a text box accessible to all readers.
Create a warning or alert to the reader that there are text boxes and how to access them.
Position Text Boxes inline with the text.
Text boxes should be given Alt Text.
To create a text box, use the following steps.
Go to the Insert Tab.
In the Illustrations Panel, click the Shapes Button.
Click Create Textbox in the upper left corner of the dropdown menu.
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A text box is used above. There really was no reason to put it inside a text box. Placing it on the slide itself would have meant the exact same thing. |
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There is no text box used and the text is on the slide as it should be. When you create a slide, text boxes are made automatically so the text should go into those boxes instead of ones you made. |
Create a Warning or Alert to the Reader that there are Text Boxes
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These text boxes do not have any warning or alert. Now the screen reader will look past them and the readers would have no idea they are there. |
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| Tip |
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These text boxes now have that important warning, including instructions on how to access the text boxes. |
Text Boxes should be given Alt Text
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Alt text for a text box is not read automatically, but you should still create an alt text for readers. Its always good to get into this habit, especially since technology improves at a rapid pace. |
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In order for Smart Art to be accessible, only two rules must be followed.
The Smart Art has to be inline with the text.
You must provide an Alt Text for the Smart Art.
The Smart Art has to be Inline with the Text
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When the Smart Art is not inline with the text, it integrates itself into the text. This causes a huge mess of space. The smart art forces all of the words to clear away and it blends itself poorly into the paragraph. |
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This Smart Art example shows it outside of the text. The Smart art does not interfere with anything and adds a good look to the page. |
The Smart Art must have an Alt Text
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There is no Alt Text, so the reader and screen reader will ignore this image and move on. There is important information in the graph, so always include an Alt Text. |
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An Alt Text has been included in the Word Document. The alt text explains exactly what is in the graph and describes the graph itself. |
Section 5.7: Shapes
Shapes cannot be read by screen readers because it is considered to be floating content. Each screen reader treats shapes differently. NVDA announces the shape as “slash”, but does not read the alt text. JAWS announces the type of shape and the size, but does not read the alt text. VoiceOver automatically reads the alt text and announces that it is a shape, but not what shape. In short, there is no good way for shapes to be read yet. When creating shapes, follow these rules to make them more accessible.
Rule 1: The individual shapes may not be meaningful, but the overall drawing might be.
Rule 2: Provide Alt Text to only one of the objects.
Rule 3: Make the shape inline with the text. To do this, right click the shape, go to Wrap Text > In Line with Text.
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The shape is not inline with the text. With the shape overlapping the text, the shape could interfere with a person ability to see the text. |
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The shape is now inline with the text. This presents a more organized look for the page, and nothing is distracting the viewer. |
Rule 4: It is always recommended to add Alt Text to a shape. To do this, right click the shape. Then click Edit Alt Text. In 100 characters or less, describe your shape.
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: Using a Series of Shapes
A series of the same shapes or images should be grouped. They should also be given alternative text and a long description. You can group them together by right clicking each of the shapes and pressing Control G.
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