\uD83D\uDCD8 Instructions
Tables are not very accessible in PowerPoint. Most screen readers do not announce headers, and you can enter editing mode just to navigate it. In addition, there is very little semantic structure in a PowerPoint table. They are best left out of presentations all together.
Section 5.1: Creating Tables
If you do need to make a table, follow these instructions.
Go to the Insert Tab, and select the Table Button.
Create a title for your table, make sure it is visible on the slide.
Give your table real headers. Go to the Table Design Tab, and in the Table Styles Options section, check Header Row.
When creating a table, follow these rules.
Only have one header row, one header column, or one of each.
Do not use nested tables, split cells, or merged cells.
Use text and backgrounds that give a good color contrast ratio of 4.5 : 1 or higher. Provide Alt Text (and a long description if needed).
This table has very poor color contrast and would be hard for anyone to read.
This table has a good color contrast ratio. This table is very easy to read for most readers.
Section 5.2: Creating Graphs and Charts
Graphs and Charts are very helpful for displaying information. To create a graph or chart,
Go to the Insert Tab.
Click the Chart Button.
The Insert Chart box will appear. There, you can choose a chart or graph style. You can create pie charts, bar graphs, and more. When a chart or graph is made, you will see a small Excel sheet pop up. This can be used to edit your chart.
Section 5.3: Labels on Charts and Graphs
Data labels are very important for accessibility purposes. If data labels are not present, then readers will have fewer queues to help them read the information. Charts, tables, and graphs can become completely inaccessible without their labels, so always add them.
To add data labels, click on your chart, and click the Chart Elements Plus sign in the top right corner. Choose which data labels you want to use and customize them so they are visible but does not distract from the chart itself.
This table does not have any data labels on it. A person who is color blind may have trouble knowing the differences between the sections and categories.
This table has the data labels. Now a person who has visual disabilities can still know what each category stands for without needing color.
Section 5.4: Long Descriptions for Complex Images, Pie Charts, and Bar Graphs
When using complex images like pie charts or bar graphs, it is better to use a long description rather than Alt Text. Alt Text is meant to be brief, while long descriptions give you a bit more freedom to explain the image. There are many ways to create a long description including:
Describing the complex image in text below the image.
Adding a link below the complex image.
Providing the data from the image in text form.
Make sure the long description is visible to all users. Even if they are links, or buttons.
This pie chart is missing a long description. This will be an issue to readers who cannot see at all or can see very little.
This pie chart is now accessible due to it having a link. The link will take the reader to a long description or index when clicked.
This pie chart contains a long description that tells the screen reader and reader exactly what is on the pie chart. This will make it much easier for the reader to understand the chart, and the statistics, and learn at a faster pace.
This pie chart is also accessible because it provides Alt Text directing the readers attention from the pie chart to the table. A reader may have a difficult time reading a pie chart, to remedy this, create a table underneath the chart with the same information. This will give them the ability to get the information they need.
Additional Types of Long Descriptions
When you use complex images, you must describe it using Alt Text and have a longer description.
This image of the Hagia Sophia in Turkey has an Alt Text. However, there is no long description.
This image of the Hagia Sofia has an alt text. There is also a link to the long description that will go into more detail about what is in the picture.