Improve image accessibility in PowerPoint

Tips for improving image accessibility

• In addition to color, use text, patterns, or shapes to communicate ideas.

• Add descriptive alt text to pictures, charts, and other visual objects.

• Group layered images, like a picture with callout lines, into a single object.

• To get an idea how your slides might look to someone who’s colorblind, use the color filters feature in the operating system.

Add alt text to a chart, picture, or other visuals

1. Right-click a chart, picture, or other visual object, and select Edit Alt Text.

2. In the Alt Text pane, type a description for the object.

3. Add information about the slide and its visual content to the presentation notes underneath the slide.

   Note: To display the Notes field, select View > Notes.

Group layered images

To make sure that the screen readers can make sense of layered images, group them into one single image.

1. To select the images you want to group, press and hold Shift and then click each image.

2. Select Format > Group > Group.

3. Add alt text to the grouped image.

Use color filters

Windows: Enable the grayscale color filter in the Windows settings:

1. Select (Start) >  (Settings) > Ease of Access > Color filters.

2. Switch on the Turn on color filters option.

3. In the Select a color filter to see elements on the screen better list, select Grayscale.

4. Visually scan each slide in your presentation for instances of color-coding.

Mac: Enable the grayscale color filter in the Mac settings:

1. Select  System Preferences > Accessibility > Display > Color Filters.

2. Select Enable Color Filters.

3. In the Filter type list, select Grayscale.

4.  Visually scan the slides in your presentation.

In older versions of MacOS, select System Preferences > Accessibility > Display.