E-mail List Archives

Search E-mail List Archives for

Number of posts in this thread: 14 (In chronological order)

From: LSnider
Date: Thu, Sep 01 2011 10:45AM
Subject: PowerPoint Accessibility
No previous message | Next message →

Hi All,

I just did a talk on accessibility and want to post the powerpoint for those
who requested it. I know I can tag it and make it into a PDF. I searched
online and couldn't find much else to do. Is there anything else I can do to
make the pages more accessible?

Thanks

Lisa

From: Birkir R. Gunnarsson
Date: Thu, Sep 01 2011 10:54AM
Subject: Re: PowerPoint Accessibility
← Previous message | Next message →

Hi

Please post the PP slides (if that is ok) as soon as possible. I am
giving a simlar talk (am going to post a few questions on it in a
different thread) to Computer Science students at University of
Reykjavík, at the end of this month.
If someone can make my job asier, and doesn't mind doing so, I always
apprecaite that *grin*.
I believe, even with a text transcript, there may be photos and other
visual info that is very useful for the students but not necessarily
easy to transcribe. As long as the bullet points/text convey the
meaning well, that s no problem.
PP is also fairly accessible with the major screen readers.
Thanks
-Birkir


On 9/1/11, ihenix < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > wrote:
> Hi Lisa,
>
> If you post it on Slideshare [1] you should be able to get a text
> transcript. There are a couple of drawbacks in that you can't edit the
> transcript and you'd need to have images described in the text in
> order for them to make sense. I've not used it in a while but it may
> be worth a try.
>
> Henny
>
> [1] http://www.slideshare.net/
>
> On 1 Sep 2011, at 17:43, LSnider wrote:
>
>> Hi All,
>>
>> I just did a talk on accessibility and want to post the powerpoint
>> for those
>> who requested it. I know I can tag it and make it into a PDF. I
>> searched
>> online and couldn't find much else to do. Is there anything else I
>> can do to
>> make the pages more accessible?
>>
>> Thanks
>>
>> Lisa
>>

From: ihenix
Date: Thu, Sep 01 2011 11:12AM
Subject: Re: PowerPoint Accessibility
← Previous message | Next message →

Hi Lisa,

If you post it on Slideshare [1] you should be able to get a text
transcript. There are a couple of drawbacks in that you can't edit the
transcript and you'd need to have images described in the text in
order for them to make sense. I've not used it in a while but it may
be worth a try.

Henny

[1] http://www.slideshare.net/

On 1 Sep 2011, at 17:43, LSnider wrote:

> Hi All,
>
> I just did a talk on accessibility and want to post the powerpoint
> for those
> who requested it. I know I can tag it and make it into a PDF. I
> searched
> online and couldn't find much else to do. Is there anything else I
> can do to
> make the pages more accessible?
>
> Thanks
>
> Lisa
>

From: Patrick Burke
Date: Thu, Sep 01 2011 11:18AM
Subject: Re: PowerPoint Accessibility
← Previous message | Next message →

Hi Lisa,

For Powerpoint accessibility, the main thing is to make sure all the
critical items are contained in the Outline. I'm not sure how this
affects PDF conversion. For exporting to Word or HTML, though, only
objects contained in the Outline make it through the export process.

Perhaps overkill for one set of slides, but for the long term it's
worth checking out the LecShare tool:
http://www.lecshare.com/products.htm

Also the Accessible Wizard for MS Office:
http://www.virtual508.com/

HTH!
Patrick

At 09:43 AM 9/1/2011, LSnider wrote:
>Hi All,
>
>I just did a talk on accessibility and want to post the powerpoint for those
>who requested it. I know I can tag it and make it into a PDF. I searched
>online and couldn't find much else to do. Is there anything else I can do to
>make the pages more accessible?
>
>Thanks
>
>Lisa


--
Patrick J. Burke

Coordinator
UCLA Disabilities &
Computing Program

Phone: 310 206-6004
E-mail: burke <at> ucla. edu
Department Contact: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =

From: Karlen Communications
Date: Thu, Sep 01 2011 11:30AM
Subject: Re: PowerPoint Accessibility
← Previous message | Next message →

I've written books on creating accessible PowerPoint documents - one for PP
2007 and one for 2010.
http://karlencommunications.com/products.htm

Cheers, Karen

From: John E Brandt
Date: Thu, Sep 01 2011 12:15PM
Subject: Re: PowerPoint Accessibility
← Previous message | Next message →

If you have MS Office 2010 (Windows) you can run the Accessibility Checker
(AC) on your file [File>Prepare for Sharing>Check for Issues>Check
Accessibility] - read http://tinyurl.com/4ytxzr4 for more information. The
AC will check to make sure you have "alt" text/descriptions for the images,
that each slide has a title (many people fail to do this), and will ask
about reading-order. You will probably want to avoid/remove animations and
don't use any embedded media (audio or video) in the slides themselves
(these should be sent/posted separately after making sure you have made them
accessible with captioning and transcripts). Each slide has to have a unique
name. If you have several slides designed to show continued information mark
them "Title name - 1", "Title Name - 2", etc. If there are just two, you can
title the "Title name" and "Title name - continued"

Other things to avoid:
- embedded tables (may not read well in screen readers)
- multiple columns (may mess up word/reading order)
- complex charts (very hard to include ALT description that will provide
enough information to make it meaningful)
- complex graphic created with symbols or free form shapes - like flow
charts (each piece/shape used requires an ALT description - in the final
form it won't make sense to screen reader users)
- use of URLs or e-mail addresses (The AC doesn't like these)

If you have made the MS Accessibility Checker happy (no errors), you can
probably convert it to Adobe Acrobat file (save as PDF). But then run that
file through the Adobe Acrobat Accessibility Checker (included in Adobe
Acrobat Pro) just to make sure.

I recently have been asked to make a small number of previously-created PPTs
accessible for one of my clients. What I found is that most people have no
idea how to create a useable PowerPoint (e.g., including too much verbiage,
poor construction of slides, bad layout, bloated graphics, etc.) let alone
making one that is accessible. For one of these projects, I ended up
extracting all of the information out of the PPT and creating a new
separate, accessible Word document.

If your goal is to create a presentation that will be archived and shared
publically, spend the money have the event video recorded, captioned and
posted with associated supporting documents, links, etc. Ideally, you would
share all of the documents, including an accessible version of your PPT with
the audience before the actual event so AT users can have a chance to view
the materials beforehand.

As in your case, if you have made a presentation and, after the fact, folks
want the PPT and materials, ideally you would offer to write up a summary of
your presentation and include copies of the supporting documents and
resources and not just give folks a copy of your PPT.

That's my opinion, we welcome yours!

~j

John E. Brandt
www.jebswebs.com
= EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =
207-622-7937
Augusta, Maine, USA

From: Paul.Adam
Date: Thu, Sep 01 2011 12:42PM
Subject: Re: PowerPoint Accessibility
← Previous message | Next message →

PowerPoint accessibility for JAWS/windows is super easy, just make sure all objects have alt text and each slide has a unique title.

LecShare does a great job of checking the original PPT for accessibility and you can even add alt text in that app which will save it back to the PPT. You can also use the free LecShare app as a PPT a11y checker before sending out or posting to the web.

The worst issue is how PowerPoint's are read on the Mac or iPhone, the alt text of images gets trashed and replaced with garbled text. Well that and NVDA won't read a PowerPoint at all :( I love that screen reader too! Maybe one day? MS should donate them some money to speed up the process.

Here's a copy of the checklist I developed from scouring the web for accessibility info a year or so back. It's super detailed and tries to cover every possible issue. May be overkill.

Accessible PowerPoint Documents Checklist
Formatting and Layout
 All slide text can be viewed in the Outline View.
 Slide show was created from an existing slide layout.
 Information in outline view appears in the same order as in slide view.
 Document uses structure such as Titles, Lists, and Tables to define elements.
 White space is controlled with styles and NOT with the Enter key.
 Slide numbering is used, NOT manually typed page numbers.
Text and Lists
 Text boxes are NOT used. Instead Text Placeholders that appear in the slide layout are used.
 Slide master styles are used to control formatting.
 Recommended fonts are used. (i.e. Times New Roman, Verdana, Arial, Tahoma and Helvetica) Text to be viewed on a projector should be large.
 Bullet styles are used for bulleted lists, NOT manually typed characters (e.g. Hyphens).
 List numbering is used for numbered lists, NOT manually typed numbers.
Columns
 Columns are set-up using the Column tool. Spaces and tabs are NOT used to create the look of columns.
Tables
 Complex tables are NOT used.
 The tab key or indent is NOT used to format tabular data.
 Tables used for data are created using the Table tool.
 Data tables use column headings.
 Tables have a logical reading order from left to right, top to bottom.
 Tables do NOT use merged cells.
Links
 All hyperlinks have titles describing the purpose or target of the link. “Click here” or “more” is NOT used as link titles.
 Links contain the fully qualified URL (i.e., http://www.google.com NOT www.google.com).
 Link URLs and email URLs are shown on the screen next to the title of the link.
E.g. Google (http://www.google.com/) & DARS Accessibility ( = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = )
Non-Text Elements (Illustrations & Objects)
 Graphics were not copy/pasted into the slides, rather, inserted through the insert icons in the slide’s layout.
 The notes pane is used to describe complex images, flow charts, tables, and audio.
 Tables, charts, and graphs are created within PowerPoint rather than another program.
 All non-text elements have alternative text descriptions that convey the same information to the user that the image conveys.
 Images which do not convey information have a carriage return as alternative text.
 Complex images are grouped and alt text is added.
 Complex images (e.g., charts and graphs) have descriptive text directly below the image.
 Images with similar contents are grouped and one alt text is provided.
 Document does NOT use background images or watermarks.
 Word Art is NOT used.
 Drawings made with Shapes are imbedded as a PDF file with alt text.
 Flashing images are NOT used.

Color
 Color and highlighting is NOT used as the only way to provide information.
 Information conveyed with color is also available without color.
 Colors used in your document provide good contrast.
File Names and Document Properties
 File name does NOT contain spaces and/or special characters.
 File name is concise, generally limited to 20-30 characters, and makes the contents of the file clear.
 Document Properties (i.e. Subject, Author, Title, Keywords, and Language) are filled out. Note: For Author, do not use individuals name or contractor name. Should use government organization name (i.e., HHS).
Multimedia
 Transcripts are included for audio clips.
 Captions and audio descriptions are included for videos.
 Sounds play automatically as the slide appears.

Paul Adam
Accessibility Specialist
Center for Policy and Innovation
= EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =

From: Björn Fisseler
Date: Fri, Sep 02 2011 12:30PM
Subject: Re: PowerPoint Accessibility
← Previous message | Next message →

Microsoft itself has some information and a view tutorials on how to
create accessible documents with their office products. Just take a look:

https://www.microsoft.com/enable/

And for the tutorials:
https://www.microsoft.com/enable/training/office2010/default.aspx

WebAIM also has a nice tutorial on PPT accessibility:
http://webaim.org/techniques/powerpoint/

For the german speaking community, we produced some tutorials for Word
2003-2010 as well as PowerPoint 2003-2010.

For the versions 2003-2007: http://www.wob11.de/praesentationen.html
(PPT), http://www.wob11.de/loesungenhinweise33.html (Word)

And updated for 2010: http://goo.gl/wlNbr

Regards

--
Björn Fisseler
Technische Universität Dortmund
Fakultät Rehabilitationswissenschaften
Emil-Figge-Str. 50, R. 4.452, 44227 Dortmund
--
Fon: +49 231 755 7200, Fax: +49 231 755 7162
Skype: bfisseler
--
http://www.projekt-eloq.de

From: Ryan E. Benson
Date: Fri, Sep 02 2011 12:42PM
Subject: Re: PowerPoint Accessibility
← Previous message | Next message →

That's similar to HHS' checklist. You can see ours at:
http://www.hhs.gov/web/policies/checklistppt.html
--
Ryan E. Benson



On Thu, Sep 1, 2011 at 2:42 PM, < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > wrote:
> PowerPoint accessibility for JAWS/windows is super easy, just make sure all objects have alt text and each slide has a unique title.
>
> LecShare does a great job of checking the original PPT for accessibility and you can even add alt text in that app which will save it back to the PPT. You can also use the free LecShare app as a PPT a11y checker before sending out or posting to the web.
>
> The worst issue is how PowerPoint's are read on the Mac or iPhone, the alt text of images gets trashed and replaced with garbled text. Well that and NVDA won't read a PowerPoint at all :( I love that screen reader too! Maybe one day? MS should donate them some money to speed up the process.
>
> Here's a copy of the checklist I developed from scouring the web for accessibility info a year or so back. It's super detailed and tries to cover every possible issue. May be overkill.
>
> Accessible PowerPoint Documents Checklist
> Formatting and Layout
>        All slide text can be viewed in the Outline View.
>        Slide show was created from an existing slide layout.
>        Information in outline view appears in the same order as in slide view.
>        Document uses structure such as Titles, Lists, and Tables to define elements.
>        White space is controlled with styles and NOT with the Enter key.
>        Slide numbering is used, NOT manually typed page numbers.
> Text and Lists
>        Text boxes are NOT used. Instead Text Placeholders that appear in the slide layout are used.
>        Slide master styles are used to control formatting.
>        Recommended fonts are used. (i.e. Times New Roman, Verdana, Arial, Tahoma and Helvetica) Text to be viewed on a projector should be large.
>        Bullet styles are used for bulleted lists, NOT manually typed characters (e.g. Hyphens).
>        List numbering is used for numbered lists, NOT manually typed numbers.
> Columns
>        Columns are set-up using the Column tool. Spaces and tabs are NOT used to create the look of columns.
> Tables
>        Complex tables are NOT used.
>        The tab key or indent is NOT used to format tabular data.
>        Tables used for data are created using the Table tool.
>        Data tables use column headings.
>        Tables have a logical reading order from left to right, top to bottom.
>        Tables do NOT use merged cells.
> Links
>        All hyperlinks have titles describing the purpose or target of the link. “Click here” or “more” is NOT used as link titles.
>        Links contain the fully qualified URL (i.e., http://www.google.com NOT www.google.com).
>        Link URLs and email URLs are shown on the screen next to the title of the link.
> E.g. Google (http://www.google.com/) & DARS Accessibility ( = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = )
> Non-Text Elements (Illustrations & Objects)
>        Graphics were not copy/pasted into the slides, rather, inserted through the insert icons in the slide’s layout.
>        The notes pane is used to describe complex images, flow charts, tables, and audio.
>        Tables, charts, and graphs are created within PowerPoint rather than another program.
>        All non-text elements have alternative text descriptions that convey the same information to the user that the image conveys.
>        Images which do not convey information have a carriage return as alternative text.
>        Complex images are grouped and alt text is added.
>        Complex images (e.g., charts and graphs) have descriptive text directly below the image.
>        Images with similar contents are grouped and one alt text is provided.
>        Document does NOT use background images or watermarks.
>        Word Art is NOT used.
>        Drawings made with Shapes are imbedded as a PDF file with alt text.
>        Flashing images are NOT used.
>
> Color
>        Color and highlighting is NOT used as the only way to provide information.
>        Information conveyed with color is also available without color.
>        Colors used in your document provide good contrast.
> File Names and Document Properties
>        File name does NOT contain spaces and/or special characters.
>        File name is concise, generally limited to 20-30 characters, and makes the contents of the file clear.
>        Document Properties (i.e. Subject, Author, Title, Keywords, and Language) are filled out. Note: For Author, do not use individuals name or contractor name. Should use government organization name (i.e., HHS).
> Multimedia
>        Transcripts are included for audio clips.
>        Captions and audio descriptions are included for videos.
>        Sounds play automatically as the slide appears.
>
> Paul Adam
> Accessibility Specialist
> Center for Policy and Innovation
> = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =
>
>
>

From: LSnider
Date: Fri, Sep 02 2011 1:45PM
Subject: Re: PowerPoint Accessibility
← Previous message | Next message →

I wanted to thank all of you for your wonderful and very useful suggestions
and links-they were perfect. Wow, I thought I knew about making powerpoints
accessible but these resources made me see that I can do much better!

Thanks so much!

Cheers

Lisa

From: LSnider
Date: Fri, Sep 02 2011 1:51PM
Subject: Re: PowerPoint Accessibility
← Previous message | Next message →

Hi Paul,

That was a very good point. I wondered why my NVDA wouldn't do anything in
the powerpoint :( I think John's suggestion of a write up is the way to go.
This way I get the information out there, and then it is more accessible (I
never say fully anymore :).

Cheers

Lisa

On Thu, Sep 1, 2011 at 11:42 AM, < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > wrote:

> The worst issue is how PowerPoint's are read on the Mac or iPhone, the alt
> text of images gets trashed and replaced with garbled text. Well that and
> NVDA won't read a PowerPoint at all :( I love that screen reader too! Maybe
> one day? MS should donate them some money to speed up the process.
> Paul Adam
> Accessibility Specialist
> Center for Policy and Innovation
> = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =
>
>

From: LSnider
Date: Fri, Sep 02 2011 1:57PM
Subject: Re: PowerPoint Accessibility
← Previous message | Next message →

Hi John,

After reading all the wonderful tips, I think you are right...I think it is
just easier if I write up something in a Word document and that way I can
better explain my images and why they were there.

Good idea!

Thanks again

Lisa



On Thu, Sep 1, 2011 at 11:17 AM, John E Brandt < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > wrote:

>
> As in your case, if you have made a presentation and, after the fact, folks
> want the PPT and materials, ideally you would offer to write up a summary
> of
> your presentation and include copies of the supporting documents and
> resources and not just give folks a copy of your PPT.
>
> That's my opinion, we welcome yours!
>
> ~j
>
> John E. Brandt
>
>

From: Paul.Adam
Date: Tue, Sep 06 2011 7:51AM
Subject: Re: PowerPoint Accessibility
← Previous message | Next message →

Yes Ryan, I've stolen a LOT of good info from HHS.gov for the Office Checklists we use at DARS. Thanks! My boss here has a nice saying that the taxpayers shouldn't have to pay for the same good idea twice :) Thank ya'll! HHS.gov info helped me dispel some of the accessibility myths here such as the thought that Excel was not accessible.

Paul Adam
Accessibility Specialist
Center for Policy and Innovation
= EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =

From: Pollard, Larry (DRS)
Date: Tue, Sep 06 2011 12:06PM
Subject: Re: PowerPoint Accessibility
← Previous message | No next message

Good Afternoon Paul and Ryan
I would like to add that the HHS.gov web site is a very excellent source for a great deal of accessibility resource information, as well as http://www.justice.gov/crt/508/report/content.php and last but not least http://www.section508.va.gov/VA_Section_508_Best_Practices.asp I would like to personally thank you folks for all the hard work and resources that you take the time to post every day you make my job a little easier somedays thanks to your post and resources. Thank you and have a great day.

Larry. Pollard
Accessibility Webmaster
Department of Rehabilitative Services
mailto: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =