In order for the screen reader to be able to accurately read a slide, all the visual elements must be labeled with alternative text and placed in the right order. If you intend to provide the slides in PDF format, there are some additional factors you need to consider.

Alternative text

Follow the instructions for images and diagrams in the various programs in Chapter 5.

Order of elements

Unlike continuous text, on a presentation slide it is not always clear in which order the elements are meant to be read. Screen readers do not read the various elements from top to bottom or right to left, but rather in the order in which they were created.

Here’s how to change the order in which your elements will be read in MS PowerPoint:

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• Start > Arrange.
• Drag elements into the correct order (the screen reader will read the elements from bottom to top).
• Test the order by exporting the file to PDF and using the read-aloud function in Adobe Acrobat.

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You can also change the order of the elements directly in Adobe Acrobat, but the process varies depending on the version of the program. Here is the standard method:

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• Tools > Protection and standardise > accessibility; and then in the right column
• reading order.

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Tips for presenting your slides in an accessible manner can be found in Chapter 7.2.

Slides as PDF

Perhaps you would like to provide your students with a PDF version of your slides. In this case, it is important to generate one page per slide. This allows your students who use keyboard commands to jump from slide to slide without having to scroll. The easiest way to do this is to simply save your slide presentation as a PDF without changing any settings.