Presentation Deck (PDF Export)

Who Is Affected

Screen reader users who cannot navigate through unstructured slides, people with low vision who rely on zoom features that require proper tagging, and users of assistive technology who need text alternatives for charts and images in presentation materials.

What This Means

When PowerPoint presentations are exported to PDF for public distribution, they often lose the accessibility features needed for assistive technology. Slides become flat images without proper headings, reading order, or alternative text for graphics. This creates barriers for residents trying to access meeting agendas, staff reports, or public hearing materials.

Government entities must ensure that all public documents, including presentation PDFs, are accessible under ADA Title II requirements. This includes proper document structure, alternative text for visual elements, and logical reading order.

Fix: Document

Step 1: Prepare the Source PowerPoint File

1. Add slide titles: Ensure every slide has a descriptive title using PowerPoint's built-in title placeholders, not just text boxes.

2. Write alternative text for images:

   • Right-click each image, chart, or graphic
   • Select "Edit Alt Text"
   • Write concise, descriptive text (e.g., "Budget comparison chart showing 15% increase in public safety spending")
   • Mark decorative images as "Mark as decorative"

3. Use proper heading structure:

   • Use PowerPoint's built-in text hierarchy (Title, Content, etc.)
   • Avoid manually formatting text to look like headings

4. Ensure reading order:

   • Go to Home → Arrange → Selection Pane
   • Reorder objects so they follow logical reading sequence (top to bottom)

Step 2: Export with Accessibility Settings

1. In PowerPoint, go to File → Export → Create PDF/XPS
2. Click Options button
3. Check these boxes:
   • "Document structure tags for accessibility"
   • "PDF/A compliant"
4. Under "Include non-printing information," check:
   • "Document properties"
   • "Document structure tags for accessibility"
5. Click OK, then Publish

Step 3: Verify and Remediate the PDF

1. Open the PDF in Adobe Acrobat Pro (required for remediation)

2. Run accessibility check:

   • Tools → Accessibility → Full Check
   • Review and fix all reported issues

3. Set document properties:

   • File → Properties → Description tab
   • Add meaningful Title and Subject
   • Set Language to "English (United States)"

4. Fix reading order if needed:

   • Tools → Accessibility → Reading Order
   • Use the tool to ensure logical content flow

5. Add bookmarks for navigation:

   • View → Navigation Panels → Bookmarks
   • Create bookmarks for each major slide or section

Step 4: Final Verification

1. Test with screen reader:

   • Use NVDA (free) to navigate through the document
   • Verify all content is announced properly
   • Check that slide titles are read as headings

2. Run PAC 3 checker for comprehensive validation

3. Test zoom functionality up to 200% to ensure content remains accessible

Standard Reference

Document Class: Presentation Deck (PDF Export)

• Complexity Level: Medium (2-5 hours)
• Primary WCAG Criteria: 1.1.1 (Non-text Content), 1.3.1 (Info and Relationships), 1.3.2 (Meaningful Sequence), 2.4.2 (Page Titled)

PDF Techniques Applied:

• PDF9 — Providing headings by marking content with heading tags
• PDF2 — Creating bookmarks in PDF documents
• PDF1 — Applying text alternatives to images with the Alt entry

This document class requires full remediation of the source PowerPoint file followed by proper PDF export settings and post-processing verification in Adobe Acrobat Pro.